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Clicking the “Read” button on this page opens the combined edition of both volumes. To read individual chapters in full-text or e-reader format, select the “Chapters” tab and choose the chapter you want.
The “DGL Lookup” tool on the same tab lets you search the Dangerous Goods List and open the information page for a substance.
The International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code) lays out the regulatory framework for all aspects of handling dangerous goods and marine pollutants in sea transport.
The IMDG Code is divided into two volumes:
Since it was first published in 1965, the Code has undergone many changes, in both format and content, in order to keep up with the rapid expansion of the shipping industry.
Amendment 43-26 includes updates to the provisions for the carriage of batteries and clearer criteria for the transport of vehicles, including electric vehicles. It also introduces new special provisions for vehicle safety assessment (SP 980), revisions to existing special provisions SP 961 and SP 962, new UN entries for lithium and sodium-ion battery systems, updates to segregation distances for radioactive cargo, and consequential amendments to the EmS Guide. It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee at its one hundred and eleventh session in May 2026 and is mandatory from 1 January 2028 but may be applied by Administrations in whole or in part on a voluntary basis from 1 January 2027.
The provisions of the Code should be of interest to maritime administrations, shipping companies, manufacturers, packers, shippers, feeder services such as road and rail, and port authorities.
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