Spring stock of e-bikes and e-scooters is usually ordered in the autumn and winter. These products, and portable power stations, all carry a lithium battery, and that battery decides more about your shipment than the product itself. Before you pay a deposit, collect a battery file for the exact model and find out what your own country requires once the goods arrive. This guide shows what goes into that file and which dates matter between now and spring 2027.
Three sets of rules apply at once
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| Who decides | What they look at | Where the rule comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Sea carrier and port | UN number, packing, declaration, condition of the battery | IMDG Code plus the carrier's own policy |
| Air carrier | The same, plus state of charge and packing instruction | IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations plus airline rules |
| Your country | Product conformity, road use, battery and electronics registration | National law in Macedonia, Serbia, Albania or Kosovo |
Passing one does not settle the others. A shipment can be accepted by the carrier and still be unsellable as a road vehicle in your market.
Which UN number fits your product
Under the IMDG Code 2024 edition (Amendment 42-24), mandatory since 1 January 2026:
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| Product as shipped | UN number |
|---|---|
| E-bike, e-scooter or other vehicle with a lithium-ion battery installed | UN3556, Vehicle, lithium ion battery powered |
| The same vehicle with a lithium-metal battery | UN3557 |
| Spare lithium-ion battery shipped on its own | UN3480 |
| Lithium-ion battery inside equipment, or packed in the same box as the equipment | UN3481 |
| Lithium-metal battery on its own / with or in equipment | UN3090 / UN3091 |
| Portable power station | Depends on its function and configuration: get a competent classification |
The Code names scooters and "bicycles (pedal cycles with a motor)" among the vehicle examples. UN3171 now applies only to vehicles and equipment powered by wet batteries or sodium metal batteries; sodium-ion vehicles have their own entry, UN3558, so a guide or form that puts a lithium e-bike under UN3171 is out of date. The vehicle entries cover vehicles shipped with the battery installed. The Code allows other parts to be detached to fit the packaging, but not the battery, so a bike with its battery packed separately needs a new classification.
The battery file to collect before the deposit
Ask the supplier for these before you pay, not after production:
- Exact product model, and the manufacturer and model of the battery and its cells.
- Chemistry: lithium-ion or lithium-metal.
- Watt-hour rating (Wh) printed on the battery, or voltage and Ah so Wh can be calculated.
- Configuration: installed in the product, packed with it, or a standalone spare.
- UN38.3 test summary for that battery. The IMDG Code requires manufacturers and later distributors of cells and batteries to make it available so that others in the supply chain can confirm compliance. A summary for a different battery proves nothing.
- Safety data sheet (SDS/MSDS) for the battery.
- Confirmation that the batteries are new and come directly from production.
- For vehicles: rated motor power, maximum design speed, unladen mass, pedal assist or throttle, seat or no seat.
- Charger model and its documents.
- Carton dimensions, gross weight and quantity per carton.
- Photos of the battery label and the product rating plate.
The same model name can hide a different battery from one batch to the next. A factory check significantly reduces the risk of fraud, unsuitable goods and deviations from the agreed specifications, so ask for the battery label to be checked against the file, not only the frame and the box.
Carriers set their own conditions
Carriers can add their own conditions to the IMDG Code. One example: on 31 March 2026 Maersk tightened its cargo acceptance policy for ocean shipments of used lithium batteries and defined "used" as any lithium battery that has not come directly from a production facility. By that definition, stock bought from a trader or a warehouse can count as used even if it has never been charged. Other carriers have their own rules, and the conditions that count are those of the carrier on your booking.
Air is stricter. Under the IATA 2026 rules, standalone lithium-ion batteries (Packing Instruction 965) must travel at a state of charge of no more than 30% and cannot go on passenger aircraft without approval. Vehicles with batteries above 100 Wh must travel at no more than 30% state of charge or 25% indicated capacity. These are air rules; they do not carry over to sea, and sea rules do not carry over to air.
