Know what products are allowed into a country BEFORE you ship!
Every country has restrictions as to what products they will allow into their borders. Often times these restrictions are based on cultural or religious beliefs for the local community. Other times, the restrictions are enacted to protect local industry.
Each country’s list can be very complex and can change quickly based on political or public safety issues.
Make sure you know if the products you sell are on a restricted list BEFORE you start selling to a specific country. Buyers are often unaware of their country restrictions and can purchase products from sellers who have not done the proper research. This mistake can become costly as Customs will normally seize any restricted products — you then are out the product and shipping costs and your buyer is unhappy and could leave negative feedback.
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Odd Prohibited Items from Select Countries: | |
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Germany |
Playing cards |
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Italy |
Clocks, shoes, non-wood toys |
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Ireland |
Straw hats |
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China |
Used clothing |
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Mexico |
Jewelry |
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Canada |
Wine, pens valued over $5 |
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Norway |
Pharmaceutical products of any kind |
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Turkey |
Cosmetic products |
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Peru |
Used Tires |
If you are a Stamps.com customer, the program makes international shipping easy with real-time restrictions on the “International” tab for all 180 countries the USPS delivers to. Or you can get more info from the Postal Explorer.
