How to remedy the shortage of MSDS identification report for air freight and the seizure of dangerous goods for general cargo
The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is the core document used to determine the hazardous properties of goods during international air transportation. Many foreign exporters believe that they are shipping ordinary daily necessities and do not need an MSDS, and thus do not prepare the relevant reports. When the goods arrive at the airport and undergo security sampling, they are suspected to contain hazardous chemical components based solely on their appearance and X-ray images. They are directly classified as suspected dangerous goods and subject to seizure. In such unexpected situations, incorrect handling methods can lead to the return or destruction of the goods, and mastering the correct remedial measures can help recover the losses.
After the goods are seized, the first step is to obtain the official airport seizure notice from the freight forwarder and confirm the reason for the seizure: due to the lack of MSDS, it is suspected to be a dangerous product. Do not ignore it. The storage cost of the hazardous goods detention warehouse at the airport is much higher than that of the ordinary warehouse, and it will incur considerable expenses every day. The longer the delay, the higher the cost.
The first step is to verify the true nature of the product. Contact the product factory to confirm the raw material composition and determine whether the product is truly a common commodity or actually has hazardous properties. If the product itself contains flammable or corrosive components, it is essentially a dangerous product, and it cannot be forcibly appealed as a common commodity. It is necessary to follow the dangerous goods air transportation process to reapply for procedures.
If it is confirmed that the goods are ordinary non-dangerous goods, the core remedial action is to complete the compliant MSDS report. Note that the general templates randomly downloaded from the internet cannot pass the airport review. The MSDS report must be fully matched with the product model being shipped and issued by a qualified testing institution, and the version should comply with the international GHS standards. The components and physical parameters in the report should be consistent with the actual product. After obtaining the official MSDS, simultaneously prepare the product manual, product photos, and write a situation explanation to explain the oversight and omission of the report and apply for a re-examination of the product's nature.
After submitting all the materials, the airport security or a third-party institution will review the documents. In some cases, they will require sampling and testing. If the review is passed, the dangerous product determination will be revoked, and the goods will be returned to the common commodity channel for air transportation. If the test determines that it is indeed a dangerous product, there are only two options: re-book the shipment according to the hazardous goods process or handle the return and send it back to the domestic country. In this case, it is impossible to continue using the common commodity air transportation.
Many exporters have fallen into traps. Before shipping, they have aattitude， thinking that as long as they do not ask for an MSDS， they do not need to prepare. For chemical products， cosmetics， adhesives， coatings， aerosol products， even daily small commodities， air transportation is recommended to have MSDS prepared in advance. Once seized， in addition to the report cost， high warehouse rent， and loss of order delays， the cost is extremely high. Before shipping， check the materials in advance to be the most effective way to avoid such seizure problems.