19 New UN Numbers Added to Canada’s TDGR

19 New UN Numbers: What TDG Shippers Need to Know

On June 17, 2026, Transport Canada published SOR/2026-112, making one of the more substantial updates to the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR) in recent years.

Among the many changes are 19 new UN numbers added to Schedule 1.

These additions bring Canada’s TDGR into closer alignment with the UN Recommendations and international modal regulations and cover everything from electronic detonators and lithium battery cargo transport units to dangerous goods contained in articles and Category A medical waste.

Let’s take a look at what’s new — and, more importantly, what these additions mean for shippers.

What Changed Under SOR/2026-112?

Three New UN Numbers for Electronic Detonators

The first additions are three entries for programmable electronic detonators:

UN0511 — DETONATORS, ELECTRONIC programmable for blasting
Class: 1.1B
Packing Group: II

UN0512 — DETONATORS, ELECTRONIC programmable for blasting
Class: 1.4B
Packing Group: II

UN0513 — DETONATORS, ELECTRONIC programmable for blasting
Class: 1.4S
Packing Group: II

SOR/2026-112 adds these entries immediately after UN0510 in Schedule 1. The three UN numbers share the same basic shipping name but recognize different explosive hazards and compatibility classifications.

The entries also have different special provisions. UN0511 is assigned Special Provision 86; UN0512 is assigned Special Provisions 76 and 86; and UN0513 is assigned Special Provisions 86 and 105.

What should customers do?

Anyone manufacturing, importing, offering for transport or transporting electronic detonators should review their current classifications.

Don’t assume that an existing explosive UN number remains appropriate simply because it was used before the amendment. Determine whether the product meets the classification criteria for one of the new electronic detonator entries.

If it does, review the consequences throughout the shipping process, including:

• shipping documents;
• package markings and labels;
• means of containment;
• explosive compatibility requirements;
• applicable special provisions;
• ERAP requirements; and
• internal dangerous goods procedures and training materials.

Of particular note, Schedule 1 assigns UN0511 an ERAP Index of 5,000.

A Big Group of New Entries: Dangerous Goods in Articles

Perhaps the most significant practical addition is the group of UN numbers covering articles containing dangerous goods.

Previously, classification could become complicated when dangerous goods were incorporated into equipment or articles but there was no more specific UN entry that accurately described the complete article.

SOR/2026-112 adds a series of entries designed specifically for these situations.

UN3537 — Articles Containing Flammable Gas

UN3537 — ARTICLES CONTAINING FLAMMABLE GAS, N.O.S.
Class: 2.1
This entry applies to qualifying articles containing flammable gas where another more specific entry does not apply.

UN3538 — Articles Containing Non-Flammable, Non-Toxic Gas

UN3538 — ARTICLES CONTAINING NON-FLAMMABLE, NON TOXIC GAS, N.O.S.
Class: 2.2
This provides an entry for qualifying articles containing Class 2.2 gases.

UN3539 — Articles Containing Toxic Gas

UN3539 — ARTICLES CONTAINING TOXIC GAS, N.O.S.
Class: 2.3
This is one of the more restrictive entries. Schedule 1 indicates that transport on both a passenger carrying road vehicle and a passenger carrying railway vehicle is Forbidden.

UN3540 — Articles Containing Flammable Liquid

UN3540 — ARTICLES CONTAINING FLAMMABLE LIQUID, N.O.S.
Class: 3

UN3541 — Articles Containing Flammable Solid

UN3541 — ARTICLES CONTAINING FLAMMABLE SOLID, N.O.S.
Class: 4.1

UN3542 — Articles Containing a Substance Liable to Spontaneous Combustion

UN3542 — ARTICLES CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE LIABLE TO SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, N.O.S.
Class: 4.2
Transportation on passenger carrying road and railway vehicles is Forbidden.

