2027 IATA DGR Updates Take Effect January 1

This article highlights significant changes appearing in the 68th Edition IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), which takes effect as revised on January 1, 2027. 

Jump to specific updates: 

• Improvements “How To” Guidance
• Dangerous Goods Classification
• Section 4.2 List of Dangerous Goods
• Special Provisions
• IATA Packing Instructions (PIs)
• Marking and Labeling
• State and Operator Variations

Improved Guidance: "How to Use the Regulations"

For 2027, IATA added additional guidance to a section of the DGR titled How to Use the Regulations. It provides a step by step checklist to help shippers classify materials for air transportation, package shipments, and apply hazmat markings and labels. 

The 68th Edition Dangerous Goods Regulations includes additional instructions to assist shippers with:  

• The application of special provisions to specific shipments, 
• Selection of the correct packing instructions (PIs) and packaging types, and 
• Combining multiple dangerous goods in a single package (All Packed In One)

The “How to Use the Regulations” section appears near the front of the DGR manual. 

Dangerous Goods Classification (Section 3) 

The 68th Edition contains amended classification criteria for certain types of hazardous materials in air transportation. These updates include: 

• Minor amendments to the classification rules for explosive articles (3.1.1) 
• Revised classification criteria for aerosols with subsidiary hazards, and several new prohibitions for certain aerosols (3.2.5.2.5) 
• A new paragraph for classifying hybrid batteries composed of lithium and sodium ion cells (3.9.2.6.1(h))

The 2027 DGR also includes clarifying changes to help shippers properly classify infectious substances as well as samples of some potentially self-reactive organic substances. See IATA’s list of Significant Changes and Amendments to the 68th Edition DGR for more information about changes to the manual in effect as of January 1, 2027.

List of Dangerous Goods (Section 4.2) 

Section 4.2 of the DGR features an extensive List of UN numbers and shipping names for hazardous materials. Each entry on the list provides additional details for shippers like the hazard class or division the material, what packaging instructions to follow, and the relevant quantity limits or restrictions. 

The new edition of the DGR includes four new entries on the List of Dangerous Goods: 

• UN 3561 Chlorophenols, corrosive, toxic, solid, n.o.s.
• UN 3562 Chlorophenols, corrosive, solid, n.o.s. 
• UN 3563 Lithium metal batteries installed in cargo transport unit 
• UN 3564 Sodium ion batteries installed in cargo transport unit 

IATA also added an entry for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines. That entry will direct shippers to the relevant shipping name and to a new special provision related to MRI machines (A236). 

IATA Special Provisions (Section 4.4)  

Several new and amended IATA special provisions (SPs) are in effect as of January 1, 2027. 

• A26 and A103 are amended to include heating machines in addition to refrigerating machines 
• A88 is amended to clarify the meaning of “low production runs” or “annual production runs” for prototype lithium or sodium batteries 
• A214 is amended to clarify classification of “battery powered vehicles” versus “battery powered equipment,” and highlight key differences  

Several other special provisions were amended to add references to lithium/sodium batteries (A107, A185, A213, A225, and A228).

New special provisions added to the IATA DGR for the 68th Edition include 

• A235 to assist in classification of hybrid batteries 
• A236 to facilitate the transport of modern MRI machines 
• A808, which will be assigned to shipping names and ID numbers that have been phased out. These entries will remain on the 4.2 List of Dangerous Goods for two years before being removed. 

The 68th Edition IATA DGR is available now. 

IATA Packing Instructions (Section 5) 

IATA Packing Instructions (PIs) provide detailed requirements for preparing hazardous materials for transportation by air, including relevant definitions, quantity limitations, and more. A PI may be assigned to an individual hazardous material or to many materials with the same hazard (e.g., “flammable liquids”). 

The following is a list of Packing Instructions amended for the 68th Edition DGR, with a generalized description of the material or materials to which each PI applies:  

• PI 130 (Explosives) 
• PI 200 (Division 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3 Gases) 
• PI 220 (Engines, flammable gas powered) 
• PI 222 (Articles containing non-flammable, non-toxic dangerous goods, n.o.s.)   
• PI 378 (Engines, flammable liquid powered) 
• PI 459 (Self-reactive and polymerizing substances) 
• PI 497 (Fuel cell cartridge packed with equipment) 
• PI 570 (Division 5.2, Organic Peroxides) 
• PI 603 (Uranium hexafluoride) 
• PI 650 (Environmentally hazardous substance, n.o.s.) 
• PI 950 (Vehicle, flammable liquid powered) 
• PI 951 (Vehicle, flammable gas powered) 
• PI 952 (Battery powered equipment and vehicles) 
• PI 955 (Life-saving appliances, self-inflating and not self-inflating) 
• PI 962 (Machinery, apparatus, or devices containing dangerous goods as residue…) 
• PI Y963 (ID 8000 Consumer commodities) 
• PI 964 (UNs 1941, 1990, 2315, 3151, 3082, and 3334) 
• PIs 965—970, PI 978 (Lithium and sodium batteries) 
• PI 972 (Engines/machinery)
• PI 975 (Articles containing misc. dangerous goods, n.o.s.)  

See the full list of Significant Changes and Amendments to the 68th Edition DGR from IATA. 

Marking and Labeling (Section 7) 

A previous iteration of the “lithium battery mark" or “battery mark” shown below included space for the shipper to include a phone number one could call for more information about the package contents. IATA removed the requirement to include a phone number on the mark for the 2023 IATA DGR. A transition period for using the battery mark wtih a phone number ends on December 31, 2026. 

For shipments of hazmat by highway and rail, PHMSA removed the requirement to include a phone number on the battery mark in April 2024, and is also allowing shippers to use battery marks with a phone number until December 31, 2026. 

The 68th Edition DGR also includes clarifying notes concerning required markings on overpacks and proper placement of the battery mark. 

State Variations 

State Variations refer to additional requirements and restrictions for dangerous goods shipments imposed by individual destination countries. 17 countries submitted new or amended variations to IATA for publication in the 68th Edition DGR. 

Shippers of hazmat to Argentina, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, or Ukraine should note that these countries are now represented by new country codes in the State Variations section. The amended codes match the current ISO code for each country. 

State	"Old" Code	"New" Code
Argentina	RAG	ARG
Philippines	RPG	PHL
Sri Lanka	VCG	LKA
Ukraine	UKG	UKR

Operator Variations  

Operator variations are additional conditions for acceptance of hazmat put in place by individual air carriers. For 2027, IATA is continuing an effort to promote consistency across these variations “without changing the meaning or intent” of the requirements.  

Some common variations have been revised to make the wording or formatting consistent throughout this section. Read more about this in last year’s IATA DGR update.