UN0335 vs UN0336: Shipping 1.3G and 1.4G Fireworks by Sea

Fireworks ship under Class 1 explosive rules. The UN number on the carton encodes the hazard division: UN0333 for 1.1G (mass-explosion, rarely traded), UN0334 for 1.2G, UN0335 for 1.3G professional display fireworks, UN0336 for 1.4G consumer fireworks, and UN0337 for 1.4S articles such as sparklers and some stage effects. Almost everything a consumer-goods importer buys is UN0336; almost every professional shell is UN0335.

Class 1 cargo moves as full container load (FCL) only. LCL consolidation is not accepted for 1.3G and is commercially impractical for 1.4G, so the real minimum order for any fireworks program is one 20-foot container. Several major carriers do not accept 1.3G at all; those that do apply dangerous-goods surcharges and require booking two to three weeks ahead with a complete DG declaration.

A standard export document set from Jiangxi includes: the DG declaration (DGD), MSDS, the PRC dangerous-goods packaging certificate (危包证), the classification test report for each article number, and — for US-bound cargo — the PHMSA EX approval letter covering each item. EU-bound cargo needs the CE Declaration of Conformity referencing EN 15947 and the notified-body number.

Fireworks leave the Shangli and Wanzai clusters by licensed DG truck convoy to Shanghai, Ningbo or Shenzhen — the ports with terminals that accept Class 1 cargo. Air freight and China–Europe rail are not available for 1.3G/1.4G goods. Typical door-to-port transit is two to four days; ocean transit to the US West Coast runs roughly 14–18 days, to North Europe 28–35 days.

Practical takeaway: confirm the UN number and EX/CE status of every SKU before signing a PI, book DG space before peak season (June for US July-4 programs, October for New Year programs), and budget the DG surcharge — typically several hundred USD per container on top of base ocean freight.