Shipment Stuck Over the MSDS? 10 Mistakes Indian Exporters Make and How to Avoid Them

Your goods are packed, the container is booked, and then the forwarder writes back: "MSDS not acceptable." For Indian exporters of chemicals, cosmetics, paints, oils, fragrances, incense and batteries, this is one of the most common reasons a shipment misses its vessel or flight.

The good news: almost every MSDS rejection comes from a small set of avoidable mistakes. Here are the ten we see most often, and how our experts make sure your MSDS (now called the SDS) is right before your cargo moves.

Who Checks Your MSDS When You Ship Out of India?

• Freight forwarders and customs brokers, before they accept the booking
• Shipping lines, who decide whether the cargo is dangerous goods and how it is stowed
• Airlines and couriers, who apply the stricter air transport rules
• Customs, at the Indian port and at destination
• Your buyer, who needs it for their own workplace and market compliance

Each of them reads the MSDS for something slightly different, so it has to satisfy all of them.

The 10 Most Common MSDS Mistakes

1. An Old, Non-GHS Format

Many exporters still use an old MSDS with 8 or 9 sections, or one written years ago. Today, forwarders and destination markets expect the 16-section GHS format. An outdated layout is often rejected on sight. See our guide to the 16 sections of an MSDS.

2. Using the Supplier's MSDS for Your Own Product

If you have blended, diluted, repacked or rebranded a material, your supplier's MSDS no longer describes your product. The MSDS must cover your product, under your company's name and details.

3. Product Name Not Matching the Invoice

The name on the MSDS must match the commercial invoice, packing list and labels. A brand name on one document and a chemical name on another raises questions at the port.

4. Missing or Wrong Transport Information (Section 14)

Section 14 is what the shipping line and airline read first: UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class, packing group and marine pollutant status. A blank Section 14, "not available", or a UN number that does not match the product's hazards is the single biggest cause of rejections.

5. Calling a Product "Non-Hazardous" Without Basis

Writing "non-hazardous" without a proper classification does not convince a carrier, especially if an ingredient is clearly hazardous. If your product is not dangerous goods, the MSDS must show why, with a classification based on the actual composition.

6. Incomplete Composition and Missing CAS Numbers

Section 3 must identify the hazardous ingredients with their CAS numbers and concentrations, as required in your destination market. Vague entries like "proprietary blend" for a hazardous ingredient invite questions. This is why we always ask for the full composition and identify the CAS numbers; read the questions we ask before drafting your MSDS.

7. Guessed Physical Data

A missing or estimated flash point, pH or density can change how a product is classified and shipped. A liquid's flash point, for example, decides whether it travels as a flammable liquid. Where it matters, we use your certificate of analysis or arrange the test through our chemical testing partners.

8. Wrong Format for the Destination Market

An MSDS written for India may not satisfy the EU, the US, Canada or China, each of which has its own format, classification rules and language. We always ask which market you are exporting to first; see the global SDS regulatory map.

9. Sea Information Used for an Air Shipment

The IMDG Code for sea and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations for air are different. A product that moves easily by sea can face restrictions or quantity limits by air. Check Section 14 whenever you change the mode of shipment.

10. Missing Supporting Documents for Batteries

Lithium batteries and products containing them need a UN 38.3 test summary alongside the MSDS. Without it, airlines will not accept the shipment. Read more in MSDS for exports: the certification your shipment cannot fly without.

A Quick Pre-Shipment Check

Check	Pass if
Format	16-section GHS format for the destination market
Product identity	Same name as the invoice, packing list and label
Supplier details	Your company's name, address and emergency phone number
Composition	Hazardous ingredients listed with CAS numbers and concentrations
Physical data	Key values, such as flash point, from tests or a CoA
Transport	Section 14 complete and correct for sea, air or road
Supporting documents	UN 38.3 test summary for lithium batteries
Revision date	Recent, and matching the current formulation

How Instacertify Keeps Your Shipments Moving

We make sure compliance is always followed and delivered, not just on paper. When you ship, our solution takes care of the MSDS from the first question to the final check:

• We ask the right questions first: your destination market, your full composition, the CAS numbers of the ingredients and, where required, a certificate of analysis for a better assessment of the composition.
• We classify correctly for the destination market and for sea, air and road transport.
• We draft and review all 16 sections so that your forwarder, carrier, customs and buyer each find what they need.
• We fix rejected MSDS quickly when a shipment is waiting.
• We keep it current when your formulation or the rules change.

Selling online as well? See our MSDS guide for Amazon sellers. To get your MSDS drafted or reviewed, see our MSDS / SDS authoring service or talk to our team.