International Shipping

Unless you’re dropping a shipment off at the Post Office retail counter, customs declaration forms (AKA customs forms) for packages being sent internationally through USPS must now be completed and submitted online. In other words, no more filling out these forms by hand without making a trip to the Post Office. According to a recent […]

Canada, our familiar neighbors to the north. When looking to grow globally, Canada is easily the first place to look for e-commerce merchants in the U.S. It’s only natural. We’re close to our Canadian neighbors in proximity, language and culture. Yet, exporting goods to Canada isn’t as easy as it may look. U.S.-based retailers face a number […]

International e-commerce sellers that ship products to Australia should be aware of a new tax starting July 1, 2018. The Australia Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a 10% fee that the Australian government adds to all goods and services being imported into Australia. The GST is meant to help protect Australian businesses from cheaper […]

President Trump has proclaimed Wednesday, December 5, 2018 as a National Day of Mourning in remembrance of former President George H.W. Bush. To honor President Bush for his vast contributions to public service during his lifetime, the U.S. Postal Service will observe a day of mourning and will suspend regular mail delivery and Post Office/retail services […]

Seasoned e-commerce shippers are typically familiar with USPS restrictions for domestic items, but many are unaware of the additional restrictions for international items. Every country has restrictions as to what goods are allowed into their borders. Often times these restrictions are based on cultural or religious beliefs for the local community.  Other times, the restrictions […]

Selling internationally doesn’t come without its challenges. Like any other country, Canada has duties, taxes and tariffs you will need to be aware of. If you haven’t gone through the process to become a Non-Resident Importer your Canadian buyer is responsible for duties, taxes, and tariffs that are imposed on imported goods.  It is important […]

Beginning January 1, 2020, all shipments to Brazil must include the recipient’s Tax ID number on both the customs declarations and shipping labels. Brazil is implementing this new requirement to help ensure taxes are collected from resellers who purchase U.S. goods and resell them within Brazil at a profit. If you are selling to customers […]

Today, March 20, 2020, the USPS has communicated more updates from international postal services in regards to mail disruptions due to coronavirus. Be advised that USPS mail items sent to these countries may be affected. For a full list of all international service disruptions visit the USPS Service Alerts Page. For the latest news about how […]

Today, March 23, 2020, the USPS has announced additional mail disruptions for international postal services. USPS packages sent to these locations will be affected. For a full list of all international service disruptions visit the Stamps.com Coronvirus Updates Page. Mauritania MAURIPOST has suspended all inbound and outbound international mail service until further notice. Portugal  CTT Correios […]

Update 3/19/20: Hong Kong Post has announced that inbound and outbound mail service has returned to normal. As of this update, the USPS has not reinstated the Priority Mail Express International Service Guarantee. Starting Monday, February 10, 2020, the USPS has temporarily suspended the Priority Mail Express International service guarantee for letters and packages sent […]

Effective February 24, 2020, Poste Italiane has temporarily suspended mail service to areas affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak. For USPS deliveries destined to Italy, the USPS handles packages up to Italian customs, after which the package is handed over to Poste Italiane to handle delivery to the recipient. As such, the suspension will affect […]

Today, March 25, 2020, the Department of Defense has temporarily suspended military mail to select ZIP codes through April 15. Due to a lack of transportation, military mail service will not be available to the following ZIPs: AE FPO 09204AE FPO 09216AE APO 09706 Additionally, the USPS has received communications from international postal services regarding […]

Shipping internationally can be daunting, but UPS has the services to get your shipment to over 220 countries and territories at the speed and price you need. Even seasoned shippers can get confused about which service level they should use, so we’ve listed and defined international UPS services available through Stamps.com below. UPS Worldwide Saver® […]

Starting January 1, 2021, shipping to the UK is becoming more complex due to Brexit. If you’re an online retailer shipping products from the U.S. to the United Kingdom (UK), you will need to change your fulfillment process starting January 1, 2021.  The UK has left the European Union trading relationship and the country has implemented new rules for […]

Only July 1, 2021, the European Union (EU) introduced new Value-Added Tax (VAT) requirements for all parcels entering EU-member countries. One big change is that products valued at 22 euros (approximately $26) or less now have VAT applied in order for the buyer to take receipt of the product. What is VAT?VAT is a consumer […]

9/15/2021 Update: The USPS has temporarily suspended Priority Mail International shipments to Australia as of September 17, 2021. To avoid disruption, use GlobalPost Standard or Priority Mail Express International to ship your packages to Australia. Get more info on GlobalPost Standard The U.S. Postal Service has TEMPORARILY suspended First Class Package International Service (as of […]

Starting July 1, 2021, all commercial goods destined for the European Union (EU) are subject to Value Added Tax (VAT). This applies to deliveries of any value, including those below 22 euros (estimated $26).  To help online retailers manage this tax collecting process, the EU member countries created the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), an electronic […]

The U.S. Postal Service has TEMPORARILY suspended Priority Mail International delivery to China as of Friday, January 28, 2022 due to transportation issues. If your Priority Mail International parcel is already in transit, the USPS will transport the parcel to China and delivery is expected to be delayed. For packages entering the mail stream after […]

Beginning March 1, 2023, all shipments to and passing through most countries in the EU will need Harmonized System tariff codes, or HS codes, included on customs forms. More detailed descriptions will be required, meaning general descriptions like “clothing” or “electronics” won’t be accepted. According to the USPS, reasons for the upcoming change are important […]

The U.S. Postal Service has TEMPORARILY suspended mail and parcel delivery to Hong Kong due to transportation issues with widespread cancellations and restrictions throughout the Hong Kong territory. Delivery service was suspended starting on Friday, January 14, 2022. The USPS mailing and shipping disruption includes the following services: Priority Mail Express International Priority Mail International […]