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It may be that the shipping in itself costs more than the batteries as such. A business acquitance bought a container of LiIon rechargeable batteries from China for his products, which mainly are high-power head-lamps using LEDs for people in the orientating sports or for commercial use by people working outside at night.
He received a test batch (a dozen or so) of these Chinese LiIon batteries, carefully evaluated them and found that they were good, worth their price and overall of good build and design quality. So he decided to buy a container-load of them since the price would be low enough to justify such a big purchase. The container with the thousands LiIon batteries that he received from China self-ignited while on dock in the harbour of Stockholm and it resulted in a giant fire with toxic fumes and everything.
The Chineses had seemingly sent him good examples as samples and low quality junk when in large amount. Since it was only ashes left no one could proove that they were of inferior quality and he received only pocket money as compensation from the Chinese manufacturer.
The manufacturing process of these LiIon rechargeable batteries is not very easy and straight-forward. It requires high manufacturing standards and high quality from the beginning to the end. The risk of LiIon batteries self igniting if handled rough (yes, even if just laying in peace) is a real risk and there are thus indeed well-founded reasons for the shipping restrictions regarding these types of rechargeable batteries. And as a result it is necessary to carefully check up on what shipping methods are available and most cost effective and fast enough for you.
Generally (to my best knowledge) they usually don't want these kind of stuff on air-planes, they are transported in the same fashion as New Years eve rockets and fire-crackers. That is, by boat and by rail-way. At least that's the way by which they use to ship such things here in Sweden.
/pimmis
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