South Korea
USA trade laneSouth Korea's battery makers supply lithium-ion cells, modules and packs to US vehicle and energy-storage programs, and several now make cells in the United States as well — in Georgia among other states. That keeps a steady flow of cells, modules, packs, containerized storage systems, battery materials and production equipment crossing the Pacific from Korea. For the importer, three questions decide the landed cost: whether the battery is a part for a passenger vehicle or light truck, which puts it under the Section 232 auto-parts tariff at the reduced rate agreed for Korea, or is for storage, industrial or other use, which puts it under the Section 301 tariff on Korean goods in force since 24 July 2026; where the cells were really made; and whether the lithium, graphite and cathode materials behind them can be traced for forced-labor review.
This is dangerous-goods cargo from factory to site. We work through WCA partner agents in South Korea; AGF has no office there. Before booking we check the UN38.3 test summary, the classification and the safety data sheet, place the cargo with carriers that accept Class 9 lithium batteries on the route, and file the ISF; our licensed customs brokers file the entry under the right tariff layer. With our own office in Foshan, China, we ask where the cells and materials came from before CBP does.
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Shipping Lithium Batteries & Energy Storage from South Korea to USA
Lithium-ion cells, modules and packs shipped on their own travel as UN3480, Class 9; batteries packed with or contained in equipment as UN3481; and storage systems built into a container as UN3536, lithium batteries installed in a cargo transport unit — which applies only where the batteries are secured to the unit's internal structure, supply power outside the unit, no other dangerous goods travel inside, and the unit carries its UN number and Class 9 placards on two opposite sides. Every cell and battery design needs a UN38.3 test summary. Large batteries with strong casings can go in strong outer packagings, crates or on pallets under the IMDG Code's large-battery packing rules, and the shipper's trained staff sign a dangerous-goods declaration. The IMDG Code amendment that became mandatory on 1 January 2026 tightened the lithium-battery provisions, so older packing specifications are worth re-checking.
Not every ship takes them. Carriers decide which services and transshipment hubs accept Class 9 lithium cargo and where it may be stowed on board, so the routing is confirmed per booking and space is booked earlier than for general cargo. A direct sailing from Busan reaches Los Angeles or Long Beach in roughly two weeks; New York takes about four to five weeks, and Savannah, the port for Georgia's battery and EV plants, is confirmed per sailing. Batteries are dense, so a 20ft container usually reaches its weight limit before it is full, and storage units, which usually weigh more than 30 tonnes each, need the carrier's approval for lifting and stowage, heavy-haul trucking and a crane at site. Air is limited to cargo aircraft for UN3480, at no more than 30% state of charge — a cap that has also applied to batteries packed with equipment since 1 January 2026 — so anything large goes by sea.
- UN3480 (cells, modules, packs), UN3481 (packed with or in equipment), UN3536 (storage systems built into a container) — all Class 9
- UN38.3 test summary and safety data sheet for every cell and battery design, checked before booking
- Large batteries with strong casings: strong outer packagings, crates or pallets under the IMDG large-battery rules
- Dense cargo: 20ft containers fill by weight; storage units of 30+ tonnes need heavy-haul trucking and a site crane
- Air only on cargo aircraft for UN3480, at no more than 30% state of charge — ocean for volume
- Wooden crates and pallets heat-treated and stamped to ISPM 15
What Drives the Cost
- Dangerous-goods surcharges, and fewer sailings to choose from — not every service or hub accepts Class 9 lithium cargo
- Which tariff applies: the Section 232 auto-parts tariff at the Korean rate for batteries made for cars and light trucks, or the Section 301 tariff on Korean goods for storage and other uses
- Cell origin: a pack built from Chinese cells is generally Chinese for tariff purposes, and China's tariffs on lithium-ion batteries are much heavier
- Weight: 20ft containers by payload; heavy-lift handling and heavy-haul trucking for storage units
- Compliance work: UN38.3 files, dangerous-goods declarations and the supply-chain records a forced-labor review asks for
- US inland: hazmat-qualified trucking, storage only at warehouses that accept Class 9 lithium cargo, crane and site access, and insurance on high-value cargo
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8507.60 | Lithium-ion accumulators — modules, packs and batteries; 8507.60.0010 covers batteries that power electric passenger vehicles | Batteries that are parts of passenger vehicles or light trucks are on the Section 232 auto-parts list and pay the rate agreed for Korea; the same subheading for storage, industrial or mobility use pays the Section 301 tariff on Korean goods instead. Duty depends on the 10-digit line and the end use, confirmed by our licensed customs brokers at quoting. |
| 8507.90 | Parts of batteries — including cells made only to be built into modules | CBP has classified EV pouch cells that cannot work on their own as battery parts rather than batteries. These lines are also on the Section 232 auto-parts list when they are vehicle parts; otherwise the Section 301 tariff applies. Ask for a ruling before a large cell program. |
| 8507.60 / 8504.40 | Containerized energy storage systems; inverters and power conversion systems shipped with or apart from them | A battery-only storage unit usually classifies with the batteries; power conversion equipment shipped separately is classified on its own. Not vehicle parts, so the Section 301 tariff applies unless a line is exempt. A complete system with mixed components is worth a binding ruling before a large program. |
| 2825.20 / 2836.91 / 2504 | Lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate and natural graphite — battery raw materials | On the Section 301 exemption list for raw materials, so the layer does not apply; the normal duty still does. Lithium hydroxide is itself a regulated dangerous good for transport. Confirmed per line at quoting. |
Regulations and Compliance
Dangerous goods: UN3480, UN3481, UN3536 and UN38.3
Lithium-ion batteries are Class 9 dangerous goods at sea: UN3480 on their own, UN3481 packed with or contained in equipment, UN3536 when installed in a container as a storage system. The shipper needs a UN38.3 test summary for each cell and battery design, packaging and marking to the IMDG Code, Class 9 labels, and a signed dangerous-goods declaration. Prototype or pre-production batteries without completed UN38.3 testing, and damaged or recalled batteries, ship under special provisions with heavier packaging — tell us before the cargo is ready. We pre-check the documents, because a lithium container refused at the terminal costs more than the freight.
