International shipping has no single worldwide checklist. For a U.S. consumer, the route depends on the origin, destination, contents, transport method, and whether the shipment is personal or commercial. Start with those facts.
Paperwork matters, but it has limits. A declaration cannot legalize a restricted item, and it cannot promise a charge-free arrival. A gift sent overseas and an order from an overseas seller raise many of the same questions. The guidance here is for U.S. senders and U.S. recipients; the destination country's law may add another requirement.
What actually controls an international shipment?
One package may face three separate decisions. Customs examines the contents and declared value, the carrier decides what it can transport safely, and the destination decides whether the item may enter. Those systems overlap. They are not interchangeable.
| Shipment situation | Rules that matter most | Check before sending or receiving |
|---|---|---|
| Sending a parcel abroad | Carrier rules and destination-country law | Available service, customs form, restricted items, likely charges |
| Receiving a parcel in the United States | U.S. entry treatment and carrier procedures | Entry method, duties, taxes, brokerage fees, delivery terms |
| Sending a controlled or commercial product | U.S. export controls and customs rules | License requirements, EEI filing, end user, product classification |
| A USPS parcel is held or lost | USPS service and claims rules | Tracking, receipt, customs records, claim eligibility |
A counter clerk's acceptance is not an admission decision abroad. A completed form is not a carrier waiver or an import permit.
Sending an international package from the United States
Route comes before the box. USPS, private carriers, and freight companies can treat batteries and other dangerous goods differently, while the destination can reject an item that was accepted at origin.
USPS provides international shipment preparation guidance for customs forms and service limits. Use the instructions for the service you actually chose.
- Pin down the route. Confirm the full address, postal code, delivery service, and whether the parcel will travel by air or another method.
- Screen the contents before packing. Check the carrier's prohibited and restricted-item rules, then check the destination country's import restrictions.
- Describe every item plainly. State what it is, what it is made of, and what it is used for. "Gift," "parts," or "merchandise" by itself is too vague.
- Report quantity and value honestly. Use the information the form requests. A low value does not create an exemption, and an inaccurate declaration can create a larger problem.
- Match the packaging to the contents. A battery-powered device may need different treatment from books or clothing. Leave required markings visible.
- Warn the recipient about possible import charges. Duties, taxes, or delivery fees may be collected on arrival.
- Save the paper trail. Keep the receipt, tracking number, customs information, and parcel photographs until delivery is confirmed.
Turns out, the lower postage price can be the harder choice for a restricted item.
Customs forms: details that prevent avoidable holds
Customs needs a usable description, not a label that merely sounds harmless. USPS says each item should be described clearly enough to show what it is, what it is made of, and what it is for.
Keep the description literal.
| Form field | Useful information | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Description | "Cotton adult T-shirt" or "stainless steel bicycle brake lever" | "Clothes," "parts," or "gift" alone |
| Quantity and value | Number of units and an honest value | Leaving the value blank or using an artificial value |
| Country of origin | Where the item was made, when requested | Assuming the sender's country is the manufacturing country |
| HS code | The correct classification when the form or destination requires it | Guessing a code just to complete the form |
| Sender and recipient | Complete names and addresses | Missing apartment, postal, or contact details |
| Supporting documents | A license or certificate when the item requires one | Assuming the customs form replaces a license |
Mixed parcels expose vague wording quickly. A gift, several unrelated goods, and a battery-powered device may take more than one line to describe, but "miscellaneous" leaves customs with questions.
USPS describes a narrow exception for nonnegotiable documents sent by First-Class Mail International that weigh under 15.994 ounces. Merchandise and ordinary packages generally need the customs information required for the selected service.
If you did not complete the form online, USPS says a Post Office can prepare the required form in applicable situations, including PS Form 2976-R. Do not call merchandise documents just to avoid customs paperwork. That can lead to a delay, refusal, or investigation.
Duties, taxes, and the U.S. de minimis rule
Postage buys transport. Import charges are separate.
Depending on the shipment, the recipient or seller may encounter duty, tax, brokerage, or carrier handling charges. The sales terms may assign responsibility, but the entry process still matters.
Do not treat the $800 threshold as a universal promise that a commercial U.S. import will be duty-free. A 2026 Federal Register notice on the de minimis exemption addresses an indefinite suspension for merchandise arriving through modes other than the international postal network.
That route distinction matters. A parcel arriving by courier, truck, air cargo, or sea may follow a different entry process from merchandise entering through the international postal network. Postal treatment is separate, so postal delivery alone does not prove that no bill is due.
Before paying an overseas seller, ask whether the parcel will enter by postal mail or another carrier. Ask whether duties and taxes are prepaid, whether the carrier can add brokerage or handling fees, and who will make the customs entry. Also check what happens if the recipient refuses the parcel; return shipping and other charges may still affect the order.
Thing is, "free shipping" usually describes transportation, not every possible import cost. Read the checkout terms before paying.