Dates between now and spring 2027
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| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 January 2026 | IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 became mandatory at sea |
| 1 January 2027 | IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations 68th edition applies to air cargo, with more guidance on vehicles versus equipment (special provision A214) |
| 1 January 2027 | China cancels the export VAT rebate for the battery products listed in its January 2026 notice; from 1 April to 31 December 2026 the rate is 6% instead of 9% |
| 2027 | Transition year at sea: Amendment 42-24 or 43-26 may be used |
| 20 January 2027 | Serbia's new Rulebook on machinery starts to apply |
| 31 March 2027 | Serbian annual report on batteries and electrical products placed on the market in 2026 |
| 2028 | IMDG Amendment 43-26 becomes the only valid edition |
The list in that notice covers batteries and accumulators themselves (Chinese codes under 8506 and 8507, including lithium-ion accumulators), not finished e-bikes. It matters for quotes on spare batteries and battery packs. The export date on the export declaration decides which rate applies. If a factory prices batteries while counting on the rebate and the goods are exported after 31 December 2026, ask whether the quote still holds.
Your country's rules
Macedonia
- Battery registration before import. Under the Law on Management of Batteries and Accumulators, a "producer" is whoever first places batteries on the Macedonian market, including batteries built into appliances or vehicles. Producers register with the competent authority (Article 11). Article 16 says customs will not allow the import of batteries without the producer's registration confirmation and number. Sort this out before the goods arrive.
- Take-back. A producer selling batteries must take back waste batteries free of charge (Article 17).
- Electronics. The electrical and electronic equipment law excludes vehicles, but with an exception for electric two-wheelers that are not type-approved. An e-bike or e-scooter may therefore fall under it.
- Road use. The road safety law amendment published on 6 July 2026 defines a light electric vehicle as up to 0.6 kW, 25 km/h design speed and 35 kg unladen mass. The minimum rider age is now 18, the limit on bicycle lanes is 20 km/h and 6 km/h on surfaces for pedestrians, and a helmet is compulsory. Do not market these scooters to riders under 18.
Serbia
- Light electric vehicles under Serbia's road traffic law, as the Road Traffic Safety Agency explains it, have at least two wheels, mechanical steering and no seat, and stay within 0.6 kW, 25 km/h design speed and 35 kg unladen mass. A vehicle within those limits gets a permanent sticker based on its technical documentation.
- EN 15194 covers pedal-assisted bicycles with up to 0.25 kW continuous rated power where assistance cuts out at 25 km/h, or earlier if the rider stops pedalling. A bike with a stronger motor, or one that moves without pedalling, is outside that scope.
- Machinery. Rulebook 2/26 entered into force on 17 January 2026 and applies from 20 January 2027, replacing the old rulebook. Check whether your product falls under it before you order.
- Records and report. Importers of batteries and electrical products who are liable for the environmental fee keep daily records and send an annual report to the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 March for the previous year.
Albania
The State Market Surveillance Inspectorate (ISHMT) explains machinery obligations under VKM 1060/2015: technical file, EC declaration of conformity that accompanies the product, and CE marking. Road use is a separate question. Confirm current road rules for e-scooters before you choose models.
Kosovo
Law 08/L-186 on road traffic sets 25 km/h as the maximum speed for e-scooters, bans them from pavements and does not allow riders under 16 on public roads. Machinery falls under Regulation 02/2020, which replaced the 2013 regulation.
Your forwarder confirms the tariff number and handles the duty and VAT for your product.
What we ship and how we help
We ship battery goods of every kind: e-bikes and e-scooters, power stations, loose batteries and devices with batteries. The route and the documents depend on the battery, so we confirm them for each shipment. That is why we need the battery file before you pay the deposit, not once the goods are finished.
If you do not have a supplier yet, our agents in China find and compare factories, in English and Chinese. We check the goods in our warehouse or at the factory where they are loaded, and after every check you get a photo and video report.
We deliver the goods to the customs warehouse and prepare the export documents and the documents needed for clearance. Your own or a recommended forwarder handles clearance, duty and VAT. Many clients already have their own forwarder. When the documents are accurate and complete, the customs procedure is usually much simpler, with a lower risk of the goods being held.
Related reading: LED lighting and electrical goods from China, quality checks in China, how to verify a Chinese supplier and import documents for goods from China.
Next step
Put the battery file together before the deposit: product model, battery model and Wh, configuration, UN38.3 test summary, SDS, quantities, carton details and your destination country. Send it with your inquiry through the contact form and we will confirm the route. Any forwarder needs the same file to classify the shipment.
