Tuesday December 7th, 2021

Why are there restricted or dangerous items?

If you have traveled by plane, you may have come across a list of restricted or dangerous items. But have you ever wondered if the packets you receive from abroad can fall into this category? It is likely that at least one has, and you didn’t notice.

Items in these categories are more common than you might think. That is why it is important that you know them before ordering something in a virtual store.Today we explain the difference between restricted items and those that are prohibited, their additional costs and what you should do if that is the case.

What are dangerous goods?

Materials that fall into this category are articles or substances that are dangerous to be transported on an aircraft and for this reason are regulated by airline associations. This type of merchandise include:

• Fuels
• Paintings
• Matches
• Chargers to refill lighters
• Beverages and liquids containing alcohol such as vodka, rum, tequila or others

Household items such as:

• Drain cleaners and solvents
• Cleaning products
• Lighters

As well as containers with compressed gases:

• Aerosols such as lacquers, repellents, deodorants
• Butane fuel
• Scuba tanks
• Propane tanks
• Oxygen cylinders
• Self-inflating bags
• Vehicle shock absorbers
• Seat belts
• Cylinders for screens

Can dangerous goods be shipped?

Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you’re going lose your items! In EPS, the materials that can be marked as dangerous are carefully packed and guarded during shipping. Materials under these conditions are dispatched two days a week: Wednesdays and Fridays. These items have an additional charge of $5 dollars due to the care and considerations that must also be taken.

Materials that require MSDS

There are other materials in addition to those found on this list, that fall into the category of “hazardous”, so in order to be transported, a Material Safety Data Sheet(MSDS) is needed. This document is requested for cases in which substances or items that require special care must be transported so as not to put the people who transport these items at risk.

MSDS contains information on one or more chemical compounds that make up the material in question. Also, the document covers how items should be safely used, stored, handled, and transported, as well as emergency procedures and information about potential health effects.

The person responsible for writing MSDS is the manufacturer or distributor of these material. Below are some of the materials that require the MSDS to be transported:

• Dry ice
• Gasoline-powered tools or instruments
• Batteries for cell phones, computers, electric cigarettes, or vapers.
• Taser stop guns (battery)
• Camping equipment with fuel.
• Radioactive materials (including radioactive pharmaceuticals)
• Poisons
• Magnets
• Coal

Items that can NOT be transported without proper permits

Despite the fact that many of the items that are marked as Dangerous or Restricted, they can still be transported if they have the necessary permits. On the other hand, there are other items that cannot be transported because they are prohibited by current laws. Among these items are:

• Weapons and weapon accessories.
• Telescopic sights (Peepholes)
• Bullets
• Cash
• Pornographic material
• Explosive, combustible and corrosive chemicals
• Seeds, Plants, Flowers and elements of plant origin.
• Eggs, feathers and other elements of animal origin.
• Animals
• Paintball guns
• Airsoft
• Hookahs

In the case of elements of animal and vegetable origin, certain guarantees are needed to prove the articles do not represent a danger to the public health of the country, nor to the environment. That is why the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic has some requirements for the importation of these products, such as:

• Original phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country
• Permits from other agencies such as the Department of Seeds, Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources
• Verification that they are free of pests and/or soil/soil.

It is important that you know, however, that all the items on this list, including those of plant or animal origin, will not be transported by EPS. We do not transport prohibited items under any circumstances.

Do not forget that we have an operational structure that offers security and warrantees for handling of all your merchandise. You can request warranteesservices to us, keeping in mind that certain charges will apply according to the items you want to transport.

Questions? You can contact us at our Customer Service Department at (809) 540-4005, or by calling through the website www.eps.com.do.