China Releases Draft of Principle of Classification of Transport Packaging Groups of Dangerous Goods for Public Comment

The revision work for the recommended national standards Principle of Classification of Transport Packaging Groups of Dangerous Goods was officially initiated on June 3, 2025, and is now open for public comment. Both standard projects have a 12-month cycle, with completion planned for 2026. The first draft for comments was finalized and revised in January 2026. Issued jointly by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China, this standard aims to address the current issue of imprecise classification of packaging groups in China's dangerous goods management.

Scope

This standard specifies the method for classifying transport packaging groups of various dangerous goods. It is applicable to production, storage, transportation, and inspection departments of dangerous goods as a basis for determining packaging groups when conducting performance tests and inspections on transport packaging. It does not apply to pressure vessels for gases, transport packaging for infectious substances, transport packaging for radioactive materials, packaging with a net mass exceeding 400 kg, or packaging with a capacity exceeding 450 L.

This document is technically consistent with the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods – Model Regulations (24th revised edition).

This document replaces GB/T 15098—2008 Rule of Nomenclature for Dangerous Goods. The main technical changes compared to the 2008 version are as follows:

• Added classification of the degree of danger of dangerous goods:

Except for Class 1, Class 2, Class 7, self-reactive substances in Division 4.1, Division 5.2, and Division 6.2, dangerous substances are divided into three packaging groups according to their degree of danger:

• Packaging Group I: Substances with high danger;
• Packaging Group II: Substances with moderate danger;
• Packaging Group III: Substances with low danger.

• Deleted the content on classifying packaging groups based on CN numbers.
• Deleted the packaging group content for various classes and divisions.
• Specified provisions for packaging groups of dangerous goods listed and not listed in GB 12268:

For dangerous substances already listed in GB 12268, the performance level of transport packaging shall be determined according to the indicated packaging group based on the degree of danger. For dangerous substances not listed in GB 12268, their packaging group based on the degree of danger shall be determined according to the class/division and relevant quantitative values of the dangerous substances in GB 6944.

• Added packaging group requirements for articles, Class 1 explosives, outer packaging of pressure vessels, organic peroxides, and self-reactive substances:

The transport packaging for articles shall meet the packaging performance levels listed in the packing instructions of the Model Regulations. The transport packaging for Class 1 explosives shall meet the performance level of Packaging Group II. When pressure vessels are transported in outer packaging, the outer packaging shall meet the drop height performance level of Packaging Group I. The transport packaging for organic peroxides and self-reactive substances shall meet the performance level of Packaging Group II.

Implementation Transition Period

After the release of this standard, relevant entities will need to make adjustments based on the changes. Therefore, a transition period of 6 months between the release date and the effective date is proposed for this recommended national standard to ensure its smooth implementation.

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Further Information

STD