Has the international aviation community tightened its battery transport regulations? According to several experts, the upcoming expansion of the mandatory State of Charge (SoC) limit could have a significant impact on global trade in used and refurbished devices. Under rules established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and enforced through IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations, lithium-ion batteries shipped by air must be transported at or below a 30% State of Charge. This requirement has long applied to standalone batteries, but from 1 January 2026 it will extend to a wider range of shipments, including devices packed with equipment. However, research conducted by SecondaryMarket.news shows that it remains uncertain whether the rule will apply to smartphones, which, of course, contain lithium-ion batteries. The nuance lies in a technical threshold: 2.7 Wh. This refers to the battery’s energy-storage capacity and plays a key role in determining how specific lithium-ion batteries are classified and regulated for air transport. Outcome? To be continued.
The reason behind the rules
The rule exists for one reason: safety. Lithium-ion batteries carry a small but serious risk of thermal runaway when exposed to heat, pressure changes or physical damage. The lower the State of Charge, the lower the likelihood that a battery will enter a self-heating chain reaction. Extensive testing has shown that batteries at or below 30% are significantly less likely to ignite and, should a failure occur, the fire is less intense and easier to contain. With the global movement of smartphones, laptops and tablets growing each year, regulators have broadened the rule to cover more battery-equipped goods travelling in aircraft cargo.
Logistics face added complexity
From 2026, every Apple iPhone, smartphone tablet or laptop shipped by air above a certain watt-hour threshold must comply with the discharge rule. Secondary market companies that ship thousands of units per day will need dedicated processes to bring each battery down to the required level before loading. This means additional labour, testing tools and discharge stations at logistics hubs. Measuring and documenting the State of Charge becomes a formal compliance requirement rather than a best practice. Non-compliant shipments risk being rejected or delayed, and fines for improper declarations could impact smaller players in particular. Some companies may shift part of their bulk movements to sea or road transport to avoid these hurdles, increasing transit times.
Refurbishment workflows must be redesigned
Refurbishers will also feel the impact. Traditional workflows that test, charge and immediately package devices will need restructuring. The discharge stage must now be the final step before shipping, creating delays and requiring new quality checks. Spare parts pose another challenge. Standalone lithium-ion batteries shipped under UN 3480 already follow the ≤30% rule, and adding the same threshold for devices shipped with equipment complicates the transport of repair kits or the return of devices that include both a phone and spare battery in a single shipment.
Global supply chains may slow down
The secondary mobile industry relies heavily on air cargo to move large volumes of devices between Europe, North America and refurbishing centres in Asia. If the air-shipment rules change on 1 January, additional processing steps, longer handling times and higher operational costs could introduce friction into a supply chain that has traditionally operated at high speed. Higher logistics expenses may ultimately influence retail pricing in Europe, where used and refurbished smartphones are traded on tight margins, or further compress the profits of cross-border traders. The rule undoubtedly enhances air-transport safety, but it also requires tangible operational adjustments across the entire secondary device ecosystem.
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