Guides
37 guides covering customs rules, shipping logistics, and import compliance.
commercial importing
Importing from Alibaba: the complete process
A step-by-step guide to importing goods from Alibaba — from finding suppliers and negotiating terms to shipping, customs clearance, and paying duty. Covers common pitfalls, Incoterms selection, quality inspection, and how to handle your first commercial import.
Understanding HS codes: how goods are classified globally
An explainer of the Harmonized System — the universal language of international trade. How HS codes work, how to find the right code for your product, and why correct classification matters for duty rates and compliance.
Incoterms 2020 explained: which term to use and when
A practical guide to all 11 Incoterms 2020 rules — what each one means, when to use it, and common mistakes to avoid. Includes decision flowchart and comparison table.
Importing food products: regulations, labelling, and quarantine
A guide to commercial food imports — from understanding phytosanitary certificates and quarantine rules to meeting labelling requirements in the US, EU, UK, and Australia. Covers fresh produce, processed foods, supplements, and organic certification.
US Section 321 de minimis: the $800 threshold explained
How the US $800 de minimis exemption works, what qualifies (and what doesn't — tobacco, alcohol, antidumping goods), Type 86 entries, how e-commerce platforms exploit the rule, recent 2025 policy changes restricting Chinese-origin shipments, and CBP enforcement priorities.
USMCA origin rules: how to qualify for 0% preferential duty
USMCA replaced NAFTA on 1 July 2020 with stricter rules of origin. This guide walks through the three origin pathways, the nine required data elements of a valid origin certification, why automotive rules are different, and the three most common reasons a preference claim fails on arrival.
The GCC customs union: one common tariff, six sovereign regulators
The Gulf Cooperation Council operates a common external tariff of 5% across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — but allowances, VAT, alcohol rules and telecom approvals diverge state-by-state. This guide covers what the common framework does, the six practical divergences, free-zone treatment, and what the distinction means for small importers and travelers.
ATA Carnet step-by-step: temporary export of professional equipment
How photographers, videographers, exhibitors, sample-carrying salespeople, and trade-show participants use ATA Carnets to move equipment across borders duty-free.
Free trade zones and bonded warehouses explained
How FTZs work, who uses them, and the difference between a free zone, a bonded warehouse, and a special economic zone. Worked examples from Jebel Ali, Shannon, Colón, and US FTZs.
EU IOSS for non-EU sellers: cross-border VAT collection explained
How non-EU e-commerce sellers register for the EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), collect 17-27% VAT at point of sale, and avoid the EUR 25-50 carrier handling fees that frustrate EU buyers.
Sanctions awareness for cross-border sellers
How OFAC, EU restrictive measures, UK OFSI, UN Security Council sanctions affect your international shipments — even if you're not the named target. The screening checklist for SMEs.
Air cargo vs sea freight vs courier: choosing the right mode
When to use courier (DHL/FedEx/UPS) vs LCL sea freight vs air-cargo for cross-border shipments. Cost, transit time, duty handling, and break-even thresholds.
The HS code mistakes that cost importers the most money
How a wrong HS code raises duty, attracts audits, and triggers anti-dumping exposure — plus the right way to find the correct line for your goods.
Customs bonds: what they are and when you need one
How customs bonds work, who needs single-entry vs continuous, what bond covers and what it doesn't, and how to set one up for your first commercial import.
Sanctions screening basics for small commercial importers
The four big sanctions regimes you must screen against, how to do it without a paid service, the patterns that catch most low-information SME breaches, and what to do if a hit comes back.
posting
Shipping lithium batteries internationally: IATA rules and carrier restrictions
Lithium batteries are the most common reason international parcels get rejected. This guide covers IATA dangerous goods regulations, UN classifications (UN 3480/3481), carrier-specific rules, and how to ship devices containing lithium batteries legally.
Sending and carrying gifts across borders
When 'it's a gift' actually reduces duty, when it doesn't, why the destination's gift threshold matters, and the right way to label a CN22 / CN23 for a present.
My parcel is held by customs: a triage guide
Why parcels get held, what 'on hold' really means, who to contact, how to get it moving, and when to walk away.
