# Navieras NPR, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 99-0049  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 1999-03-29

99-0049 response to Navieras NPR, Inc. concerning 173.150.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

-
U.S. Department
of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Special Programs
Research and
Washinglon, D.C.
2059(
Administration
MAR 2 9 1999
Ms. Myriam Rivera
Manager, Hazardous Materials
Ref. No.
99-0049
Navieras NPR, Inc.
PO Box 71306
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8306
Dear Ms. Rivera:
This is in response to your letter dated February 9, 1999,
requesting clarification of § 173:150 of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).
Specifically, you ask for verification that alcoholic beverages
containing more than 24% of alcohol by volume may be .
reclassified as a consumer commodity.
Although it is possible to ship limited quantities of alcoholic
beverages as consumer commodities, an alcoholic beverage (wine
and distilled spirits as defined in 27 CFR 4:10 and 5.11) is
not subject to the HMR if it is shipped in an inner packaging
of five liters or less ($ 173.150 (d) (2)). Regardless of the
alcoholic content of the material, if the alcoholic beverages
are being shipped inside of inner containers with a capacity
less than or equal to five liters, you would not be subject to
shipping papers, marking, labeling, placarding or packaging
requirements of
the HMR.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
Transportation Regulations Specialist
Office of Hazardous Materials
Standards
173.150

<<<PAGE 2>>>

BAH
NAVIERAS.
$173.150
NPR, INC.
99-0049
PO BOX 71306 SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO 00936-8306 • (809) 793-3000
February 9, 1999
Mr. Edward Mazzulo-DHM-10
DOT-RSPA-OHMS
400 7th St. SW
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Mazullo:
Confirming my telephone conversation with one of your compliance officers, I
Will appreciate your claritication on certain requirements for alcoholic beverages
found in 173.150(b)-(d).
Specifically, I refer to beverages containing more than
24% of alcohol per volume.
I interpret from 173.150(b)(2) & (3) that, regardless the content of alcohol
and not over 5.0L (PG III) may be renamed as "Consumer Commodity"
by volume, alcoholic beverages in inner packagings not over 1.0L (PG II),
and such are not regulated at all.
2.
Not regulated means that they are totally exempted from the labeling,
Commodity, ORM-D, as required by 172.301(a)(1) and 172.316(a)((2).
Your comments and/or recommendations will be appreciated. Thank you for
your attention to this matter.
Cordially,
NAVIERAS NPR,INC
MR
Manager, Hazardous Materials

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1999/990049.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `ffd30478f42b02a7292c3c9b13522dd92d7ac3ad410b32f997cec6ccf2c700b2`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T17:27:07.533Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-99-0049`

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