Recognizing dangerous goods before they enter the supply chain<\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOn 9 October 2026<\/strong> countries around the world celebrate World Post Day. This year’s theme is:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u275d One postal network, infinite possibilities.<\/i><\/span>\u275e<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA nice slogan, right? And a relevant one, as it highlights the role of the global postal network in connecting people, businesses and communities around the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>Sending a letter or parcel today may seem like an everyday activity. Behind each international postal item is, however, a network of postal operators, customs authorities, airlines and other organizations working together to move it safely to its destination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>This international cooperation dates back more than 150 years. On 9 October 1874, representatives of 22 countries signed the Treaty of Bern, establishing what was then known as the General Postal Union. The treaty simplified the complex system of bilateral postal agreements by creating a single postal territory for the exchange of international mail. In 1878, as its membership rapidly expanded, the organization was renamed the Universal Postal Union (UPU). In 1948, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>In 1969, the UPU Congress in Tokyo declared 9 October as World Post Day. Since then the day has been used to raise awareness of the role of postal services in the everyday lives of people and their contribution to social and economic development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dgm-sdg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/World-Post-Day-LinkedinTwitter.gif\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIf you think about it, it is a massive operation: hundreds of thousands of post offices and millions of postal workers around the world work together to keep letters and parcels moving. Quite an impressive achievement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tEveryday items can be dangerous goods <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs you can imagine millions of letters and packages are sent by <\/span>people<\/span> and companies all over the world and for most people sending a parcel starts with something simple.\u00a0 A gift is placed in a box, an address is added and the package begins its journey to a friend, customer or family member.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>The Universal Postal Union specifically warns about many everyday items that can be considered dangerous goods, including lithium batteries found in children’s toys or earbuds, cleaning products and perfume. Or did you know about medicine that is packed with dry ice or alcohol? Some of these are chemical products that people and businesses work with every day, often without immediately thinking of them in the context of dangerous goods.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>On their own and in small quantities, you might wonder: why are these products dangerous? The situation changes when they are prepared for transport, particularly when specific transport conditions or restrictions apply. This is why seemingly ordinary products can be subject to specific requirements during transport.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>Dangerous goods are generally prohibited from international mail with some exceptions for certain items. (For example, some postal operators can accept equipment containing lithium batteries when the applicable requirements are met.) But those that are prohibited or incorrectly prepared should ideally be identified before they enter the postal and aviation network in the first place.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tIATA's concern<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd this remains an important concern within international transport. Because during transport a parcel may become part of an air cargo operation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>On September 24, 2026, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for stronger action across the air cargo supply chain to address undeclared and mis-declared dangerous goods.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>According to IATA, approximately 80% of dangerous goods incidents reported to IATA during the first half of 2025 involved undeclared or hidden dangerous goods. Among the products commonly identified were lithium batteries, perfumes and aerosols, such as deodorant and hairspray.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>The IATA white paper also highlights examples of incorrectly declared chemical products, including flammable paint shipped as ordinary samples and corrosive liquids declared under incorrect UN numbers. Among the possible causes of mis-declaration, IATA identifies incorrect classification, i<\/span>nsufficient training<\/span> and outdated or improperly prepared Safety Data Sheets (SDS).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
On 9 October 2026<\/strong> countries around the world celebrate World Post Day. This year’s theme is:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t \u275d One postal network, infinite possibilities.<\/i><\/span>\u275e<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t A nice slogan, right? And a relevant one, as it highlights the role of the global postal network in connecting people, businesses and communities around the world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Sending a letter or parcel today may seem like an everyday activity. Behind each international postal item is, however, a network of postal operators, customs authorities, airlines and other organizations working together to move it safely to its destination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> This international cooperation dates back more than 150 years. On 9 October 1874, representatives of 22 countries signed the Treaty of Bern, establishing what was then known as the General Postal Union. The treaty simplified the complex system of bilateral postal agreements by creating a single postal territory for the exchange of international mail. In 1878, as its membership rapidly expanded, the organization was renamed the Universal Postal Union (UPU). In 1948, the UPU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> In 1969, the UPU Congress in Tokyo declared 9 October as World Post Day. Since then the day has been used to raise awareness of the role of postal services in the everyday lives of people and their contribution to social and economic development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t If you think about it, it is a massive operation: hundreds of thousands of post offices and millions of postal workers around the world work together to keep letters and parcels moving. Quite an impressive achievement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t As you can imagine millions of letters and packages are sent by <\/span>people<\/span> and companies all over the world and for most people sending a parcel starts with something simple.\u00a0 A gift is placed in a box, an address is added and the package begins its journey to a friend, customer or family member.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> The Universal Postal Union specifically warns about many everyday items that can be considered dangerous goods, including lithium batteries found in children’s toys or earbuds, cleaning products and perfume. Or did you know about medicine that is packed with dry ice or alcohol? Some of these are chemical products that people and businesses work with every day, often without immediately thinking of them in the context of dangerous goods.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> On their own and in small quantities, you might wonder: why are these products dangerous? The situation changes when they are prepared for transport, particularly when specific transport conditions or restrictions apply. This is why seemingly ordinary products can be subject to specific requirements during transport.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> Dangerous goods are generally prohibited from international mail with some exceptions for certain items. (For example, some postal operators can accept equipment containing lithium batteries when the applicable requirements are met.) But those that are prohibited or incorrectly prepared should ideally be identified before they enter the postal and aviation network in the first place.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t And this remains an important concern within international transport. Because during transport a parcel may become part of an air cargo operation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> On September 24, 2026, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for stronger action across the air cargo supply chain to address undeclared and mis-declared dangerous goods.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> According to IATA, approximately 80% of dangerous goods incidents reported to IATA during the first half of 2025 involved undeclared or hidden dangerous goods. Among the products commonly identified were lithium batteries, perfumes and aerosols, such as deodorant and hairspray.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p> The IATA white paper also highlights examples of incorrectly declared chemical products, including flammable paint shipped as ordinary samples and corrosive liquids declared under incorrect UN numbers. Among the possible causes of mis-declaration, IATA identifies incorrect classification, i<\/span>nsufficient training<\/span> and outdated or improperly prepared Safety Data Sheets (SDS).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tEveryday items can be dangerous goods <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
IATA's concern<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dgm-sdg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/SDS-basic-gif.gif\")
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