Perfume is not general cargo: class 3, booked early

A carton of perfume looks like any other carton, which is exactly how it ends up in a dry container booked as general cargo. Under the IMDG Code it is a class 3 flammable liquid, and the booking, the paperwork and the stowage all change. This note deals with that one cargo type only.

Step 0: classify before you quote

Class 3 covers flammable liquids with a flash point of 60 °C or below. Alcohol-based perfumes are usually carried as UN 1266 (perfumery products), packing group II or III depending on flash point; ethanol solutions sit under UN 1170. The flash point, the alcohol content and the packaging type decide the UN number and the packing group — and those three come from the manufacturer’s safety data sheet, not from the invoice description. “Cosmetics” is not a classification.

Step 1: book dangerous goods, and book early

A dangerous goods booking is a separate acceptance process from a general booking: the carrier reviews the DG declaration and the safety data sheet, checks the vessel’s stowage restrictions and only then confirms space. Most carriers want the application one to two weeks before the cut-off, and a first-time shipper should assume the longer end. Booking on the last day does not produce a faster approval; it produces a rolled container.

Step 2: the document set

• Dangerous goods declaration, signed by a trained shipper
• Safety data sheet, current version, section 14 consistent with the declaration
• Packaging certificate for the UN packaging actually used
• Commercial invoice and packing list, with the UN number and proper shipping name
• Container packing certificate, issued after loading
• Segregation check against the other cargo on the booking, where consolidated

The single most common rejection at this desk is a document set where the SDS section 14 and the DG declaration disagree on packing group. Both documents are correct on their own and useless together.

Step 3: check the container before it is loaded

A dry container is acceptable for this cargo, but not any dry container. Check the floor for residue from the previous cargo, confirm the ventilation openings work, and refuse a container that has carried anything with a strong odour — perfume absorbs it. If the booking is consolidated, run the segregation check first: class 3 does not travel beside every other class, and the rules are specific rather than indicative.

Step 4: loading sequence

1. Inspect and photograph the empty container: floor, walls, doors, ventilation.
2. Confirm the cartons are the UN packaging declared; reject damaged outer cartons before loading starts.
3. Stow away from ignition sources and from oxidising cargo; keep the marked side up.
4. Block and brace so that nothing can shift: this cargo is heavy per carton and slides under vibration.
5. Label each package with the class 3 label, UN number and proper shipping name before it goes in — not after.
6. Place the container placard on both sides and the rear doors, with the UN number displayed.
7. Photograph the loaded container, the placards and the seal; keep the images with the file.
8. Close, seal, record the seal number, and issue the packing certificate.

Step 5: four failures worth avoiding

• Booking as general cargo and declaring dangerous goods afterwards: the carrier can refuse the container at the gate, and the insurance position changes.
• Declaring “cosmetics” without a UN number: the booking is incomplete before it reaches the vessel.
• Labelling after loading: once the doors are closed the marks cannot be verified, and the photographs prove nothing.
• Treating the lead time as paperwork: the approval, not the sailing schedule, is what sets the departure date.

Send the SDS and the intended packing list before you request a rate. We will confirm the UN number and packing group, book the DG space with the lead time the carrier actually needs, and hand you the loading checklist with the photographs attached to the file.