UN3543 — Articles Containing Water-Reactive Substances

UN3543 — ARTICLES CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE WHICH IN CONTACT WITH WATER EMITS FLAMMABLE GASES, N.O.S.
Class: 4.3
Transportation on passenger carrying road and railway vehicles is Forbidden.

UN3544 — Articles Containing Oxidizing Substances

UN3544 — ARTICLES CONTAINING OXIDIZING SUBSTANCE, N.O.S.
Class: 5.1
Transportation on passenger carrying road and railway vehicles is Forbidden.

UN3545 — Articles Containing Organic Peroxide

UN3545 — ARTICLES CONTAINING ORGANIC PEROXIDE, N.O.S.
Class: 5.2
Transportation on passenger carrying road and railway vehicles is also Forbidden.

UN3546 — Articles Containing Toxic Substances

UN3546 — ARTICLES CONTAINING TOXIC SUBSTANCE, N.O.S.
Class: 6.1

UN3547 — Articles Containing Corrosive Substances

UN3547 — ARTICLES CONTAINING CORROSIVE SUBSTANCE, N.O.S.
Class: 8

UN3548 — Articles Containing Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods

UN3548 — ARTICLES CONTAINING MISCELLANEOUS DANGEROUS GOODS, N.O.S.
Class: 9

What should customers do?

This is an area where customers should pay particular attention.

If you manufacture or ship equipment, machinery, devices or other articles containing dangerous goods, don’t automatically assume that you can simply classify the dangerous substance inside the article as though it were being shipped separately.

First determine whether there is already a specific UN number for the article.

If there isn’t, determine whether one of the new UN3537–UN3548 entries applies.

These entries are also tied to several new or amended special provisions, so simply identifying the UN number is only the beginning of the classification process.

Customers should review:

• what dangerous goods are contained in the article;
• the quantity of dangerous goods in each article;
• whether the dangerous goods are an integral part of the article;
• whether another specific UN entry already describes the article;
• the applicable primary and subsidiary hazards;
• Special Provisions 170, 181, 182 and 183, where applicable;
• packaging requirements; and
• restrictions associated with the intended mode of transport.

The new entries should make classification of some articles considerably clearer, but they should not be treated as universal catch-all classifications for anything containing dangerous goods.

Other Important New UN Numbers

UN3535 — Toxic Solid, Flammable, Inorganic, N.O.S.

Another new entry is:

UN3535 — TOXIC SOLID, FLAMMABLE, INORGANIC, N.O.S.
Primary Class: 6.1
Subsidiary Class: 4.1
Packing Groups: I or II
Special Provision: 16
SOR/2026-112 provides a limited quantity index of 0 for Packing Group I and 0.5 kg for Packing Group II, with Excepted Quantity codes E5 and E4 respectively.

What should customers do?

Companies shipping inorganic solids presenting both toxic and flammable-solid hazards should revisit their classification.

A generic N.O.S. classification previously used for the substance may no longer be the most appropriate entry if the substance meets the criteria for UN3535.

As with other N.O.S. entries, don’t stop at finding a shipping name that appears to fit. Review the applicable classification and naming requirements, including the requirements associated with Special Provision 16.

UN3536 — Lithium Batteries Installed in Cargo Transport Units

Anyone involved with lithium batteries should pay particular attention to this one:

UN3536 — LITHIUM BATTERIES INSTALLED IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNIT, lithium ion batteries or lithium metal batteries
Class: 9
Special Provision: 14

This entry addresses lithium batteries installed in cargo transport units and is separate from the familiar:

• UN3090 — Lithium metal batteries;
• UN3091 — Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment or packed with equipment;
• UN3480 — Lithium ion batteries; and
• UN3481 — Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment or packed with equipment.

Why does UN3536 matter?

Think of applications where batteries are installed into a cargo transport unit to provide power rather than simply being transported as cargo.

Large battery energy storage applications are an obvious area where shippers should determine whether UN3536 applies.

What should customers do?

If your operation involves containerized or cargo-transport-unit battery systems, don’t automatically classify the batteries as UN3480, UN3481, UN3090 or UN3091.

