How to ship internationally from the US (2026)

International shipping from the US carries three layers of complexity that domestic shipping doesn't: customs declarations, duty/tax billing models, and carrier networks whose strengths swing dramatically by destination country. Each of those layers is solvable - this guide walks through them in order so you can ship across a border without guessing.

We'll cover what carriers actually need, what duties and VAT mean for your buyer, when to use DDP vs DDU, and which carrier tends to win which destination. The goal: you finish reading and can quote + ship an international parcel without a second tab open to a carrier FAQ.

Step 1: Quote rates from multiple carriers

Domestic shipping has 4 major US carriers. International shipping has the same 4 - but each one has wildly different network density in different parts of the world. The carrier that wins your shipment to Canada is rarely the one that wins your shipment to Australia.

Which carrier wins which destination?

• Canada and Mexico: UPS Worldwide Expedited and FedEx International Ground are usually competitive; USPS Priority Mail International is cheaper for under 4 lb.
• Europe (UK, Germany, France): DHL Express Worldwide for speed; USPS for the cheapest under 4 lb (slower).
• Asia (Japan, South Korea, Singapore): FedEx International is dense here; DHL Express is competitive.
• Latin America: FedEx International typically wins on both rate and reliability.
• Middle East / Africa: DHL Express dominates - the densest network of any US carrier into these regions.
• Australia / New Zealand: USPS Priority Mail International for lightweight; DHL Express for anything time-sensitive.

The international shipping calculator quotes all four side-by-side so you don't have to memorise which network is strongest where.

Step 2: Fill out the customs declaration

Every international shipment needs a customs declaration. This is what customs at the destination country uses to assess duty, VAT, and whether your contents are admissible.

The three required fields

1. 1

   Contents description

   Plain English description of what's in the package. Be specific: "2× cotton t-shirts" beats "clothing"; "leather wallet, men's" beats "accessories." Vague descriptions delay clearance.
2. 2

   Declared value (USD)

   The commercial value of the contents in US dollars. This is what duty + VAT get calculated against - under-declaring is fraud, over-declaring just makes your buyer pay more tax.
3. 3

   HS tariff code (optional but recommended)

   The 6-digit Harmonized System code that classifies the product type. Speeds clearance + reduces the chance of a customs inspection hold. Most carriers can ship without it but everyone benefits when you supply it.

Need a deeper walk-through? See our companion post How to fill out a customs form.

Step 3: Decide DDU vs DDP for duty + tax

Every international shipment owes duty (an import tax) and usually VAT (a sales tax) to the destination country. The question is who pays it: the buyer on delivery (DDU) or you upfront at label printing (DDP).

DDU - Delivered Duty Unpaid (the default)

The recipient pays customs duty and VAT to either customs or the carrier before they can take possession of the package. Cheapest path for you. Worst buyer experience because it's a surprise bill - your buyer ordered a $50 item and gets a $15 customs invoice on delivery.

DDP - Delivered Duty Paid (pre-paid)

You pre-pay the duty and VAT at label printing time. More expensive upfront but no surprise charges for the buyer. For e-commerce, DDP repeat-buy rates are noticeably higher because the buyer's total at checkout matches what they actually pay.

DDP availability depends on carrier. DHL and FedEx support DDP to most countries. USPS doesn't offer DDP - international USPS labels are always DDU.

Step 4: Check restricted and prohibited items

International prohibited-item rules are stricter than domestic. The recurring restrictions to watch for:

• Alcohol: banned by most carriers internationally regardless of destination.
• Perishable food: banned via air. Some shelf-stable items (chocolate, dry goods) are fine via carriers that ship them on ground/sea legs.
• Lithium batteries: require dangerous goods paperwork. Standalone batteries are harder to ship than batteries installed in devices.
• Liquids and aerosols: restricted; ground shipping only for some (perfume, nail polish).
• Anything firearm-related: universally prohibited internationally. Include accessories - holsters, empty magazines.
• Country-specific restrictions: some countries ban specific categories (Saudi Arabia bans alcohol-containing perfume; France restricts certain plant products). Check carrier prohibited-item lists before quoting.

Carriers ask you to attest contents at label print time. False attestations void the label and can land you on a carrier no-ship list - check the prohibited list before, not after.

Step 5: Print the international label and pay

International labels carry more documentation than domestic. Through shiponline.app, the buy flow handles it automatically:

1. 1

   Confirm or override suggested customs fields

   The smart-suggest panel pre-fills contents description from your staged items, declared value from item value × qty, and HS code from your saved item presets (or keyword lookup as fallback).
2. 2

   Pick DDP or DDU

   If supported for the carrier + destination, DDP appears as an option at label-print time with the upfront duty estimate.
3. 3

   Print the label + commercial invoice

   Both print as a single PDF. The label goes on the outside; carriers in some destinations want the commercial invoice (3 copies for DHL) in a clear plastic pouch on the outside too.

The four mistakes that delay international shipments

1. Vague contents descriptions

"Gifts," "merchandise," "items" - all trigger customs holds. Be specific to the point of repetitiveness: "3× cotton t-shirts, men's size L" beats "clothing" by hours of clearance time.

2. Wrong HS codes

A wrong HS code can result in the wrong duty rate (overpaying) or a customs hold (delayed delivery + inspection fees). Use the platform's suggestion or look up the correct 6-digit code at the US Census Bureau's Schedule B search.

3. Under-declaring value to dodge duty

Don't. Under-declaration is fraud. Some buyers ask for it explicitly - refuse politely; you're the one whose carrier account gets suspended when customs catches it.

4. Skipping the commercial invoice

Some carriers (DHL especially) require physical copies of the commercial invoice in a pouch outside the package. Skipping it doesn't void the label but does cause clearance delays. The shiponline.app print job includes the invoice automatically; if you're using another tool, double-check what it generated.