Dunnage Bag Quality Standards: AAR, SGS, MSDS, ISO 9001

Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 44/2026

Key takeaways

Dunnage bags used in international shipping are usually asked for four kinds of documents: an AAR level (applies only to cargo moving by North American rail), a test report from SGS (or another independent laboratory), a MSDS safety data sheet, and ISO 9001 certification of the factory’s management system. The four answer four different questions, and only AAR is a load-capacity grading made specifically for dunnage bags.

This article explains what each document proves and does not prove, how to check whether a bag really is AAR verified, and the technical figures to compare when buying: working pressure, burst pressure, air tightness and maximum void.

I am Le Van Thang, and I have worked in packaging supplies at ICD Vietnam since 2011. Exporters often send me a list of “required certificates” from their overseas partners; most of the questions are about reading the documents correctly, not about how many certificates there are.

1. The AAR standard: a strength grading for North American rail cargo

AAR (Association of American Railroads) is the trade body that sets loading rules and cargo damage prevention for the North American rail network. For dunnage bags, the applicable document is bulletin GIB No. 9, “Product Performance Profile for Pneumatic Dunnage”, effective from 2005 and revised in 2012.

The point to understand correctly: GIB No. 9 is a North American rail industry standard. Cargo packed in containers going by sea or road does not require an AAR level on the bag; for those routes the main basis is the CTU Code (the IMO, ILO and UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units) and the bag manufacturer’s guidance. GIB No. 9 itself states that taking part in the verification programme is voluntary.

AAR Level: graded by void type and cargo weight, not by inflation pressure

AAR does not grade by working pressure as many tables online claim. GIB No. 9 grades by where the bag is placed and the total cargo weight in the car, then sets holding and burst pressure requirements for each level during testing:

A bag that passes Level 2 to Level 5 is also regarded as meeting the Level 1 requirement. Beyond pressure performance, GIB No. 9 also requires the outermost layer of the bag to be moisture resistant, with a minimum water vapour transmission rate of 1.4 g per 100 square inches in 24 hours.

How is a bag verified by AAR?

The manufacturer submits at least 12 samples for each level to be verified, with 2 inflation heads for each valve type. The samples go through a 19-day leak test and then a burst test, and the whole process takes at least 3 to 4 weeks. A bag that passes is added to the verification list published on the AAR website, and must be verified again every 3 years. A change of material, manufacturing method, valve type or valve position requires new verification.

When you are not shipping by North American rail, an AAR level is still a useful reference because it shows the bag has passed an independent laboratory’s leak and burst tests. But do not treat AAR as a condition for the shipping line to accept the container or for the cargo to clear customs; those are two matters unrelated to the bag level.

2. SGS: an independent test report on materials and strength

SGS is a Swiss inspection, testing and certification organisation. An “SGS certificate” for a dunnage bag is usually a test report from an SGS laboratory on a bag sample, against criteria set by the manufacturer or the buyer. So its value lies in the content of the report, not in the logo.

Criteria commonly found in a dunnage bag test report:

• Tensile breaking force of the shell (Kraft paper or woven PP fabric), measured in the warp and weft directions.
• Burst pressure of the bag.
• Air tightness: an inflated bag holding pressure for a set period.
• Heavy metal or restricted substance content in the material, when the buyer requires it.

The ICD Vietnam catalogue lists AAR, SGS and MSDS documents for dunnage bags, together with drop, pull and vibration tests. When your file needs documents submitted, ask for the right copy for the bag code and level you plan to buy.

3. MSDS: material safety information and heavy metal rules

MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), now usually called SDS, is a safety data sheet: composition, hazards, handling, storage and disposal. It is not a strength certificate. Under the GHS system and the EU REACH regulation, an SDS is mandatory for hazardous chemicals and mixtures; a dunnage bag is an article made from PP, PE, PA and paper, so a dunnage bag SDS is usually provided by the manufacturer at the customer’s request to support documentation.

For cargo going to the EU, the requirement directly tied to packaging is the heavy metal limit: under Directive 94/62/EC on packaging, the total content of lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium in packaging must not exceed 100 ppm. RoHS (Directive 2011/65/EU) is often mentioned alongside, but its scope is electrical and electronic equipment, not cushioning material.

From experience with cargo to Europe: partners often want to see the origin of the materials and a commitment that no restricted substances are present. Having the SDS and a heavy metal test report (if available) ready for the exact bag code helps the file move faster, especially when the cargo is food or consumer goods.

