DGM Report for Hazmat Shipping from China
When importing dangerous goods from China, missing transport paperwork can hold up cargo that is packed and ready for pickup. A DGM report is a cargo transport appraisal issued by DGM (Dangerous Goods Management). Airlines and shipping lines request it during cargo review when they need evidence of the product's classification or shipping conditions.
This guide explains which goods need a report, how air and sea freight requirements differ, and how to read a supplier's report. It also covers who receives the report in China, when to submit it, and common mistakes that affect its use.
What Is a DGM Report?
A DGM report states the goods' classification and shipping conditions for the transport mode named in the report. It identifies the product or sample that DGM evaluated.
The report usually passes from the supplier through the booking forwarder to the carrier or appointed agent in China ahead of cargo acceptance.
Cargo transport appraisal report and transport condition appraisal report are general document names. DGM identifies the issuer. Suppliers also use informal names such as DGM certificate or DGM test report.
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Safety Data Sheet (SDS), also called Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) | Product hazards and handling information |
| DGM report (transport appraisal) | The classification assessment for a stated mode |
When the carrier requests both, the supplier submits them with the other dangerous goods shipping documents required for the booking.
For a new report, the supplier commissions an assessment based on the manufacturer's product information.
Application: The application identifies the product name, model and specifications, composition or product description, and intended transport mode.
Supporting documents: The issuing office specifies which supporting documents and samples it needs, such as an SDS, product specifications, or existing test evidence.
Applicant and manufacturer: The applicant may be a trading company, while the manufacturer field identifies the factory whose goods were assessed.
Timing and cost: Timing and pricing depend on the product and sample requirements. The issuing office provides an estimate and quotation; you and the supplier agree who pays for the report.
Goods That Need a DGM Report
For chemicals, magnetic products, and battery goods, the product specification and proposed transport mode give the forwarder the information needed to check report requirements with the carrier.
Products to check during this review include:
Chemical products: Printing inks, resins, and other mixtures need technical information about their composition and properties. When an appraisal is requested, the report covers the formulation supplied.
Magnetic products: Motors and magnetic assemblies shipped by air are assessed against the airline's acceptance requirements. The assessment of magnetized cargo from China concerns the goods in their packed condition.
Battery products: Separate batteries, batteries packed with equipment, and batteries installed in equipment have different transport requirements. The carrier reviews the battery specification and arrangement when deciding which supporting documents it needs.
Start with the supplier's product description, model list, and SDS where applicable, including battery or magnetic component details for equipment. These details allow your forwarder to check whether a report is required, which type the carrier accepts, and where to submit it.
For goods proposed as non-dangerous, the report provides evidence for that conclusion. For declared dangerous goods, it supports the classification used in the booking.
A UN 38.3 test summary records evidence of battery design testing. A transport appraisal assesses the identified product for transport, so the carrier's document request distinguishes these two types of evidence.
DGM Reports for Air and Sea Freight
Air and sea appraisals assess goods against different transport rules. The report needed for a booking follows the intended mode and the carrier's document requirements.
The booking schedule should name the report's recipient and give the document deadline, including the date, time, and time zone. If cargo acceptance requires prior approval, it should also show when review must finish.
Cargo approval and space confirmation are separate statuses. Ask for both when reviewing the proposed service with your forwarder, along with the booked flight or sailing once space is confirmed.
Air Freight Requirements
An air DGM report uses the applicable International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations. The main points to check are the permitted flight service and the time needed for the airline's review.
Aircraft and packing restrictions: A cargo-aircraft-only condition limits the booking to a cargo aircraft service. The packing instructions and package limits stated in the report also apply when the supplier prepares the goods.
Submission in China: The supplier provides the report to the forwarder for submission to the airline or handling agent. If a Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) is also required, the shipper submits it by its own deadline.
Review and cargo acceptance: The report has to reach the airline with time for review and any corrections. Its submission deadline and the time for handing over the goods are separate points in the flight schedule.
