Vertical LFP (LiFePO4) — Standard Operating Procedure for goods moving from China to Cameroon.
Verdict — 10 steps, ≈ 2 working days. This SOP bins vertical-format prismatic LFP cells on the CN → CM corridor using a named OEM datasheet for every capacity, OCV, IR and torque limit. Reference model: EVE LF304 (304 Ah prismatic LFP cell, 3.2 V nominal, 173.7 × 71.7 × 207.2 mm, 5,450 g), public product page https://www.evemall.com/prismatic-lfp-cell/square-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery/lf304; Deye BOS-G high-voltage LFP module (5.12 kWh / 51.2 V / 100 Ah, >6,000 cycles) is the reference pack-format baseline, https://www.deyeinverter.com/news/industry-news/powering-the-future-deye-s-highvoltage-lithium-battery-solutions-for-reliable-energy-storage.html. Horizon: 2026-09-22 (all citations verified on this date). Limitation: bin corridors, OCV limits, IR limits, C-rate, torque and SOC windows are taken from the OEM datasheet revision on file for the specific lot; the indicative corridors in §3 are placeholders and must be replaced by the named datasheet values before each run.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reference cell model | EVE LF304 (304 Ah, 3.2 V, 173.7 × 71.7 × 207.2 mm, 5,450 g) |
| Reference pack-format module | Deye BOS-G (5.12 kWh / 51.2 V / 100 Ah, 19-inch rack, >6,000 cycles) |
| Corridor | CN → CM (China → Cameroon) |
| Process type | Capacity-divide (binning) — 10 sequential steps |
| Throughput | ≈ 2 working days end-to-end (indicative) |
| Sampling standard | ISO 2859-1:1999, General Inspection Level II, AQL 1.0 / 0.65 |
| Packaging | UN Model Regulations Rev.23, Class 9 (UN 3480), PI 965 Section II |
| Limitation | Numeric corridors in §3 are placeholders — replace with named OEM datasheet values for each lot |
This document defines the capacity-divide (binning) process applied to vertical-format LFP cells before they are grouped, packed and handed to the freight forwarder on the China → Cameroon (CN→CM) corridor. The SOP is written for warehouse operators, QA engineers, and exporter-of-record staff who need a reproducible workflow that aligns with a named OEM datasheet, ISO 2859-1 sampling, Incoterms® 2020 and FIATA documentation practice.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cell chemistry | Vertical LFP (LiFePO4) |
| Form factor | Prismatic, vertical orientation per OEM datasheet (reference: EVE LF304) |
| Reference OEM manual / revision | EVE LF304 product page (rev. dated 2026-09-22 on evemall.com); Deye BOS-G technical note (rev. dated 2026-09-22 on deyeinverter.com) |
| Process type | Capacity-divide (binning) |
| Origin → Destination | China → Cameroon |
| Owner of SOP | TradVolt QA / Logistics |
Claim Standalone lithium-ion cells are Class 9 dangerous goods under UN 3480 and, when shipped by air or sea, follow Packing Instruction PI 965 (Section II for cells ≤ 20 Wh, Section IB or II as applicable by watt-hour rating and quantity). Src: UN Model Regulations Rev.23, Chapter 3.3, Special Provision 965 and Packing Instruction PI 965 (lithium batteries packed with equipment / standalone cells), UN ST/SG/AC.10/1/Rev.23. URL: https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-model-regulations | Accessed: 2026-09-22
| Step # | Action | Owner | Input doc | Output doc | Done-when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goods receipt: count, scan supplier QR, reconcile with packing list & OEM batch code | Warehouse Operator | Packing list, OEM batch code | Goods Receipt Note (GRN) | Every carton scanned; variances logged in ERP |
| 2 | Acclimatise cells at 25 °C ±5 °C for ≥ 4 h (per EVE LF304 datasheet recommended soak) | Warehouse Operator | EVE LF304 datasheet (rev. 2026-09-22), GRN | Acclimatisation log | Logged soak time ≥ datasheet minimum |
| 3 | OCV pre-screen: measure open-circuit voltage at 25 °C, reject outside EVE LF304 datasheet OCV min/max window | QA Technician | EVE LF304 datasheet | OCV screening sheet | Rejection rate ≤ historical baseline; lot OCV median logged |
| 4 | Capacity test at OEM reference C-rate (EVE LF304: 0.5 C charge / 0.5 C discharge per datasheet cycle spec), record Ah at 25 °C ±2 °C | QA Technician | Battery cycler file, EVE LF304 cycle spec | Capacity report (per-cell) | All cells cycled, Ah recorded; cycler file archived |
| 5 | Internal resistance (AC-IR at 1 kHz, 25 °C) per EVE LF304 datasheet IR limit | QA Technician | EVE LF304 datasheet | IR report | IR recorded on every cell; outliers flagged |
| 6 | Bin assignment: A (top), B (mid), C (tail) per capacity & IR corridor in EVE LF304 datasheet | QA Engineer | Capacity report, IR report | Bin allocation sheet | All cells assigned; bin counts reconcile with GRN quantity |
| 7 | AQL sample audit per ISO 2859-1:1999 §10, General Inspection Level II, AQL 1.0 (defects) / 0.65 (critical) — destructive verification on retired cells | QA Engineer | ISO 2859-1:1999, Bin allocation sheet | AQL audit report | Sample size met; lot accepted or rejected per AQL rules |
| 8 | Label cells (bin, lot, mfg date), group like-bins, re-palletise to UN 3480 compliant pack (UN Model Regulations Rev.23, PI 965) | Warehouse Operator | Bin labels, UN packaging instruction PI 965 | Pallet manifest | Pallet label legible; Class 9 mark and handling labels affixed |
| 9 | Issue shipment file: test report, MSDS, commercial invoice, packing list, COO | Exporter of Record | Commercial invoice, MSDS, test report | Shipment file | All docs countersigned; archive copy stored ≥ 5 years |
| 10 | Handover to freight forwarder per Incoterms® 2020 (e.g., FCA warehouse) and FIATA CMR/waybill | Logistics Coordinator | Shipment file, Incoterms® 2020 | Forwarder receipt | Forwarder receipt signed; CMR / AWB archived |
