Goods Declaration

A goods declaration is a formal document certifying that cargo has been packed, labeled and declared according to applicable regulations. It serves as essential documentation for legal compliance, cargo tracking, and acceptance at airports. The most common form in air cargo is the Dangerous Goods Declaration (DGD) for hazardous materials, though the term also encompasses general cargo declarations required by customs authorities. For dangerous goods shipments, the shipper's declaration must be completed for each consignment to certify compliance with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.

A Lufthansa Cargo shipment with AWB number 020-12345678 containing lithium batteries requires an IATA Dangerous Goods Declaration listing UN3480, proper shipping name, hazard class, and packing instruction number. For a FedEx Express consolidation using AWB prefix 023, the air cargo manifest references multiple house air waybills and includes the statement "Cargo as per air waybills attached" to provide complete cargo descriptions.

• cargo declaration
• customs cargo declaration
• customs declaration
• goods statement

How many copies of a Goods Declaration are required for air cargo shipments?

Three original Shipper's Declarations are required for each hazardous materials package, while two completed and signed copies must be handed to the operator for dangerous goods declarations. U.S. DOT requires retention of transport documents for 24 months, though IATA specifies a minimum of three months.

What specific information must appear on a Goods Declaration for dangerous goods?

The declaration must include UN number, proper shipping name, class/division, subsidiary risk, packing group, quantity and packing type, followed by the packing instruction number. Each entry requires the UN or ID number, proper shipping name with technical name when required, and hazard class or division for the material.