InternationalShipping from the U.S.
Ship from the U.S. to the world.
Compare international services from UPS, FedEx, USPS and DHL Express, buy the label, generate the customs documents and track the parcel to your buyer abroad. Below is the export checklist every U.S. seller should know before the first international order.
- from
- The United States
- carriers
- UPS · FedEx · USPS · DHL Express
- paperwork
- Labels + customs documents
what ExperShip does
One place for every international parcel.
The same multi-carrier software you use for domestic orders, with the customs paperwork international orders need.
Compare international services
See international services from UPS, FedEx, USPS and DHL Express side by side for the same parcel, then pick the one that fits the order.
Buy and print labels
Buy the label on the same screen you compared on, in the web app or through the API, without switching between carrier websites.
Generate customs documents
Enter item descriptions, codes, values and origin once, and ExperShip produces the customs paperwork that goes with the label.
Track every parcel
Follow international parcels across carriers in one place, from pickup in the U.S. to delivery abroad.
- EEI filing. Have an order that needs EEI? Contact us before it ships and our team will help you file it and get the ITN onto the paperwork.
- DDP and landed cost. DDP shipping is live on the Custom plan: we pay destination duties and taxes and take them from your prepaid balance. A landed-cost estimate at checkout is coming. On Starter and Growth, international shipments go out DAP, with duties and taxes paid by the buyer.
- Denied-party screening. ExperShip does not screen buyers yet; it is on our roadmap. Screen them yourself against the free Consolidated Screening List (see the checklist below).
export checklist
Ten things to get right.
The U.S. rules and the destination rules that decide whether an international parcel clears quickly or sits in customs.
- 01Every shipment
Commercial invoice or customs declaration
Courier shipments (UPS, FedEx, DHL Express) of goods need a commercial invoice: seller and buyer, a clear description of each item, quantity, unit value, currency, country of origin and the reason for export (sale, gift, sample, return). USPS uses customs declarations instead: the shorter CN22 for lower-value items and the CN23 for higher-value items and some mail classes, and USPS requires the customs data to be submitted electronically.
Glossary: Commercial invoice → - 02Every item
Classify each item: Schedule B or HS code
Schedule B numbers are the 10-digit U.S. export classification codes published by the Census Bureau. The first 6 digits are the international Harmonized System (HS) code that destination customs uses to set duty rates. A wrong or vague code is the most common reason a parcel is held or dutied incorrectly.
Glossary: Schedule B → - 03Over $2,500 per code, or licensed
File EEI in AESDirect when it is required
Electronic Export Information (EEI) is filed with the Census Bureau through AESDirect in the ACE portal. It is required when the value of the items under a single Schedule B number is over $2,500, or when an export license is required, whatever the value. Some destinations (such as embargoed or sanctioned countries) and some commodities (such as items on the U.S. Munitions List or used self-propelled vehicles) need EEI regardless of value. Most shipments to Canada are exempt unless a license is required. EEI must be filed before the shipment leaves the U.S.
Glossary: EEI → - 04When EEI applies
Put the ITN or exemption on the paperwork
A successful EEI filing returns an Internal Transaction Number (ITN). The carrier needs it on the shipping paperwork, usually the commercial invoice or the label data. When no EEI is needed, the paperwork carries the matching exemption statement instead (for example, the low-value exemption under the Foreign Trade Regulations).
Glossary: ITN → - 05Every item, every destination
Check export controls: EAR, ECCN, EAR99
Most commercial goods fall under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), run by the Bureau of Industry and Security. An item is either listed on the Commerce Control List with an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN), or it is EAR99. Most everyday consumer goods are EAR99 and can ship to most destinations without a license, but the destination, the end user and the end use can still make a license necessary. Electronics with encryption, drones, some chemicals and lab equipment deserve a closer look.
Glossary: Export license → - 06Before you ship
Screen buyers against denied-party lists
U.S. exporters may not ship to people or companies on U.S. government restricted lists. The International Trade Administration publishes a free Consolidated Screening List that combines the main Commerce, State and Treasury lists. Screen new international buyers, especially for higher-value or business orders.
Glossary: Denied-party screening → - 07Per destination
Check prohibited and restricted items for the destination
Every country has its own list of prohibited and restricted goods, and every carrier adds its own rules on top. Lithium batteries, aerosols, perfume, alcohol, food, supplements, cosmetics and plant or animal products are frequent problems. Check the destination and the carrier before you list a product for that market.
Glossary: Hazmat → - 08Before checkout
Decide who pays duties and taxes: DDP or DAP
With DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), you pay destination duties, VAT or GST and fees, and the buyer pays nothing on delivery. With DAP (Delivered at Place, the current Incoterms term for what many still call DDU), the buyer pays them on delivery. Some markets collect tax at checkout for low-value orders: the EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) lets sellers collect EU VAT on low-value business-to-consumer orders at the point of sale, and the UK requires VAT on low-value consignments to be charged at the point of sale.
Glossary: DDP → - 09Every shipment
Declare accurate values
Declare the real transaction value, the price the buyer paid, in the stated currency. Under-declaring or marking sales as gifts to avoid the buyer's duties is a customs violation in the destination country and a false statement under U.S. export rules. It also caps what you can recover if the parcel is lost.
Glossary: Declared value → - 10Before the first order
Plan returns from abroad
A return coming back into the U.S. is an import. Mark it clearly as returned goods, reference the original export and keep the paperwork: U.S.-made goods returned unchanged can qualify for duty-free re-entry under the American goods returned provision, but only when it is documented. For low-value items, a refund without a return is often cheaper than the return shipping and customs.
Glossary: Return label →
This page is general guidance for U.S. sellers, not legal or customs advice. Rules change and depend on the product and the destination. For anything controlled, licensed or high value, check the Foreign Trade Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations and the destination's customs authority, or ask a licensed customs broker or trade compliance advisor.
duties & taxes
DDP or DAP: decide before checkout.
Destination duties and VAT or GST are paid by someone. The only question is whether it is you, at checkout, or your buyer, at the door.
| DDP · delivered duty paid | DAP · delivered at place (DDU) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays duties and taxes | You, the seller | The buyer, on delivery |
| Buyer experience | Price at checkout is the final price | A bill from the carrier before delivery |
| Refused parcels | Rare, no surprise fees | More common when the bill is unexpected |
| What you need | A landed-cost estimate and a carrier service that supports it | Clear checkout copy that duties are due on delivery |
Selling to the EU or the UK? Low-value orders there are often taxed at the point of sale: the EU through the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), the UK through VAT charged by the seller or the marketplace. More on Incoterms →
common mistakes
What holds international parcels up.
Most customs delays and surprise charges come from a handful of avoidable mistakes.
- Vague item descriptions
"Clothing" or "gift" is not a description. "Women's cotton knit sweater" is. Vague descriptions are the most common reason customs holds a parcel.
- Marking sales as gifts
A sale is a sale. Gift status is for genuine unsolicited gifts between individuals, and misusing it is a customs violation.
- Forgetting EEI on a high-value order
One order with more than $2,500 under a single Schedule B number needs EEI and an ITN before it ships, even if your usual parcels never do.
- Surprise duties for the buyer
If you ship DAP and do not say so at checkout, buyers get a bill on delivery, refuse the parcel and ask for a refund.
- Shipping restricted items
Batteries, perfume, supplements and cosmetics are restricted by many carriers and destinations. Check before you list the product for that market.
- No returns plan
Without a documented returns process, a return can be held or charged duty when it comes back into the U.S.
faq
Common questions.
More on customs, duties and cross-border paperwork in our guides.
Cross-border guides →start shipping abroad
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