On a route with connecting flights, the report's aircraft restrictions apply across the planned journey. Check the aircraft type for every segment, including any onward service operated by another airline.
Issuer acceptance also matters: China Southern accepts reports from institutions on its published list within their approved appraisal scopes.
A booking change also prompts a document check. A replacement airline reviews the existing report against its own acceptance requirements. For cargo switched from sea to air, an air appraisal is obtained from the supplier when requested.
If the review remains incomplete near cargo handover, the airline or handling agent decides whether it can finish in time. Your forwarder then checks which departure remains available.
Sea Freight Requirements
A sea DGM report uses the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. It supports the shipping line's review of the product's classification and stated sea transport conditions.
Packing and product configuration: The final sea freight packing is checked against the report's stated packing, quantity, and product configuration limits. The supplier's packing details provide the basis for this comparison.
Submission in China: A requested report goes through the forwarder to the shipping line or its appointed agent, together with supporting product information. A DGD closing time applies to the declaration; if the appraisal deadline is unstated, ask for it separately.
Approval and terminal entry: Where the shipping line requires approval before terminal entry, pickup planning includes time for that review. The terminal's cargo cutoff is the latest time it accepts the goods for the sailing.
A sea booking has three separate checkpoints: document submission, shipping line approval where required, and cargo handover at the terminal.
If the supplier only holds an air report, the shipping line decides whether that report provides sufficient supporting evidence for the sea booking or a sea appraisal is needed. A newly requested sea appraisal follows the maritime rules for the goods.
How to Read a DGM Report
Read a DGM report against the purchased goods and the booked transport mode. Start with the product details, then check the transport conclusion, shipping conditions, and period of use.
| Report information | What to compare with the shipment |
|---|---|
| Product and model | Ordered model, specifications, and formulation |
| Manufacturer and sample | Actual manufacturer and supplied product |
| Transport mode and assessment basis | Intended service and applicable transport rules |
| Transport conclusion and classification | Booking category, SDS, and declaration |
| Conditions and remarks | Packing, quantity, and product configuration |
| Validity and dates | Planned cargo acceptance and stated period of use |
Match the Report to Your Goods
For a mixed order, a product-to-report list from the supplier helps match the carrier's appraisal request with the purchase order. Include separately supplied accessories in the comparison so that any required reports still missing from the order are easy to identify.
The product name, model, and sample description identify what was assessed. For equipment supplied with spare batteries, the description shows whether the report concerns the battery, the finished equipment, or another listed item.
When several models appear on the report, find the entry covering the purchased model. If the match is unclear, ask the supplier to identify it; an unlisted variant still needs the issuer's confirmation, even if its model code looks similar.
If a resin brand includes several formulations, the report must correspond to the one being supplied. The product specifications show the ingredients and concentrations used for that formulation and help make the connection clear.
An invoice sometimes uses a commercial brand while the report uses a technical product name. Supporting specifications explain whether both descriptions refer to the same goods. The manufacturer's details identify the source of the product being shipped.
Read the Classification and Shipping Conditions
The transport mode and assessment basis show which rules the issuer used. A listed rules edition also helps your forwarder check whether the report meets the requirements for the booked service.
The transport conclusion states whether the assessed goods are dangerous or non-dangerous for the named mode.
For dangerous goods, the main classification fields mean:
UN number: The four-digit number identifying the dangerous goods entry.
Proper Shipping Name: The regulated transport name for that entry.
Hazard class: The type of transport hazard, such as flammability or corrosivity.
Packing group: The degree of danger for goods assigned a packing group. Some dangerous goods have no assigned packing group.
The MSDS for dangerous goods shipping provides another source of transport information. If it gives a different classification for the same product and mode, the supplier and issuer clarify the difference. The shipper uses the confirmed classification in the Dangerous Goods Declaration.
The declaration also records the actual shipment's quantities and package details. The report records the assessment of the identified product or sample.