Determine whether the complete configuration meets the conditions for UN3536 and carefully review Special Provision 14 before shipping.

This is especially important for manufacturers and distributors of battery energy storage systems, as classification affects the documentation, marks, placards and other requirements applied to the shipment.

UN3549 — Category A Medical Waste

Another important addition is:

UN3549 — MEDICAL WASTE, CATEGORY A, AFFECTING HUMANS, solid; or MEDICAL WASTE, CATEGORY A, AFFECTING ANIMALS only, solid
Class: 6.2
Special Provision: 175

This is an important distinction from the traditional Category A infectious substance entries.

Transport Canada explains that Category A solid medical waste affecting humans previously had to be classified as UN2814, INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCE, AFFECTING HUMANS, which limited transportation to a small means of containment. UN3549 provides a classification specifically intended for certain solid medical waste.

There are some important limitations.

Special Provision 175 states that solid medical waste may be transported under UN3549 only for disposal.

Transport Canada also clarified that the entry should not be used for waste generated from bioresearch or for liquid waste.

Another significant Canadian consideration: Transport Canada confirmed that an ERAP is not required for UN3549.

What should customers do?

Hospitals, healthcare facilities, veterinary operations, waste companies and dangerous goods specialists should review existing procedures for Category A medical waste.

Before using UN3549, verify that:

• the material is actually medical waste;
• it is solid;
• it meets the applicable Category A criteria;
• it is being transported for disposal;
• it is not liquid waste;
• it is not waste generated from bioresearch; and
• the applicable means-of-containment requirements are satisfied.

Don’t simply replace UN2814 or UN2900 with UN3549 across your waste profiles. The new entry has a specific scope.

UN3550 — Cobalt Dihydroxide Powder

The final new Schedule 1 entry introduced by SOR/2026-112 is:

UN3550 — COBALT DIHYDROXIDE POWDER, containing not less than 10% respirable particles
Class: 6.1
Packing Group: I
Special Provisions: 23 and 51
Limited Quantity Index: 0
Excepted Quantity: E5

This is a much more product-specific entry than many of the other additions.

What should customers do?

Companies manufacturing, supplying or transporting cobalt compounds should review the physical characteristics and classification of cobalt dihydroxide powders in their supply chain.

The wording of the entry is important: it specifically identifies cobalt dihydroxide powder containing not less than 10% respirable particles.

If your material falls within this description, review the new entry rather than continuing to rely automatically on a more general Class 6.1 N.O.S. classification.

Don’t Forget: Schedule 1 Changes Go Beyond the New UN Numbers

Although these 19 new entries deserve attention, customers shouldn’t treat this as simply an exercise in adding 19 rows to their dangerous goods database.

SOR/2026-112 also changes existing Schedule 1 entries, shipping names, classifications, special provisions, limited/excepted quantity provisions and other information.

For example, the amendment actually repeals UN1169 from Schedule 1 while modifying numerous other existing entries.

It also changes the title of Column 2 to “Shipping Name and Descriptive Text” and expressly distinguishes the uppercase shipping name from lower-case descriptive text used to determine classification.

What TDG Shippers Should Do Now

If you manufacture, import, offer for transport, handle or transport dangerous goods in Canada, this is a good time to review your dangerous goods master data. Start by identifying whether any products or articles in your inventory could fall under the new UN numbers. Then review downstream systems and documents. A new classification can affect much more than the UN number printed on a shipping document. Depending on the entry, it may affect shipping names, labels, placards, packaging, special provisions, limited quantity eligibility, excepted quantities, passenger transportation restrictions, and ERAP requirements.

Make Sure Your Classifications Are Up to Date

Need help with your transport classification? Contact our Regulatory Team for assistance.

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This article provides a general overview of selected amendments made by SOR/2026-112 and is not a substitute for reviewing the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, applicable special provisions, standards and modal requirements for a specific shipment.