The route
The cells are collected from the factory and consolidated in Shenzhen, booked on a sailing that accepts dangerous goods, and shipped to Karachi. Port to port takes 20 to 30 days. After customs clearance they go by road to the delivery address, in Karachi or anywhere else in Pakistan.
Lithium goes by sea. Air carriage of lithium cells in commercial quantity is tightly restricted and expensive, and sea freight is the only mode we run.
Two papers your supplier must have
The safety data sheet (MSDS) for the cell, and the UN38.3 test summary — the record that this exact cell model passed the transport safety tests. Carriers ask for both before they accept a lithium booking.
Ask for them before you pay the deposit. A UN38.3 summary has to exist for that exact cell and cannot be written after the fact, so if the factory cannot send one, the cells cannot legally ship as they are.
When you ask us for a price, this is the only lithium question we put to you: does your supplier have the MSDS and the UN38.3 test report? Yes, no or not sure is enough to start.
What the shipment itself needs
The right classification: UN3480 for cells and packs on their own, UN3481 when they are packed with or installed in equipment. The classification decides the packing, the marks and which vessels will take the container.
Packing and Class 9 labels on every carton, a dangerous goods declaration, and a booking on a carrier and service that accepts Class 9 into Karachi. We check all of it before the booking is made, not after the container is stuffed.
Customs and duty in Pakistan
Lithium-ion batteries are classified under HS code 8507.60. Duty and taxes follow the classification and the rates in force when the goods arrive, and Pakistan revises its tariff in each federal budget. So we put the rate that applies on the day inside the delivered price, rather than publishing a figure that goes stale.
We clear the shipment in our name as importer of record and declare the true invoice value, so you do not need to be the importer and the landed number we quote is the one customs assesses.
Why lithium bookings stall
Many forwarders quote lithium as general cargo and withdraw once they see the classification. Class 9 slots on a sailing are limited, and not every carrier accepts lithium on every service.
Declaring lithium as general cargo to get a cheaper booking is misdeclaration of dangerous goods. Carriers penalise it, it puts the ship at risk, and a held DG container runs up storage and demurrage fast. We declare it as what it is.
Already have a supplier?
Then you only need the freight. Send us the cell model and chemistry (for example LiFePO4 280Ah), the quantity, the carton count or gross weight if you have it, the supplier's city, whether they have the MSDS and UN38.3, and the delivery city. We send one delivered price within 24 hours.
No supplier yet? We find the manufacturer too, and check the test papers before a cell makes the shortlist.
A note on accuracy
Dangerous goods rules and Pakistan's tariff both change on a regular cycle, and carriers set their own acceptance rules. Treat this as orientation, not as a compliance checklist — we confirm the current requirement with the carrier and the rate with customs for each shipment before booking.
Related questions
[01]How long does it take to ship lithium batteries from China to Pakistan?
20 to 30 days by sea from Shenzhen to Karachi, port to port, then customs clearance and road delivery. Allow time for the booking itself, since Class 9 slots on a sailing are limited. We quote the door date with the price.
[02]Can lithium batteries be sent from China to Pakistan by air?
Air carriage of lithium cells is heavily restricted, and in commercial quantity it is rarely practical. We ship lithium by sea only.
[03]Do I need to be the importer of record in Pakistan?
No. We clear the shipment in our name as importer of record, pay the duty and taxes, and deliver to your door.
[04]What if my supplier does not have a UN38.3 test report?
Then the cells cannot be shipped legally as they are, because the summary has to exist for that exact cell. Tell us before you pay the factory: we can check with them, or find a manufacturer whose cells are already tested.
[05]Can you ship LiFePO4 cells for solar storage?
Yes. LiFePO4 is a lithium-ion chemistry, so the cells ship as Class 9 under UN3480 when they travel on their own. We confirm the classification and the carrier's acceptance for each shipment before booking.
[06]Where in Pakistan do you deliver lithium batteries?
Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad and any other city, by road after customs clearance, duty paid.
Read next
- How do you ship lithium batteries or cells from China?Lithium cells move as Class 9 dangerous goods. What the UN numbers mean, the documents the factory has to produce, and why most forwarders decline the booking.
- DDP, FOB or EXW: which should you buy on when importing from China?What each Incoterm actually covers, where the surprise costs sit, and the question that decides whether a DDP quote is real.