The packing limits and attached conditions explain how the transport conclusion applies to the shipment:
Packing and quantity limits: Compare any stated limit with the contents of each package, using the unit shown. The supplier's packing information provides the weight, volume, or other measure needed for that comparison.
Net quantity: When a limit specifies net quantity, use the amount of goods inside the package, available from the supplier's packing information. Gross package weight includes packaging and is a separate figure.
Inner container and outer package: Where the report distinguishes an inner container from an outer package, packing information should give quantities for both levels. Use the level named beside the limit: a bottle quantity is compared with a bottle limit, and a carton quantity with a carton limit.
Remarks and attached conditions: A special provision gives certain goods specific transport requirements or exceptions. Read the report's conditions and referenced appendices when checking whether an exception covers the shipment.
Where pages are numbered, the page count helps check the copy's completeness. A complete copy includes all listed pages and referenced attachments, including any separate page containing the transport conclusion or use conditions.
DGM Report Validity
Issue date: The issue date shows when the report was prepared.
Expiry date or validity clause: Its expiry date or validity clause gives the permitted period of use. A report marked valid for the current calendar year expires on December 31 of that year, even if issued in December.
Check against the shipment: Compare that end date with planned cargo acceptance. Unclear validity wording is a question for the issuing office, usually raised through the supplier; the carrier's requirements for the shipment are checked through your forwarder.
An institution's recognition period on a carrier's list is separate from an individual report's validity.
Common Shipping Mistakes Involving DGM Reports
Collecting Goods While the Report Is Pending
A testing application or payment receipt shows that the supplier has started the process. The carrier still needs the issued report for review. Collecting the goods at this stage leaves document approval unresolved.
How to fix: Pickup planning takes account of the report's expected issue date and the carrier's review deadline. When agreeing collection with your forwarder, ask for the issued report and its current review status.
Reusing a Report After the Shipping Date Changes
A report checked during booking preparation needs another date check if cargo handover moves. This matters around year-end when the report has a calendar-year validity clause.
How to fix: Check validity against the carrier's required date after a change in cargo handover. If replacement is needed, the supplier asks the issuer what updated information, samples, or assessment work it requires. The completion estimate then helps your forwarder revise the booking.
Leaving an Earlier Report in the Booking
If a revised report reaches you while the carrier still holds the original, the booking uses inconsistent product information.
How to fix: The forwarder replaces the earlier submission with the supplier's complete revised report and asks whether the carrier requires another review. The shipper corrects any affected declaration.
Dangerous Goods Shipping from China with Gerudo Logistics
Gerudo Logistics specializes in dangerous goods and chemical shipping from China.
Locations: From our Guangzhou headquarters and operations across major Chinese shipping locations, we coordinate with suppliers and carriers on document and transport requirements.
Cargo: We handle cargo across hazard classes in drums, intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), ISO tanks, and other approved packaging.
Services: Our services include sea and air freight, with temperature-controlled transport for cargo that requires it.
A specialist forwarder connects dangerous goods document review with the service being booked. This helps importers address missing information and unsuitable transport proposals while pickup dates and departure options can still be adjusted.
A single contact in China helps with questions that cross the supplier's and carrier's responsibilities, including document corrections or a change of transport service.
For chemicals, batteries, or other regulated products, contact our team to discuss shipping from China.
DGM Report FAQs
How Can I Verify a DGM Report?
Use the report verification service linked from DGM China's official website and compare the result with your copy. If the lookup is unavailable or the details differ, contact the issuing office directly.
What Should a DGM Report Quotation Include?
A useful quotation names the product and transport mode, lists the assessment work, and states the total charge. It also makes clear whether additional testing or expedited service carries an extra charge.
Is a Scanned DGM Report Sufficient?
A scan is suitable for initial review when the carrier or appointed agent accepts that format. The booking party confirms whether final submission requires an electronic file or a paper copy.
Does a DGM Report Cover Destination Import Requirements?
A DGM report addresses transport classification and conditions for the assessed goods. The destination authority or customs broker confirms any product approvals, permits, or clearance requirements for the destination.
