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International Shipping
10 eCommerce Destinations That Can Be Difficult to Ship To
Spoiler alert: Not all countries are easy to ship to! Here are 10 countries that you may have problems shipping to, depending on what items you ship.
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Spoiler alert: Not all countries are easy to ship to. 😱
Whether their national government charges high duties and taxes on imports or has barriers for delivery, there are a variety of reasons why a country may be difficult to ship to.
Here are 10 countries that our sellers have had difficulties shipping to. Based on what you're shipping and the barriers you may face, you should either consider whether your business has the resources to deal with the shipments should they have issues, or whether it's best to avoid shipping there at all.
1. Argentina
Shipping to Argentina can get expensive because the duty and tax threshold is $0 - meaning, all shipments regardless of value will be required to pay duties and taxes.
A 21% tax applies to all shipments, and import duties can range from an additional 0.5% to as high as 35% depending on your item category.
The only product categories that have no import tax are mobiles, tablets and computers.
2. Australia
While Australians are receptive to cross-border eCommerce, it's possible to run into a few shipping challenges.
Due to its remote location, your customers should expect longer delivery times. Australian customs are also known to be strict, so it's best that all your paperwork is accurate and the description and value of the package match your invoice.
As of December 1, 2022, imported goods with a customs value of $1000AUD or less may be applicable for GST, which will be an additional 10%.
The import duty threshold is currently $1000AUD. Duties for most product categories are 0%, except the following, which are set at 5%:
- Fashion
- Jewelry
- Pets Accessories
- Home Decor
- Toys
- Sports
- Luggage
- Documents
Learn more about shipping to Australia.
3. Brazil
Just like Argentina, Brazil's duty and tax threshold is $0 - meaning, all shipments regardless of value will be required to pay duties and taxes.
A 37.53% tax applies to all shipments, and import duties are an additional 60% for all item categories.
Also worth noting is that economic instability can also make delivery times longer or more complicated.
4. China
Everyone wants to tap into China's lucrative eCommerce market, but for those who are not fulfilling within the mainland, more often than not issues will arise.
As China is a huge country, door-to-door delivery remains a difficult and slow process. For quick service, expect to pay a premium to couriers. Additionally, getting your parcel to remote areas or small towns can be a time-consuming task, and tracking them will also be a challenge.
The duty and tax threshold is also $0, with a 13% tax added to all imports. Watches are the highest import duty at 40%, while documents are 0%.
Learn more about shipping to China.
5. Egypt
Difficulties around shipping to Egypt mostly have to do with duty and tax, with both thresholds being $0.
An automatic 14% tax will be applied to all shipments regardless of value, and duty percentages can go as high as 40% in the case of dry food and supplements.
However, additional duties do not apply to gaming, documents, tablets, computers and accessories.
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6. India
Alongside tax and import duty thresholds set at $0, you can expect high import duty charges for many items being sent to India. Most start at 22% and can go as high as 50% for health, beauty, and home appliances.
In addition to high import duties, India requires more personal documentation from the receiver in order to complete deliveries. If the receiver doesn’t provide this information, your package risks getting returned.
7. Libya
Difficulties around shipping to Libya mostly have to do with duty and tax, with both thresholds being $0.
An automatic 20% tax will be applied to all shipments regardless of value, and duty percentages range from 1%-20%.
However, additional duties do not apply to documents.
8. Russia
While Russia has a decent duty and tax threshold at 200 euros, there are barriers when it comes to delivery.
Just like China, Russia is a very large country, so delivery times are longer. To make things worse, Russian customs are very strict with packages that arrive for individuals. It can take anywhere from days to weeks to inspect them, and even after this, it isn’t guaranteed they will release the package to the recipient.
9. Tanzania
Difficulties around shipping to Tanzania mostly have to do with duty and tax, with both thresholds being $0.
An automatic 18% tax will be applied to all shipments regardless of value, and duty percentages range from 1% - 25%.
However, additional duties do not apply to electronics, cameras, and documents.
10. Yemen
Difficulties around shipping to Yemen mostly have to do with duty and tax, with both thresholds being $0.
An automatic 5% tax will be applied to all shipments regardless of value, and duty percentages range from 1% - 20%.
We hope this list gives you insights on what to expect should you decide to sell and ship to these countries! For more information on how duty and tax can affect your international shipping, check out our free guide.
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