The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is threatening to hit a Hong Kong-based shipper with a $160,500 fine for violating hazardous materials regulations.
The US Department of Transportation’s FAA allege that on 3 January 2017, Woodioso Technology knowingly offered a shipment of 30 lithium ion batteries to UPS for shipment by air from Hong Kong to Louisville, Kentucky.
UPS employees in Louisville discovered the batteries when the shipment arrived on 4 January.
The FAA alleges Woodioso did not keep the batteries separated to prevent them contacting each other during shipment.
It alleges that the shipments were not accompanied by a shipper’s declaration of dangerous goods and were not properly classed, described, packaged, marked, labelled or in the proper condition for shipment.
Woodioso is also accused of failing to ensure that each of its employees received required hazardous materials training, and failed to provide emergency response information with the shipment.
The Hong Kong company did not respond to the enforcement letter the FAA sent to the company in April 2018, and last week the FAA sent a final notice explaining it has 15 days after receiving the notice to pay the proposed civil penalty or request a hearing.
