Phenol Export and Shipping Guide: UN Numbers, Packaging, Documents and Temperature Control (HS 2907.11)

Phenol (CAS 108-95-2) is a Class 6.1 toxic substance. Every major market regulates it as dangerous goods on import and export.

In phenol shipping, the problem is rarely price or quantity. It is paperwork: the UN number on the documents does not match the physical form in the container.

For the basics on grades and properties, see what is phenol.

The four identifiers you must confirm before shipping

The first six HS digits are set by the World Customs Organization and are the same everywhere: China, the US, the EU and India all classify phenol under 2907.11. The remaining digits are national. Declare the full code of the destination country.

The UN number changes with physical form — the most common cause of rejected shipments

Phenol has three UN numbers. Which one applies depends on the form being shipped:

• UN 1671 — phenol, solid
• UN 2312 — phenol, molten
• UN 2821 — phenol, solution

All three are Class 6.1, but the transport requirements differ. Molten cargo needs heating throughout transit. Solutions must be declared with their concentration.

Documents must never state simply "phenol". They must name the form, and the UN number must match that form. When they do not, destination customs holds the cargo, and the cost of rejection and re-filing falls on the shipper.

One recurring mistake: the cargo is drummed solid (UN 1671), but the buyer heats it after arrival, and the import declaration still says solid. Settle this at booking time, not after the vessel sails.

How each form ships

Molten — the default for bulk export. Moved at 50–60 °C by heated road tanker to the port, then loaded into an insulated ISO tank or direct to a bulk vessel. The receiver must have heated storage tanks and heated discharge facilities.

Crystal (solid) — packed in 200 kg galvanised steel drums or drums with a liner. Suited to buyers without heated tanks and to smaller orders. Watch the heat: in hot ports, hold temperatures above 40.5 °C will melt the material into a solid block.

Solution — typically 80–90%, shipped in IBCs or tank containers. The concentration must be declared; the packing group under UN 2821 varies with concentration.

Packaging and load factors

Loading is limited by weight and by volume. Drums usually hit the volume limit first, tanks the weight limit. Confirm actual stowage with the carrier and against your packaging specification.

Temperature control: the 40.5 °C problem

Phenol melts at 40.5 °C — just above room temperature, and just below hold temperatures in tropical ports. That creates two opposite risks.

Molten cargo fears the cold. If the heating system fails or loses power, the cargo solidifies in the tank. Re-melting a full tank takes steam or hot-oil circulation and several days. Cost is high. Molten shipments therefore need a temperature recorder, and the transit log should travel with the cargo.

Solid cargo fears the heat. Drums crossing equatorial ports can see hold temperatures above 40.5 °C. The material melts, then re-solidifies into a single block on cooling. Chemistry is unaffected, but discharge and charging become painful. Ask the carrier to stow drums low in the hold rather than on deck.

Document checklist

Dangerous goods need more paperwork than ordinary chemicals. Expect the following:

• Commercial invoice and packing list
• Certificate of analysis (COA)
• Safety data sheet (SDS), 16-section format
• Dangerous goods declaration (DGD)
• Packaging performance inspection certificate for dangerous goods (China: 危包证)
• Certificate of origin (CO, or a preferential form such as FORM E)
• Insurance policy
• Any additional registration documents the destination requires

An SDS is not a one-off document. It must be revised when composition, classification or regulations change, and many countries require a version in the local language. For hazard classification and first-aid detail, see our phenol MSDS.

Registration requirements at destination

In most markets the importer handles chemical registration, not the exporter. But the exporter must supply complete technical documentation, or the importer cannot register.

Common regimes include EU REACH, K-REACH in Korea, KKDIK in Turkey and UK REACH. Most Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets have no separate registration requirement but do require a local-language SDS.

Before shipping, confirm three things: whether the destination requires registration, whether the registration number is active, and what language the SDS must be in.

Six causes of delay we see most often

1. UN number does not match the form — the most frequent, and the easiest to avoid
2. No temperature record — molten cargo arrives with no proof of heating in transit
3. Incomplete package marking — missing UN packaging mark, hazard label or batch number
4. Outdated SDS — a revision from several years ago is still in use
5. No heated receiving facility at destination — molten cargo cannot be discharged
6. Packaging certificate does not match the batch — the certificate covers a different production lot

How we ship

We ship mainly in molten form, by ISO tank and bulk vessel. Our standard minimum order is one ISO tank (approximately 20–24 tonnes). Larger parcels of several thousand tonnes, and ten thousand tonnes and above, move as full bulk vessel cargoes. Every shipment carries a COA, SDS, packaging certificate and the full customs set, and every tank is fitted with a temperature recorder whose transit log travels with the goods.

Loading ports are Shanghai, Qingdao, Tianjin and Zhangjiagang, and we ship to more than 60 countries and regions. Transit time is confirmed per order. If you are unsure whether your destination can receive molten cargo, tell us the port and your tank conditions when you request a quote.

For grades and regular stock, see our phenol supplier page. For this week's prices by market, see the weekly phenol price report.

Frequently asked questions

Can phenol be air-freighted? Technically yes, but the restrictions are tight and the cost is high. In practice phenol moves by sea. Only small samples are worth considering by air, and they need advance declaration.

Is the HS code the same in every country? The first six digits (2907.11) are harmonised globally. The remaining digits are national, so declare the destination country's full code.

What happens if molten phenol solidifies on arrival? It must be re-melted with external heat — steam or hot-oil circulation for a tank, taking several days. It is the single largest risk in molten shipments and the reason a temperature recorder is not optional.

Does the receiver need dangerous goods qualifications? Yes. The importer needs the licence and the facility to receive Class 6.1, plus heated storage for molten cargo. Confirm this before booking.

How much phenol fits in a 20 ft container? Around 16 tonnes drummed, or 20–24 tonnes in an ISO tank. Actual figures depend on packaging specification and carrier weight limits.

What temperature should phenol be kept at? Molten cargo is normally held at 50–60 °C. Below 40.5 °C it begins to solidify; excessive heat accelerates oxidation and discolouration.