The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned for years that lithium batteries, both metal and ion, are highly flammable and can easily ignite from other heat sources when carried in bulk in cargo holds. FAA tests also found that even existing Halon fire suppression systems could not extinguish these fires. In response to this, new rules from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ), a United Nations agency, take effect this year and ban shipment of lithium metal batteries as cargo aboard passenger aircraft.

The rules do not apply to batteries already contained in or packed with equipment, but only to those packaged and shipped separately. The ban will not affect travelers' personal devices such as laptops and smartphones, which use lithium-ion batteries, reports CanadianShipper.com.

Many passenger airlines in the U.S. and Canada have already voluntarily banned lithium metal batteries as cargo.

Last August, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published HM-224F. Several years in the making, the ruling changes how lithium batteries will be regulated when shipped by land, sea and air in the U.S. The ruling was also designed to help bring lithium battery provisions in the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) in line with ICAO Technical Instructions, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and the UN Model regulations. The final rule on lithium batteries is expected to simplify international shipping and help avoid frustrated shipments across borders.