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China’s National Public Service Platform for Standards Information recently made public two revised mandatory national standards for dangerous goods, i.e.,
GB 6944-2025 Classification and code of dangerous goods
#English Translations
GB 6944-2025 Classification and code of dangerous goods"GB 6944 Classification and code of dangerous goods" is a national mandatory standard in regard to dangerous goods within the country. It was first formulated in 1986 and implemented on July 1, 1987. It was revised twice in 2005 and 2012. To be in line with the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - Model Regulations (Rev.23), the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (Rev.8), and other relevant regulations and technical standards in China, the authority drafted the revisions to GB 6944 and GB 12268 to solicit public feedback. The period for comments ended on May 8, 2023. The amendments were adopted in March 2025 and set to take effect on October 1, 2025, to replace their 2012 versions.GB 6944 applies to the transportation, storage, distribution and related activities of dangerous goods. The main technical content includes:The classification of dangerous goods.The basis for the determination of the classes, divisions, and packing groups.The precedence of hazards of dangerous goods.The principles for the coding of dangerous goods.This standard, together with GB 12268 List of Dangerous Goods, constitutes the backbone of the domestic standard system for dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals. They have derived a series of laws, regulations and related standards for the transportation management of dangerous goods and hazardous chemicals in China.GB 12268-2025 List of dangerous goods
#English Translations
GB 12268-2025 List of Dangerous Goods"GB 12268 List of Dangerous Goods" is a national mandatory standard regarding dangerous goods within China. It was first issued on 25 July 2005 and implemented on 1 November 2005. It has been revised in 2012. To be in line with the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - Model Regulations (Rev.23), the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (Rev.8), and other relevant regulations and technical standards in China, the authority drafted the revisions to GB 6944 and GB 12268 to solicit public feedback. The period for comments ended on May 8, 2023. The amendments were adopted in March 2025 and set to take effect on October 1, 2025, to replace their 2012 versions.GB 12268 applies to the transport, storage, distribution and related activities of dangerous goods. It lists the most common dangerous goods during the process of transport, storage, sale, distribution and other related activities, which is intended to cover, as far as practicable, all dangerous substances and articles of commercial importance.
These two national standards were first released in 2005 and revised in 2012. They help standardize the system for dangerous goods transportation, storage, distribution, and other related activities in China. Notably, they do not apply to the bulk transportation of dangerous goods by water.
To align with the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - Model Regulations (Rev.23), the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (Rev.8), and updates to relevant regulations and technical standards in China, the authority drafted the revisions for comments in 2023. On March 28, 2025, the revisions to these two mandatory national standards were adopted and set to take effect on October 1, 2025, to replace their 2012 versions.
Major updates to GB 6944
Compared with its 2012 version, GB 6944-2025 adds certain important technical content, including:
Add the table of Packaging Group III viscosity and flash point requirements* for the classification of viscous flammable liquids with a flash point below 23°C. This technical content is consistent with that in the JT/T 617-2018 Regulations Concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods, providing a clearer determination rules for practical operations.
Add principles for shipping samples, categorization of reactive substances, hazard classification for lithium battery packs (if meet the criteria, they may be designated as UN3090, 3091, 3408, or 3481), etc.
Meanwhile, GB 6944-2025 emphasized that the production and manufacturing of lithium batteries must establish and strictly implement high-quality management programs, and that lithium battery manufacturers and sellers should provide UN38.3 test profiles that comply with the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria.
These requirements are consistent with those for lithium batteries in the No.1 Amendment Sheet of JT/T 617-2018 Regulations Concerning Road Transportation of Dangerous Goods issued in 2024, highlighting the regulatory orientation of strengthening lithium battery safety management from the source.
Major updates to GB 12268
Compared with its 2012 version, GB 12268-2025 adds certain important technical content, including:
Add the rules for limited quantities and expected quantities, clarifying the maximum net quantity per inner/outer packaging for dangerous goods which may be carried as excepted quantities.
Add 69 entries in the table List of Dangerous Goods, including UN0510 ~ UN0513, UN3496 ~ UN3560. Delete the entry UN1169 (EXTRACTS, AROMATIC, LIQUID).
GB 12258-2025 further expands and updates the list of dangerous goods in China, keeping it synchronized with the UN Model Regulations, providing the industry with more comprehensive and accurate classification and information on dangerous goods.