On recycling: PP fabric carries plastic code number 5 and is recyclable, but a dunnage bag is a composite (shell, PA/PE liner, valve), so the parts need to be separated for recycling. A woven PP bag that is still good should be reused first.

4. ISO 9001: the factory’s quality management system

ISO 9001 is a standard for quality management systems. It does not assess the dunnage bag itself but how an organisation controls its processes: incoming materials, in-process inspection, handling of defective products and record keeping.

So ISO 9001 cannot replace a product test report. A factory with ISO 9001 can still make a bag code that does not reach the level you need; conversely, a bag’s level is only proven by testing on that exact bag code. If your partner requires ISO 9001, ask clearly whether it applies to the bag manufacturer or to the company doing the packing.

In bag production, the two points that decide air tightness and service life are the heat seal of the liner and the valve fitting. These should be in the quality inspection record for each lot, whether or not the factory holds a system certificate.

5. Technical figures to check when buying

Beyond the documents, the following three figures show directly whether a bag can be used for your cargo:

A quick test when you receive a new lot of bags: inflate a few sample bags to working pressure, leave them overnight, and check the firmness again. A bag that is visibly soft after one night points to a problem with the weld or valve, so stop and ask the supplier before packing cargo.

6. What to ask the supplier for

Choosing a dunnage bag supplier should not rest on price alone. Depending on the shipping route, the list of documents to ask for differs:

• Cargo by North American rail: AAR ID, level, verification date, checked against the AAR list.
• Cargo by sea and road: working pressure, burst pressure, maximum void for each bag size, and a test report for the exact bag code.
• Cargo to the EU or customers with material rules: SDS and a heavy metal test report.
• When the partner requires it: the manufacturer’s management system certificate.

ICD Vietnam supplies Kraft paper dunnage bags and woven PP bags with technical documents for each code. Send us the shipping route and your partner’s document requirements, and we will match the suitable bag code.

7. Frequently asked questions

For which type of transport is the AAR standard most important?

North American rail. AAR GIB No. 9 is the standard of the North American rail industry, dividing bags into Level 1 (lateral void, intermodal cargo) to Level 5 (horizontal paper rolls). Container cargo by sea and road is based on the CTU Code and the bag manufacturer’s guidance.

What is the difference between burst pressure and working pressure?

Working pressure is the level to inflate to so the bag holds cargo effectively. Burst pressure is the threshold at which the bag bursts. For the Level 1 paper bag in the ICD Vietnam catalogue, working pressure is 0.2 bar and burst pressure is 0.6 bar, 3 times higher. This margin lets the bag cope when the container heats up and the pressure inside the bag rises.

What are the risks of a dunnage bag without AAR certification?

For cargo going by North American rail, a bag that is not on the AAR verification list may not be accepted under the railroad’s loading rules. For sea and road routes, the risk is not in the paperwork but in a bag that is not strong enough or loses air on the way, causing the cargo to shift and fall. Choose the bag according to the force calculated under the CTU Code.

What does an SGS certificate mean for material quality?

SGS is an independent testing organisation. An SGS report tells you which criteria the bag sample was tested on (tensile force, burst pressure, air tightness, heavy metals) and what threshold it met. The value of the report depends on whether it applies to the exact bag code and how recent it is.

Can dunnage bags be reused?

Woven PP bags can be reused if they are not torn and the valve is still sealed. Kraft paper bags are mostly single-use; if reused they must be checked carefully. The CTU Code applies a safety factor of 0.5 for reusable bags, lower than the 0.75 for single-use bags.

How do I know if a bag is truly AAR verified?

Ask the seller for the AAR ID, manufacturer’s name and level, then look it up in the dunnage bag verification list published by AAR. The list shows the verification date; verification must be renewed every 3 years.

Contact us for advice

8. References

• Dunnage bag quality standards in international transport - International Safe Transit Association (ISTA).
• Association of American Railroads, General Information Bulletin No. 9: Product Performance Profile for Pneumatic Dunnage (revised 2012).
• AAR, Product Performance Profile for Pneumatic Dunnage Product Verification List.
• EU Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, Article 11.
• IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code, MSC.1/Circ.1497.
• ICD Vietnam dunnage bag catalogue and the maximum void specification table on the product page.