Shipwire has been acquired by Stord! We are excited for this new chapter in e-commerce fulfillment. Learn More!

Shipwire International Shipping FAQ

Shipwire ships domestic and international export orders from our wide variety of global warehouses to end locations accessible by our large carrier network.

Where can Shipwire ship my orders?

Shipwire can ship to almost any location, domestic or international. Our global warehouses provide a variety of options to store inventory near your customers and our large and diverse carrier network enables fast delivery. Merchants shipping high order volumes often benefit from a multi-location fulfillment center strategy to reduce shipping time and costs, and leveraging foreign-trade zones (FTZs) can reduce the hassles and delays associated with cross-border commerce.

What international shipping carriers does Shipwire offer?

• Australia Post
• B2C Europe
• Canada Post
• DHL
• DPD
• DPEX
• FedEx
• GLS
• Hongkong Post
• ParcelForce
• Royal Mail
• SF Express
• UPS
• USPS

Note: Some carriers and/or shipping services are only available for orders shipped from select warehouse locations.

Who pays for international customs and duties?

Importing products comes with the complexity of customs and duties. Each country has its own rules and regulations that are assessed at the port of entry by a customs official. It’s up to your business to decide on who should pay customs and duties — sometimes merchants decide to cover this and other times they pass the cost to the customer. Whatever the case, we advise merchants to be upfront about their policies to ensure the expectations are clear and the customer experience is seamless.

What is the difference between Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) and Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU)?

DDP means that the customer will not owe additional fees for customs and duties. Conversely, DDU requires the customer to pay customs and duties fees before an order can be delivered. If the receiver does not pay the required amount, the package is likely to be returned to the sender. DDU is the default incoterm (International Commercial Terms) for all export/international shipments processed through Shipwire.

What do the international shipping terms mean?

• Commercial Invoice: A document prepared by the exporter that is required by the foreign buyer to prove ownership. It includes information such as description of goods, address of shipper and seller, and well as delivery and payment terms. The commercial invoice is automatically generated within Shipwire for all international shipments using the information you provide in your account. In order to process and provide necessary commercial invoice information, a fee of $3.50 is charged per commercial invoice.
• Customs: The government service in any country responsible for assessing import and export duties and administration of other laws and regulations that apply to the import, transit, and export of goods.
• Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ): A port designated by a government for duty-free/tax-free entry of any non-prohibited goods. Shipwire customers can leverage the FTZ in Shenzhen, China.
• Tariff: A duty or tax on goods transported from one customs area (such as a country or foreign-trade zone) to another. Tariffs raise the end price of imported goods, making them less competitive within the market of the importing country.
• Value Added Tax (VAT): A consumption tax charged to consumers when they buy any good or service. It is calculated incrementally at each stage of the supply chain. Businesses charge VAT to customers in order to pay for government taxes.