What is the regulation change?

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revised its guidance on lithium battery transport for the 2024 regulations. Retailers, such as Target or Walmart, and their products are subject to these guidelines.



How does this regulatory update impact WERCSmart product registrations? 

To ensure proper compliance with retailers' requirements, the WERCSmart Battery Stewardship feature has been enhanced to include further data collection. This includes information on battery attributes and the battery state of charge (SoC). This applies to:

  • Stand-Alone Batteries
  • Battery-Containing Products (BCP)



What is a Battery State of Charge?

Battery state of charge (SoC) refers to a battery's level of charge relative to its capacity. It is a crucial parameter that determines the energy available in the battery. It is expressed as a percentage of the maximum charge that the battery can deliver. Knowing the SoC of a battery is essential for efficient and safe battery operation. 

  • For example, a battery that is 50% charged has an SoC of 50%. 
  • Note: SoC is not the same as the state of health (SoH), which measures a battery's overall health and capacity. SoH can be affected by age, usage patterns, and temperature. 


This information will be passed to the retailer and could affect if the retailer accepts the product to be shipped by air. If you have any questions about how retailers use this data, please contact that specific retailer directly. 



Battery Types and Attributes

There are many different battery types, each with specific attributes. It's important to select the correct battery type and enter the correct attributes for it. 



What actions must you take to ensure your product registrations comply with this regulatory update? 

For existing registrations

If you edit the UPC or if you submit it to a new retailer, you will enter recertification. This will apply to stand-alone batteries and battery-containing products. The recertification will prompt you to enter the above battery information. 


For new registrations

You will be prompted to enter the above battery information when registering new stand-alone batteries and battery-containing products.


Special Note for SoC Data

When entering SoC data, you can give the specific SoC percentage, give a range, or answer that you do not know the SoC. Please note that the retailer may contact you to obtain more information.




Battery-related updates from October 4, 2024 Release Notes

Batteries and Battery-Containing Products

The Battery Stewardship feature has been enhanced to include data collection for Product Information in stand-alone battery registrations. This update ensures proper compliance data is provided to Data Recipients for batteries sold individually or included in other manufacturers' products.


Stand-Alone Batteries  

Battery Characteristics data collection has been improved for stand-alone battery registrations. The new interface allows users to input detailed information about battery types, dimensions, and weights, supporting multiple battery common names for single registrations when the same formulation applies.


State of Charge data collection for certain batteries is also added. This data determines the appropriate International  Air Transport (IATA) options during the registration process.


Battery-Containing Products

The Battery-Containing Product (BCP) registration process has been updated to allow users to select batteries based on region, type, manufacturer, and common name. This enhancement ensures that the weight data information from stand-alone battery registrations is accurately carried over to BCPs during the Hazard Review assessment.


Like Stand-Alone Batteries, Battery-Containing Products may include State of Charge data collection for the purpose of determining the appropriate Internation Air Transport (IATA) options during the registration process.