Cross-Border Shipping Rules and Regulations

United States

If you are shipping a single commodity that is valued over $2,500 you will be required to fill out an Electronic Export Information (EEI) form. EEIs are filed electronically with ACE, either by you or UPS on your behalf.

Filing options are as follows:

• Self-file at ACE: While free of charge, you’ll need to view the UPS Port of Export Guide to determine from which port the shipment left the U.S. (required by ACE).
• Print an EEI from a UPS shipping system: This can be through the UPS.com shipping app, UPS WorldShip^® or UPS CampusShip^® . We’ll need you to provide us with a completed Power of Attorney form to file. A small fee will apply.
• Provide your own company's printed EEI or a completed commercial invoice. A Power of Attorney form is required, and a small fee will apply.

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Canada

The receiver will need to fill out a Power of Attorney (POA) document in the following instances:

• Commercial shipments
• Casual shipments valued above $3,300 CAD
• Shipments of restricted goods

Canada offers Non-Resident Importer status for businesses that obtain a Canadian Business Number. This means they can export to Canada without their receivers needing to fill out a Power of Attorney.

If the exporter doesn’t obtain Non-Resident Importer status, the shipment receiver will be contacted to designate a customs broker.

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Mexico

There are specific rules for shipping consumable goods to Mexico. Your recipient will need to obtain a pre-permit from the Health Ministry to receive items sent to Mexico for human consumption.

• Medicine: Mexican customs requires the receiver to obtain a permit from the Health Department for products regardless of whether they are shipped from a company or an individual. Such items are not authorized to be exported via UPS Worldwide Standard to Mexico
• Food: A permit is required to ship non-perishable foods to Mexico. Prior to shipping, the permit must be obtained by the receiver from the Department of Health in Mexico. Food sold as sweets have additional taxes imposed by the government

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Latin America

To clear customs, most countries in Latin America need the receiver’s TAX ID or identification number.

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European Union

Navigate European customs with confidence. Explore our comprehensive Shipping Guide to the EU and UK for a seamless delivery experience.

VAT

Familiarize yourself with VAT regulations and the required registration process to get to the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) platform for goods valued up to €150.

EORI Number

Europe-based businesses generally need to register for an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number. Private individuals don’t always have to.

When exporting to the EU, the shipper will need to provide either the receiver’s EORI number (if applicable) or tax ID number:

• Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, and UK require shippers to provide the recipient’s EORI number
• Most EU countries that do not require the consumer to have an EORI number will request the recipient’s tax ID number instead

ICS2

The EU has implemented a new release of the customs pre-arrival security and safety program, Import Control System 2 (ICS2). You can read more about ICS2 here.

To ensure compliance and a fast and efficient clearance process, it is recommended to provide:

• A 6-digit Harmonized System (HS) code for every item – we can help you determine your HS code.
• Your EU receiver’s EORI number (if applicable)
• An accurate description of the goods you are shipping – This should answer what is the item you are shipping, what it is made of and what it is intended for.

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United Kingdom

Navigate European customs with confidence. Explore our comprehensive Shipping Guide to the EU and UK for a seamless delivery experience.

All shipments of £600 GBP or more require an EORI number. For shipments valued less than £600 GBP, a temporary VAT number can be used.

Shippers do not need an EORI number if they are moving goods that are

• not controlled goods, AND
• for personal use only

Returns: Goods returned to the UK within two years can be done without duty and VAT, provided the item is in the same state as at the time of export

ICS2
Recent changes to the European Union’s Import Control System 2 (ICS2) does not impact most of the U.K. (England, Scotland, and Wales). However, if shipping to Northern Ireland, then data must be submitted as if the goods were going to an EU member state. This is due to there not being any border or customs clearance between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which is an EU member.

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China

EEI
Electronic Export Information (EEI) filing is required for all shipments to China, regardless of value, and require an Export Commerce Control Number

Customs Clearance Process
All shipments require an Importer/Exporter Customs Registration Code (a 10-digit customs code) except:

• documents
• personal effects

It is especially important to have a detailed product description for shipments to China as China Customs has reinforced strict declaration.

Gifts
Gift exemptions are permitted on a case-by-case basis between individuals only. In order to clear customs, the shipper’s passport or the receiver’s China compulsory certificate (CCC) is required.

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Thailand

Effective January 1, 2026, the Thai Customs Department has commenced collecting import duty, based on the applicable tariff rate, on imported goods into Thailand with a value ranging from THB 1 to THB 1,500 per package.

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Germany

Effective January 1^st 2025

• For parcels weighing between 10 and 20 kilograms and those over 20 kilograms, delivered in Germany
• A small ‘package’ icon noting the weight class (10+ or 20+) needs to be added to the package
• Labels generated from UPS systems, such as UPS.com, CampusShip, and the Ship API will automatically display this new requirement as of December 26, 2024, adding the icon to the middle upper area of the label
• Correct indication of the weight class is essential for compliant labelling. Customers must provide precise weight information when transmitting shipment details to UPS.

Important
As of January 1^st, UPS Worldship users are requested to apply weight class stickers to parcels weighing between 10 and 20 kilograms and those over 20 kilograms, that will be delivered in Germany until they upgrade to Worldship version 28.0.3 (available in the course of January).
The same applies to Host to Host customers experiencing difficulties programming their own labels. If you need these labels, please contact Customer support.
Stickers will later be available for order in the customer material order system on UPS.com.

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