Products you cannot ship from China: batteries, liquids, cosmetics

Most products people call banned from China are restricted instead. Restricted means the product needs the right classification, packaging or paperwork before it can leave the warehouse. Batteries, liquids, powders, cosmetics and magnets cover nearly every case of restricted items shipping from China that a Shopify merchant runs into. A true ban is rare. A missed rule is common, and it usually surfaces after you have already paid for inventory.

This is for a merchant who found a product with a battery, a liquid ingredient, a magnet or a cosmetic claim. You need to know before ordering samples whether it can ship at all.

Restricted items shipping from China: banned versus restricted

A product falls into one of three groups, and the difference decides how much work is ahead of you.

A prohibited product cannot ship anywhere, by any carrier, under any paperwork. This covers counterfeit goods, weapons and a short list of controlled chemicals. Very few products a Shopify store would ever sell land in this group.

A restricted product can ship, but only with the right classification and, in some cases, test results or safety data from the supplier. Lithium batteries, flammable liquids and several cosmetic categories all sit here. This is where almost every product called banned from China actually lives.

A carrier-refused product is legal to ship, but one specific courier will not carry it even when another will. Some couriers stopped carrying e-cigarettes and vaping devices after mail rules on tobacco products were extended to cover them. Refusal is a policy choice by that carrier, not a law that applies everywhere.

Batteries and electronics

A lithium battery shipped by itself, not packed in or with a device, falls under UN3480. Under International Air Transport Association rules, UN3480 batteries are forbidden as cargo on passenger aircraft regardless of size. They must also ship at no more than 30 percent of their rated charge, according to the IATA lithium battery guidance.

A battery packed inside or alongside the device it powers falls under UN3481, a lighter set of rules. Consumer batteries under about 100 watt hours cover phone accessories, earbuds and most small gadgets. These generally move under simplified provisions once they travel with the device rather than alone.

Every lithium battery also needs to pass UN38.3 testing before it ships, and the supplier should provide a test summary on request. Since May 2024, US hazmat rules have also required the watt-hour rating to be marked on the outside of the battery casing above certain sizes. This is part of a wider update from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

As an example, a wireless charging case built around a 5,000 milliampere hour battery would normally ship as UN3481 once packed with the case. It would carry a lithium battery label and a supplier test summary, rather than shipping as a standalone cell.

Liquids, powders and cosmetics

Liquids and powders are not banned as a category. Most face two questions: is the liquid flammable, and does the product make a cosmetic claim on its label.

Non-flammable liquids and powders, like a mineral powder or a water based serum, generally ship as ordinary cargo. The only condition is that the quantity per package stays under a courier's limit. Flammable liquids and aerosols, like a fragrance or a spray cleaner, need a consumer commodity classification and a smaller package limit. Past a certain volume, they often move by sea rather than air.

Cosmetics carry a second layer on top of shipping: labeling law. In the United States, a cosmetic manufacturer or importer must register its facility with the FDA. It must also list every product it sells, under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act. In the European Union, every cosmetic product needs a responsible person established in the EU. That person holds the product information file and files the required notification before the product goes on sale.

For example, a skincare brand sourcing a vitamin C serum has two separate things to check before listing it. One is the shipping classification for the liquid itself, and the other is who acts as the responsible party on the label side. Missing the second one can get a listing pulled from a marketplace even after the parcel arrives without issue.

Magnets, blades and other surprises

Magnets became a regulated category because of a real safety problem: small, high-powered magnets that get swallowed. In the United States, a magnet set safety rule has applied since 2022, measured as a flux index, a combination of magnet strength and size. A magnet strong enough and small enough to fit inside the standard small parts test cylinder has to fall under a set limit. Otherwise it cannot be sold as a general consumer product, under the CPSC magnet set rule.

Fidget toys, building sets and jewelry with strong magnets are the categories that trip up new stores most often. The strength that makes the product interesting is often exactly what the rule targets.

Blades and sharp tools are restricted for a different reason: many countries limit or ban specific knife designs outright, separate from any shipping classification. A kitchen tool with a fixed blade usually ships without issue. A knife designed to open with one hand, or one with a concealed blade, often cannot enter certain destination countries. Packing does not change that.

How we ship restricted items safely

We source products a store does not have yet from a link, a photo or a sample. A battery, a liquid or a magnet is exactly the kind of detail we need to see before you commit to inventory.

Tell us early. Send the product link or a photo when you request a quote, the same way you would for any new product. Your account manager tells you on WhatsApp what shipping method and paperwork the item needs before you order samples.

Quality inspection is where most restricted item problems get caught before they become a customs problem. A battery without a test summary, a liquid without a safety data sheet, or a magnet without a flux rating gets flagged at that step. It does not get flagged after it has already shipped.

If you are still deciding whether to source through an agent at all versus buying directly on a marketplace, that choice matters here too. It affects how much visibility you have into paperwork like this. See China dropshipping agent vs AliExpress: when to switch for that comparison.

Common mistakes when sourcing a restricted product

Ordering inventory before checking the shipping classification. A battery, magnet or liquid needs a classification before it ships, not after. Ask before you pay a supplier deposit, not after the units are already made.

Assuming a supplier already has the test report. A UN38.3 summary, a safety data sheet or a flux rating usually has to be requested by name. Many suppliers only produce it once a buyer asks for it directly.

Treating a legal product as shippable everywhere. A magnet set can be legal to sell in one country and restricted in another. Check the destination country's own rule, not only the rule in the country you source from.

Forgetting to reprice after paperwork adds cost. A restricted item that needs sea freight instead of air, or a smaller package size, often lands at a different cost than a standard product. Recalculate your margin, the way we outline in how to calculate dropshipping profit, before you set a retail price.

Skipping the reason a rule exists. Battery, magnet and cosmetic rules all trace back to a real safety incident. Knowing why the rule exists usually points to which detail a supplier needs to fix. That is more useful than memorizing which box to check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dropship products with lithium batteries from China?

Yes, in most cases. A battery packed with or inside the device it powers, classified as UN3481, generally ships under standard rules once it has passed UN38.3 testing. A battery shipped alone is more restricted and cannot travel as cargo on a passenger aircraft.

Do liquids and cosmetics need extra paperwork to ship from China?

The liquid itself needs a shipping classification, flammable or non-flammable, which decides the packaging and the carrier. A cosmetic also needs a responsible party on the label side, a US facility registration or an EU responsible person, separate from the shipping question.

What happens if a restricted item is not declared correctly?

A carrier can hold, return or destroy an undeclared or misdeclared shipment. Repeat issues can also affect your ability to ship other products through the same lane. Declaring a product honestly, even when it adds a step, is faster than a shipment stuck at customs.

Can magnetic jewelry or fidget toys ship internationally?

Often yes, but only below a set magnet strength measured as a flux index. A magnet strong enough to be dangerous if swallowed usually cannot be sold as a general consumer product. This applies in markets that enforce this rule, including the United States.

How do I find out if my product is restricted before I order it?

Ask before you commit to inventory. Send the product link, a photo or a spec sheet when you request a quote. Ask directly whether it needs special paperwork, a different shipping lane or a longer transit time.

Check before you build a store around it

A restricted product is not a reason to skip a good product idea. It is a reason to ask one extra question before you spend on inventory or samples.

Run the landed cost for your product through ShipBee's product sourcing tool. Then ask your account manager whether the battery, liquid, magnet or cosmetic rules in this guide apply before you place a sample order.