What should importers check on a lithium battery test report?

Importers should check that the lithium battery model in the UN38.3 documentation exactly matches the battery used in the actual product, not just confirm that the report says “PASS.”

We recommend checking:

Battery manufacturer: name and contact information should be clearly stated

Battery model number: must match the battery installed in the product

Battery type: lithium-ion or lithium-metal

Voltage and capacity: compare with the actual battery label and product specification

Watt-hour rating: confirm the Wh value is correct for the battery being shipped

Battery mass and physical description

Test laboratory: laboratory name and contact details should be shown

Test report number and date: the document should have a unique report reference

UN38.3 test results: confirm the required tests are listed with pass/fail results

Applicable UN Manual revision: the test summary should identify the edition or amendment used

Signature and responsible person: the summary should include the name, title, and signature validating the information

These items are specifically required in a UN38.3 lithium battery test summary under the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria.

Importers should also compare the report with the actual production battery. If the supplier changes the cell manufacturer, battery model, capacity, voltage, construction, or other critical design details after testing, the existing UN38.3 documentation should be reviewed before shipment.

A common mistake is accepting an UN38.3 report for a similar battery model while the finished electric screwdriver contains a different battery. Another is receiving only an SDS/MSDS and assuming it replaces UN38.3 documentation—it does not.

For ToolQeen rechargeable screwdriver projects, we recommend locking the battery manufacturer, model, voltage, capacity, Wh rating, and UN38.3 documentation before mass production, then checking the production battery again before international shipment.