USPS Lithium Battery International Shipping Regulations; Germany & Italy Not Accepting Battery Shipments

U.S. Postal Service acceptance of international lithium battery shipments; The postal operators of Germany and Italy are not accepting packages containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries to German or Italian addresses.

The Postal Service is now allowing specific quantities of lithium batteries — when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate — to be sent to many international destinations, including Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.

The postal operators of Germany and Italy are not accepting packages containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries to German or Italian addresses. Postal employees will decline electronic items containing lithium batteries to addresses in those two countries. This does not apply to shipments to and from German or Italian APO, FPO or DPO locations.

Items that can be shipped include: cameras, video cameras, mobile/smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, laptop computers, shavers, portable DVD players, tablets, two-way radios, GPS devices and most other small electronic devices requiring lithium batteries. Items that can’t be shipped include lithium batteries not installed in the equipment they are intended to operate. In addition, when installed, they may not exceed the quantity or limits defined in the IMM or DMM.

Domestic shipments of packages containing lithium batteries, and electronic devices containing lithium batteries aren’t affected.

Currently, U.S. customers aren’t permitted to take international and APO, FPO, DPO mail containing lithium batteries to Village Post Offices, contract postal units, commercial mail receiving agents or approved USPS shippers.