China crucial to reducing global lithium battery hazard
As a major lithium battery producer, China has a role to play in managing the transportation risks
Leaders in the air cargo industry have called for tougher regulation on the shipment of dangerous goods such as lithium batteries and pressed governments to criminalise dishonest shippers that endanger airplanes and passengers.
"Flagrant abuses of dangerous goods shipping regulations which place aircraft safety at risk must be criminalised, as are other actions which place aircraft safety at risk," said James Woodrow, the chairman of the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) cargo committee and a director of cargo at Cathay Pacific.
China and its key air hub of Hong Kong have a particularly important role to play in helping to meet the global challenge of managing the risks of transporting lithium batteries given the rise of cross-border e-commerce and counterfeit goods, IATA said.
"The safe transport of lithium batteries by air is a global challenge, but it is important to note that China is a major source of lithium battery production," Tony Tyler, director general and chief executive of IATA, said.
The emergence of e-commerce platforms has made regulation more difficult, as it now means anyone can be a shipper of dangerous goods, he said. "For example, there is a supplier on Alibaba claiming they would re-label 300 watt-hour batteries as 100 watt-hour, and even ship them via the standard postal service," he said.
"So some of it is ignorance, there is also an element of wilful non-compliance. We do see people who just lie," said David Brennan, IATA's assistant director of cargo safety and standards.