CN22 vs CN23: the customs declaration on every international parcel
Which form applies to which parcel, what fields actually matter, why generic descriptions get parcels held, and how the form gets read by destination customs.
traveling
Traveling with medication: what you need to know
How to travel internationally with prescription medication, controlled substances, and over-the-counter drugs. Covers documentation requirements, country-specific restrictions, and what to do if your medication is banned at your destination.
Vapes and e-cigarettes: where they're banned and what happens if you're caught
A country-by-country breakdown of vape and e-cigarette laws for travelers. Which countries ban them outright, which restrict nicotine strength, and what penalties you face for non-compliance.
Duty-free allowances explained: what you can actually bring back
What duty-free actually means, how personal allowances work, what happens when you exceed them, and why the rules differ so much between countries. Covers alcohol, tobacco, gifts, and general goods.
Australian customs: the complete guide for travelers
Everything you need to declare at Australian customs — biosecurity rules for food, plants, and animal products, the AUD 900 duty-free goods allowance, alcohol and tobacco limits, medication rules, the AUD 10,000 cash declaration requirement, and what fines you face for non-declaration.
Cannabis and CBD travel rules: a country-by-country guide
Where cannabis and CBD are banned, where they're legal, and what the rules mean for travelers. Covers zero-tolerance countries (Singapore, UAE, Japan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia), legally complex jurisdictions (Canada, Germany, Netherlands, US states), CBD-specific rules, medical cannabis permits, and penalties by country.
International pet travel: a complete guide to bringing pets across borders
How to travel internationally with a dog or cat — covering rabies vaccination requirements, quarantine rules (Australia 10 days, Japan up to 180 days, UK no quarantine from listed countries), ISO microchip standards, breed bans, health certificates, airline IATA requirements, and realistic costs.
Duty-free allowances 2025: what you can bring back through customs worldwide
A global comparison of personal duty-free import allowances for 2025 — US $800, UK £390, EU €430, Australia AUD 900, New Zealand NZD 700, Japan ¥200,000, Singapore SGD 600, Canada CAD 800, UAE AED 3,000. Covers separate alcohol and tobacco limits, gift rules, and what happens when you go over.
Hemp seeds vs cannabis seeds: a legal distinction that matters at the border
Sterilised hemp seeds are a food ingredient in most major jurisdictions; viable cannabis seeds are a controlled substance in almost all of them. This guide explains the regulatory distinction, how customs officers apply it in practice, a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction snapshot, and what to check before carrying either across a border.
Drone regulations playbook: every country's rules in one place
Country-by-country drone registration thresholds, no-fly zones, Remote ID requirements, lithium-battery rules, and the tourist-carriage playbook for 12+ destinations.
Japan Yakkan Shoumei: medication import certificate step-by-step
How travelers obtain a Yakkan-Shoumei medication-import certificate for Japan. Covers controlled substances, OTC banned items, application timing, and what happens at the airport.
India duty-free gold rules: complete traveler guide
How much gold can you carry into India tax-free? Men get 20g, women get 40g — and the rules above the threshold scale steeply. Includes jewellery vs coins, NRI status, and customs disputes.
Currency export rules digest: what you can take out of each country
Which countries restrict outbound currency export, which require declaration, and how anti-money-laundering thresholds interact with traveler carriage.
How to declare at customs: a practical walkthrough
Step-by-step: when to use the red channel, how the green channel actually works, what to declare, what to expect from secondary inspection, and how to recover if you didn't declare.
Red vs green channel: a 60-second decision guide
Which customs channel to use when arriving, what choosing green actually means legally, and the 8 categories that always require red.
What happens when customs seizes your goods
The full chain of events after a seizure: notice, retention period, appeal rights, return of goods, disposal, and what to expect on future arrivals.
Transit airports: customs rules when you're not staying
What 'in transit' actually means at customs, the difference between sterile and non-sterile transit, what triggers a re-inspection, and the items that get confiscated even though you're just changing planes.
Travelling with prescription medication
The documentation that lets prescription medicines cross most borders, the controlled substances that need extra authorisation, and the destinations that refuse common medicines.
What customs officers actually ask, and how to answer
The 12 questions you are likely to be asked at customs on arrival, what the officer is testing for, and how to answer truthfully without overshare.