Shipping Internationally

A domestic shipment needs an address and a box. An international one needs those plus a short declaration: what's inside, why you're sending it, what it's worth, and who's paying the duty on it. That sounds like a lot the first time, but it's the same handful of details on every shipment, and getting them right up front is what keeps a package moving instead of waiting at a border.

This article walks through how international shipping works on ShipGenius. If you want the step-by-step on filling out the declaration itself, that's in Customs Declarations and Commercial Invoices.

What Changes

• A customs declaration is required. You'll list each item with a description, quantity, value, and weight. An HS code and country of origin are worth adding too -- they help your package clear faster.
• Someone owes duties and taxes. Either the recipient pays on arrival, or you cover it when you ship. It's your call, and we walk through both options below.
• Addresses are not validated. Our address validation covers US addresses only, so it's worth double-checking international ones yourself. Postal code formats vary quite a bit from country to country.
• Transit times vary more. Customs clearance can add time in a way domestic transit usually doesn't, and carrier estimates cover their own handling rather than the destination country's clearance queue.
• Contents rules matter more. Every country keeps its own prohibited and restricted list, and they differ from each other, so it's worth a quick check for what you sell before your first shipment to a new country.

Choosing a Carrier

USPS International

USPS hands your package to the destination country's postal service on arrival. It's usually the cheapest choice for light parcels, with less tracking detail once the package leaves the US. A good fit for low-value goods where price matters more than certainty.

DHL Express

DHL Express moves your shipment on DHL's own network end to end, with strong customs handling. It's fast and well tracked, and priced to match -- a solid default when something is time-sensitive or valuable.

Worth knowing: DHL eCommerce and DHL Express are separate carrier connections with their own credentials, so connecting one doesn't connect the other. If you want both, here's how to set them up: Connect a Carrier Account.

UPS and FedEx International

UPS and FedEx both run their own international networks with a range of express and economy services, broad country coverage, and good tracking. They're competitive on heavier parcels, so it's worth rating them against DHL Express once you're above a few pounds.

Passport Global

Passport Global is a cross-border consolidator rather than a conventional carrier. It pools outbound international volume, clears customs in bulk, and hands off to a local delivery carrier in the destination country.

Where it shines is duty-paid shipping at ecommerce volumes: landed cost calculated at checkout, duties and taxes collected up front, and no surprise bill for your customer at the door. If your international volume is steady and you're hearing from customers who got charged on delivery, this is the kind of service that fixes it.

Passport Global is pickup-based -- it collects from your facility rather than accepting counter drop-offs.

Whatever you're sending, run rates across every carrier we offer -- DHL eCommerce, DHL Express, FedEx, Passport Global, UniUni, UPS, and USPS -- and compare. The best international option shifts with weight, destination, and how much certainty the shipment needs.

Who Pays the Duties

This one choice shapes your customer's experience more than anything else. You make it by setting the incoterm on the shipment -- the shipping term that spells out who pays the duties and taxes. There are really only two you'll use.

DDU / DAP -- recipient pays

DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) and DAP (Delivered At Place) come to the same thing in practice: the carrier collects duties and taxes from your recipient before handing the package over. It's the default on most international services.

It costs you less up front, but your customer gets a bill they weren't expecting, often with a carrier handling fee on top. Some recipients refuse the package at that point, and a refused international parcel is expensive to bring home -- so it's worth thinking about who's receiving before you choose it.

DDP -- you pay

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means you cover the duties and taxes when you ship, and the package arrives with nothing owed.

It costs more per shipment and it's a much nicer experience on the other end. If you're selling internationally rather than sending the occasional parcel, DDP is usually the right call -- and it's what a consolidator like Passport Global is built around.

The shipment offers the full incoterm list -- EXW, FCA, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU, DDP, FAS, FOB, CFR, and CIF -- but most ecommerce shipping only ever needs DAP or DDP, so there's no need to learn the rest.

What Actually Causes Delays

Customs holds are rarely random. Here's what causes them, roughly in order of how often they come up -- and every one of these is something you can get ahead of:

• Vague descriptions. "Gift", "sample", "parts", and "merchandise" don't tell a customs officer much. Something like "Cotton t-shirt, adult size M" sails through. This is the single biggest lever you have.
• Missing or wrong HS codes. Without an HS code, the destination country classifies the item for you, which tends to be slower and more conservative. Look yours up once and save them, and it pays off on every shipment after.
• Undervaluation. Declaring below the real value counts as fraud, and it's the thing customs authorities are best at spotting. It also caps any insurance claim at the amount you declared, so it works against you twice.
• Missing tax IDs. Shipments into the EU and UK increasingly need an IOSS or EORI number, and Brazil and Mexico need a recipient tax ID. Packages wait without them, so it's worth registering ahead of your first shipment.
• Restricted contents. Food, cosmetics, batteries, liquids, and anything with a lithium cell come up the most, and the rules differ by country. A quick check before you ship saves the hold.

Before Your First International Shipment

1. Check what you sell against the destination country's prohibited and restricted list.
2. Look up the HS codes for your products and save them on your item or saved package records so you don't have to retype them.
3. Decide whether you'll ship DDP or DAP as a policy, rather than shipment by shipment.
4. Register for any tax IDs your destinations require -- IOSS for EU consumer sales is the common one.
5. Send one test parcel before you send a hundred. It's the easiest way to see the whole process end to end.

FAQs

Which carrier is cheapest internationally?

It depends on weight and destination, just as it does domestically. USPS International often wins on light parcels, while DHL Express, UPS, and FedEx compete on heavier and time-sensitive ones. Run rates across every carrier we offer on each shipment -- that's the only way to know for sure.

Are international addresses validated?

Not internationally -- our validation covers US addresses only. Check international addresses by hand, and pay particular attention to postal code format, which varies more than anything else.

What is DDP and should I use it?

Delivered Duty Paid means you cover the duties and taxes so your recipient owes nothing on delivery. If you sell internationally rather than shipping the occasional parcel, it's usually worth the extra cost -- surprise duty bills are a leading cause of refused deliveries.

Can I ship internationally on Core?

Yes. International services are available on ShipGenius carrier accounts, and the customs declaration works exactly the same way on every plan.

How long does customs clearance take?

Anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the country, the carrier, and how complete your declaration is. A specific description and a correct HS code are what move you toward the fast end of that range.

What happens if the recipient refuses to pay the duties?

The package is returned or abandoned, and you cover the return shipping either way. That's the main argument for paying the duties yourself with DDP.

Do I need an EORI or IOSS number?

IOSS is for consumer sales into the EU below the low-value threshold; EORI is for commercial shipments into the EU or UK. You enter either one in the advanced customs options on the shipment. If you're not sure which you need, get in touch and we'll help you work it out.