The World Shipping Council (WSC) has called on governments to address a gap in international dangerous goods rules that may allow containers carrying thousands of lithium batteries to be transported without carriers being informed of the potential hazard.

The concern involves Special Provision 188 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. The provision exempts certain smaller lithium batteries from some dangerous goods requirements when they meet specified testing, packaging and capacity conditions. According to the WSC, however, the provision does not set a limit on the number of qualifying batteries that may be consolidated inside a single container.

The WSC said a container carrying about 4,200 laptops could contain approximately 416 kilowatt-hours of stored energy, comparable to the battery capacity of three or four electric vehicles, while potentially being transported without dangerous goods documentation or container placarding. The organization said lack of information about such cargo may affect decisions involving stowage, segregation and emergency response onboard.

Supported by five governments and several industry organizations, the WSC has submitted a proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) seeking a container-level threshold for batteries transported under the exemption. Shipments exceeding the proposed threshold would have to be declared and could require placarding. The issue is scheduled for consideration by the IMO Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers during its meeting in London from September 14 to 18, 2026.