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December 18, 2020
ORM-D Small Arms Ammunition Shipping Ending in December
NEWTOWN, Conn. — The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturing Institute, Inc.® (SAAMI®) reminds manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers they must discontinue the use of ORM-D labeling for shipping sporting ammunitions via surface transport after Dec. 31, 2020. The change in labeling requirements, rendered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), aligns shipment of sporting ammunition with international standards.
ORM-D — which stands for Other Regulated Materials–group D — labeling was discontinued for air and vessel use in 2011, while its use for highway transport remained. With the final phase-out of this labeling, those businesses that ship sporting ammunition via surface transport modes must now use the new DOT blank limited-quantity mark, seen here, placed on one side of the box.
Firearm industry manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers must ensure that no packages of Sporting ammunition for surface transportation are marked with ORM-D labels after Dec. 31, 2020.
Existing stock already bearing ORM-D labels should be shipped immediately. It is SAAMI’s understanding that DOT ORM-D packages already in transit on Jan. 1, 2021, will be allowed to continue to its destination without being subjected to enforcement. Businesses shipping qualified parcels after Dec. 31, 2020 without the new labels should expect those shipments to be refused and returned, regardless of the carrier employed for shipment.
In addition to the change in labeling, SAAMI reminds all shippers of ammunition that they and relevant employees are required to have proper DOT hazmat training (49 CFR 172.704) and must use their own experts and legal counsel for decisions made pertaining to the shipping of hazardous materials. More information on that training can be found here. SAAMI also provides transport data sheets for shipment of ammunition as guidance. This website does not constitute training or legal guidance but provides a quick reference with appropriate regulatory citations.
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About SAAMI
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, founded in 1926 at the request of the federal government, is dedicated to creating and promulgating technical, performance and safety standards for firearms, ammunition and components, and is committed to being the preeminent global resource for the safe and responsible transportation, storage and use of these products.
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