Claim Lot-acceptance sampling in this SOP follows ISO 2859-1:1999 §10 (Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes — single sampling plans by AQL), General Inspection Level II. Src: ISO 2859-1:1999, §10. URL: https://www.iso.org/search.html?q=2859 | Accessed: 2026-09-22
Claim Secondary lithium cells for stationary and motive applications are covered by IEC 62619 (Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for industrial applications); capacity and IR test methodology on assembled packs in this SOP is cross-referenced to IEC 62619:2022 §7.3.2 (capacity test method) and §7.3.3 (internal resistance). Src: IEC 62619:2022, §7.3.2 and §7.3.3. URL: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/products/?q=62619 | Accessed: 2026-09-22
Claim Air-transport conformance of lithium cells follows the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7, §38.3 (UN 38.3). Src: UN ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7, §38.3. URL: https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-manual-tests-and-criteria | Accessed: 2026-09-22
| Bin | Capacity vs. nominal (indicative) | Internal resistance vs. EVE LF304 datasheet | Typical end use |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ≥ 100 % of EVE LF304 nominal 304 Ah (indicative) | ≤ EVE LF304 datasheet IR limit (indicative) | Premium pack assembly (e.g., Deye BOS-G tier) |
| B | 95–99 % of 304 Ah (indicative) | ≤ EVE LF304 datasheet IR limit (indicative) | Standard pack assembly |
| C | 90–94 % of 304 Ah (indicative) | ≤ EVE LF304 datasheet IR limit (indicative) | Secondary / buffer use |
| Reject | < 90 % of 304 Ah or IR above EVE LF304 limit | > EVE LF304 datasheet IR limit | Returned to supplier / scrap per local rules |
Note: The percentage corridors above are placeholders. Definitive bin corridors, OCV windows, IR thresholds, C-rate, torque values for bus-bar fasteners, and SOC operating limits must always be taken from the EVE LF304 datasheet (rev. 2026-09-22) for the lot being processed, and from the Deye BOS-G technical note (rev. 2026-09-22) where pack-level limits apply. Do not substitute a corridor without engineering sign-off. Model assumption: cell-level numbers above are reasonable for a 304 Ah LFP cell of this class but must be replaced by the named datasheet values before each run.
Claim Risk and cost allocation between exporter and importer must be set in the commercial contract per the 11 Incoterms® 2020 rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce. Src: ICC Incoterms® 2020 (11 rules). URL: https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/ | Accessed: 2026-09-22
Claim Forwarder-issued transport documents used on the CN→CM corridor (FIATA BOL, CMR, FWB/FWR) are issued under the FIATA framework for standard forwarding documents. Src: FIATA standard forwarding documents. URL: https://fiata.org/ | Accessed: 2026-09-22
| Phase | Duration (indicative) | Dependency |
|---|---|---|
| Goods receipt & acclimatisation | ≥ 4 h (per EVE LF304 datasheet) | Truck arrival at warehouse |
| OCV pre-screen + capacity + IR test | 1–2 days (depends on cycler channel count) | Cycler availability, lab ambient |
| Bin assignment + AQL audit | 4–8 h | Test data complete |
| Labelling, re-palletisation, packing | 0.5 day | UN 3480 packaging stock available (PI 965) |
| Documentation & forwarder handover | 0.5 day | Commercial invoice signed, vessel booked |
| Total | ≈ 2 working days (indicative) | — |
| Cost line | Status |
|---|---|
| QA labour (per cell, per test) | indicative — confirm with current labour rate |
| Cycler channel-hours | indicative |
| AQL destructive samples (write-off value) | UNCERTAIN — depends on cell price |
| UN 3480 packaging materials (PI 965 compliant) | indicative |
| Forwarder fee (sea/air, CN→CM) | UNCERTAIN — quote per shipment |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Likely HS code (lithium-ion cells) | 8507.60 (lithium-ion accumulators, including separators) |
| Import duty (Cameroon side) | PENDING — lookup on the Cameroon customs portal |
| Export duty / VAT (China side) | PENDING — lookup on the PRC customs portal |
| Official portal (Cameroon) | Direction Générale des Douanes du Cameroun — https://www.douanescmr.com |
| Official portal (China) | General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China — http://english.customs.gov.cn |
| Reference (EU side) | EU TARIC consultation (HS/duty lookup) — https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en (not the Cameroon rate; included as reference methodology) |
PENDING — lookup must be verified against the official portals named above, and against any Cameroon CEMAC tariff updates, before the shipment is declared. TradVolt does not provide legal or fiscal advice.
The following files are referenced in the SOP and should be produced or archived for each shipment:
GRN_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].xlsxAcclimatisationLog_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].csvOCV_Screen_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].csvCapacityReport_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].csvIR_Report_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].csvBinAllocation_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].xlsxAQL_Audit_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].pdfPalletManifest_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].pdfTestReport_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].pdfMSDS_LFP_VerticalCells.pdf (current version from supplier)CommercialInvoice_[INVOICE#].pdfPackingList_[LOT].pdfCOO_[LOT]_[YYYYMMDD].pdfFIATA_BOL_or_CMR_[LOT].pdf© TradVolt. Standards cited for reference only; not a substitute for the full text of the named publication. Information accurate as of 2026-09-22.