Duty: Section 232 auto parts or the Section 301 tariff
Since May 2025, lithium-ion batteries and battery parts that are parts of passenger vehicles or light trucks have been on the Section 232 auto-parts list, and Korean auto parts have paid the reduced rate agreed in the 2025 US–Korea deal since 1 November 2025. Batteries that are not parts of those vehicles — storage, industrial, e-mobility — fall outside it and pay the Section 301 tariff on Korean goods in force since 24 July 2026, which tops the total duty up to the level set for Korea. Goods under Section 232 are excluded from that layer, so the two never stack, and lithium-ion batteries are not on its exemption list. The end use therefore has to be documented at entry. A January 2026 Section 232 action on processed critical minerals and their derivatives imposed no tariff but left further action open. Our licensed customs brokers confirm the total for your line at quoting.
Where the cells were made — and the KORUS question
For marking and for deciding which country's tariffs apply, origin is the country of the last substantial transformation, and in its published rulings CBP has generally found that assembling cells into modules, packs or storage units does not change their origin — the pack takes the origin of its cells, and Chinese cells built into storage stacks in Taiwan stayed Chinese. A KORUS claim is a separate test under the agreement's own rules of origin, and because the Section 301 tariff tops Korean goods up to a set total, it seldom lowers the duty on batteries now. What it cannot do is make Chinese cells Korean for Section 301 or China's tariffs. Korea's customs service has caught Chinese battery materials declared as Korean for the US market. For a pack or storage program built on non-Korean cells, get a binding ruling; our licensed customs brokers confirm origin and treatment at the HS line.
Forced labor: lithium is a UFLPA priority sector
In August 2025 the US made lithium a high-priority sector for Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act enforcement, and electronics, including battery components, account for the largest share of UFLPA detentions. CBP looks past the cell maker to where the lithium, graphite, cobalt and nickel were mined, refined and converted, and generic supplier letters do not answer a detention. Before you buy, ask the manufacturer for a bill of materials and traceability for cathode, anode and lithium inputs back to the refiner, so a detention can be answered with documents rather than delay.
The US leg: hazardous materials rules
From the US port the batteries are hazardous materials under US Department of Transportation rules: shipping papers, marks and labels travel with them, the trucker must be qualified to carry them, and the partner warehouse must accept Class 9 lithium cargo — many general warehouses do not. Storage units also need a route survey for heavy-haul trucking and a crane at the delivery site, arranged before the ship arrives.
Tax credits are a separate question
The federal purchase credit for electric vehicles ended for vehicles acquired after 30 September 2025, but energy-storage projects and US manufacturers still claim credits that carry prohibited-foreign-entity rules, with interim IRS guidance issued in 2026. Those rules decide whether a credit can be claimed, not whether a battery clears customs, and they have changed repeatedly — confirm them with your tax advisers before you choose a supplier. We flag the question; we do not advise on it.
Door-to-Door Import Service
Before booking, we review the product specification, the UN38.3 test summary, the safety data sheet, the cell origin and the end use; our licensed customs brokers confirm the classification and which tariff layer applies.
Our WCA partner agent in South Korea coordinates with the shipper on dangerous-goods packing, marking and the declaration, files the export declaration in UNI-PASS, Korea's customs system, and arranges container loading or, for storage units, lifting at the factory.
We book a carrier and routing that accept Class 9 lithium cargo and file the ISF at least 24 hours before loading in Busan, Incheon or Gwangyang.
The ship reaches Los Angeles or Long Beach in roughly two weeks on a direct service; Savannah, New York and other ports are confirmed per sailing.
Our licensed customs brokers file the entry under the Section 232 or Section 301 provisions, with the origin and supply-chain documents ready in case CBP asks.
Hazmat-qualified partner carriers deliver to your plant, DC or project site, with storage at a warehouse that accepts Class 9 lithium cargo if needed, and heavy-haul trucking and crane work planned in advance for storage units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you ship lithium-ion batteries from Korea to the US by sea?
What is the tariff on lithium-ion batteries from South Korea?
Are battery packs made in Korea with Chinese cells Korean?
How are battery energy storage systems (BESS) shipped from Korea?
Can lithium batteries be shipped by air from Korea?
Can Korean batteries be detained under the UFLPA?
Lithium Batteries & Energy Storage is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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