Restricted items and lithium batteries
Carrier acceptance and destination permission are separate gates. Check both.
Lithium batteries need a closer look. Installed batteries, spare batteries, and loose cells can have different requirements, and the battery rating, quantity, packaging, markings, and transport method may all matter.
The official USPS Packaging Instruction 9E sets conditions for certain lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries installed in equipment. It addresses battery type, lithium content or watt-hours, quantity, packaging, and markings.
| Check before mailing | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Battery location | Whether the battery is installed in equipment or shipped separately |
| Battery type and rating | Lithium content or watt-hour limits shown in the applicable instruction |
| Quantity | Whether the number of cells or batteries is permitted |
| Packaging and markings | Whether the package needs specific protection or labels |
| Service and destination | Whether the selected postal service and destination accept the item |
A device sold in the United States is not automatically suitable for international mail. Check the exact service instruction first.
Medicines, food, plants, animal products, alcohol, weapons, chemicals, and other regulated goods can raise separate questions. Check the destination authority and carrier before packing them.
When export filing or a license may be needed
A postal customs declaration and an EEI filing do different jobs. Some U.S. exports require Electronic Export Information, known as EEI, through the Automated Export System.
Under 15 CFR 30.2, the U.S. Principal Party in Interest, its authorized agent, or an authorized U.S. agent files EEI through AES when a listed condition applies. A BIS license under the Export Administration Regulations or a DDTC license under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations can be one trigger.
The U.S. Census Bureau identifies a common value trigger: a shipment from one U.S. Principal Party in Interest to one consignee in one country, on one conveyance, on the same day, valued at more than $2,500 per Schedule B classification. The amount is not a universal safe harbor. A licensed or controlled shipment may require filing below that value. The Census Foreign Trade Regulations guidance explains the filing roles and conditions.
Personal shipments of ordinary household goods are different from exports of technical equipment, defense articles, or controlled products. A shipping label is not an export license.
Incoterms and checkout promises
Incoterms are sales-contract terms. They can assign transport costs, delivery responsibilities, and risk between a seller and buyer, but they do not replace a customs declaration or override destination law.
A seller may use terms such as DDP or DAP. Those terms can affect who arranges delivery and import handling under the sales contract. They do not make a prohibited item legal or guarantee a particular duty rate.
To be honest, the checkout label may not be the amount due at delivery. Look for clear wording about duties, taxes, brokerage, and return costs before placing the order.
If customs holds, returns, or damages the package
A customs hold does not automatically mean the parcel is lost. The missing step may be a clearer description, an invoice, a license, a payment, or information from the recipient.
| Problem | Sensible next step | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Customs requests information | Contact the carrier through its official website and ask what is missing and when it is due | Tracking history, messages, invoice, customs form |
| Carrier requests payment | Confirm what the charge covers before paying | Payment notice, entry reference, receipt |
| Parcel is returned | Ask for the written reason and contact the seller or carrier about next steps | Return scan, original label, photographs |
| Parcel is lost or damaged | Check whether the service permits a USPS claim or carrier claim | Mailing receipt, tracking, customs records, damage photographs |
Verify payment links through the carrier's official website before using them. Keep the tracking history and every message.
For USPS shipments, the international claims guidance says eligibility and required evidence vary by product. Depending on the service, USPS may request a mailing receipt, a customs form copy, or other records. Keep those records until the claim or delivery issue is resolved.
Questions consumers often ask
Do I need a customs form for every international package?
Usually, merchandise and ordinary packages need customs information. USPS identifies a limited exception for certain nonnegotiable documents under 15.994 ounces sent by First-Class Mail International. The service and contents determine which form applies.
Does a customs form mean the recipient has paid import charges?
No. The form declares the contents and value. It does not prove that duties, taxes, or carrier fees have been paid.
Does the $800 threshold guarantee that a U.S. import is duty-free?
No. Do not use it as a blanket rule. The 2026 Federal Register notice addresses suspension of the de minimis exemption for merchandise arriving through nonpostal modes, while postal treatment follows a separate process.
Can I mail a package containing a lithium battery?
Sometimes, but only if the battery, device, packaging, quantity, service, and destination meet the applicable conditions. Check USPS Packaging Instruction 9E before mailing.
Is EEI the same as a USPS customs declaration?
No. EEI is an electronic export filing through AES when specific conditions apply. A postal customs form is shipment paperwork and does not replace a required export filing.
Who pays the import bill?
The sales contract and checkout terms may assign responsibility, but the carrier or customs authority may still collect charges through a particular entry process. Confirm this with the seller or carrier before shipment.
Before you pay for postage
Write down the item, its material, value, battery status, and destination. Check the carrier's restrictions and the destination rules, then complete the customs information truthfully.
Confirm whether import charges are prepaid. Save the receipt and tracking number, and keep the customs records until delivery is confirmed.