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Regulations

UN 3373: Shipping Category B Biological Substances

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Most clinical and diagnostic samples you will ever ship travel as Category B biological substances — assigned UN 3373. The category covers material that may contain pathogens but is unlikely to cause disease in healthy humans or animals: routine bloods, swabs, most genetic test samples.

What UN 3373 requires in practice

  • Triple packaging: a leak-proof primary receptacle, a 95 kPa-tested secondary container with absorbent, and a rigid outer packaging bearing the UN specification mark
  • The UN 3373 label plus the proper shipping name — “Biological Substance, Category B” — and sender/consignee details
  • Primary receptacles under 50 ml are not quantity-limited; over 50 ml per receptacle requires extra absorbent and spacing rules
  • No shipper's declaration for dangerous goods is required — unlike Category A
  • Temperature control (2–8 °C, frozen) rides on top of the compliance rules, not instead of them

If a laboratory tells you to “ship as UN 3373”, this is the checklist behind it. We assemble it daily — and inspect every box against it before sealing.

Tell us what needs to move.

Route, sample, temperature, deadline — we answer with a plan and a quote within one business day.

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