Understanding and interpreting military export compliance is a complex task, no doubt. Knowing when to account for each compliance standard and ensure your exports are packaged accordingly is crucial to your success as supplier to the military. One standard that you should account for is ASTM D3951 – 18.
What is ASTM D3951 – 18?
ASTM D3951 – 18 is the standard for commercial packaging. For non-Department of Defense shipments, this requirements states that packages must be able to be handled and ship by multiple parties and various modes of transportation, as well as, be able to be stored in an enclosed facility for a minimum of one year without degradation or damage to the product. Lastly, it requires package quantities suitable for redistribution without additional repackaging or markings.
ASTM D3951 – 18 for Military Exports
ASTM D3951 – 18 doesn’t just apply to packages for commercial use. This standard also is in place for some Department of Defense shipments. If your shipment is going to be immediately used by the military, isn’t a mission critical shipment, is intended for depot consumption, and is shipped small parcel in the contiguous US (CONUS) and not for stock, then this compliance standard applies. If your DoD shipments don’t meet these requirements, then you would be required to abide by MIL-STD-2073 standards.
How Bentley Can Help
Landing a military contract for many companies is a high achievement and requires a lot of work. It can often make you feel like you are in over your head. Fear not, Bentley can alleviate all this stress and ensure your packages and shipments are correctly packaged and meet all the requirements the military sets in place including helping you decipher which standard applies to your shipments and packaging your shipments accordingly.
Bentley has provided export shipping and packing services for commercial and military alike for over 50 years. Even before officially becoming a packaging company, Bentley pivoted their services to provide aid to the military during World War II. Bentley has operational experience and long term relationships with DLA, DCMA, TACOM, NATO and US Embassy shipments.
Ready to relieve the stress that comes with military packing and exports?
