1. Price Explanation

  1. Basic Shipping Fee: Depending on different shipping methods, the calculation units for basic shipping fees vary. Express delivery is usually charged per kilogram (KG); truck delivery is charged per cubic meter (CBM); international postal or dedicated line services adopt a form of per-kilogram shipping fee plus per-package handling fee; while special channels such as China Post directly apply a discount system, determining the final fee based on the officially published price and a specific discount.
  2. Surcharges: Surcharges are divided into domestic and international parts. Common domestic surcharges in China include customs declaration fees, pick-up fees, warehouse entry registration fees, commodity inspection fees, and fumigation fees. Surcharges in the destination country, such as the US, mainly involve tariffs during the customs clearance process (e.g., for high-tax-rate goods), over-item surcharges, and additional fees incurred during last-mile delivery (e.g., oversize fees, private address fees, address change fees, and remote area surcharges charged by UPS).
  3. Quotation Currency: Logistics quotations may be expressed in multiple currencies, so it is necessary to clarify the types of currencies used and their exchange rates at the beginning of cooperation. Commonly used currencies include Renminbi (RMB), Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), US Dollar (USD), Euro (EUR), and British Pound (GBP), etc. 1688order uses the most stable US Dollar as the quotation currency to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on customers’ shipping costs.
  4. Quotation Terms: There are mainly two types of cross-border e-commerce logistics quotations: “Double Clearance with Tax Included” (DDP), which refers to a service that includes all taxes and fees in the destination country; and “Double Clearance without Tax Included” (DDU), which refers to a service that does not include taxes and fees in the destination country.
  5. Tax Threshold: Different countries and regions have set their own tax exemption thresholds for different types of cross-border transportation. For example, the United Kingdom has a threshold of £15 (approximately €22), the European Union has €22, Canada has C$20, Australia has A$1,000, and Japan has $130. Starting from February 24, 2026, the US has imposed a 10% temporary tariff on most global goods and plans to increase it to 15%. For most goods from China, the total tariff is roughly: basic tariff + Section 301 tariff + newly added temporary tariff.By purchasing Chinese goods through 1688order and using DDP, you can save 10 to 20 % in tariffs.

Cross-border logistics costs mainly include the following components:

Basic Shipping Fee

This is the most important part, calculated based on the mode of transport and the weight or volume of the goods .

  1. Ocean Freight: The cost is calculated based on the volume (cubic meters) or weight (tons) of the goods, taking the larger value. Routes, shipping schedules, distances, etc. also affect the cost. For example, ocean freight from China to the US West Coast is usually cheaper than to the East Coast.
  2. Air Freight: The cost is based on the actual weight (kg) or volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 6000), whichever is greater. Factors such as flight traffic, fuel prices, and seasons can also cause cost fluctuations.
  3. Land Transport: Costs are based on the weight of the goods and the transportation distance. For example, the freight charges of the China-Europe Railway Express depend on the tonnage of the goods and the distance from the starting station to the terminal station.
  4. Third-party Logistics Companies (FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS…): Fees are based on the actual weight (kg) or volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 5000), whichever is greater. Factors such as flight traffic, fuel prices, and seasons can also cause fee fluctuations.

Additional Charges

In addition to the basic shipping fee, cross-border logistics may also incur the following additional charges:

  1. Fuel Surcharge : Due to oil price fluctuations, the Logistics Company will charge a certain percentage of fees based on fuel costs.
  2. Remote Area Surcharge: If the delivery address is very remote, the Logistics Company will charge an additional fee because the cost of delivering to these areas is higher.
  3. Overweight Surcharge: If the goods are too heavy and exceed the specified weight, an additional fee will be charged.
  4. Extra Long Surcharge: For particularly long goods, the Logistics Company will also charge an additional fee.
  5. Customs Declaration Fee: The fee that needs to be paid to a Logistics Company or Customs Declaration Agency when importing or exporting goods.
  6. Warehousing Fee: If the goods need to be temporarily stored in the warehouse, fees will be charged based on the volume of the goods and the storage time.

Other Expenses

  • Insurance Premium: If you want to insure your goods to ensure safe transportation, you need to pay the insurance premium. The amount of the insurance premium depends on the value of the goods and the insured amount.
  • Packing Fee: If the Logistics Company helps you pack the goods, a packing fee will be charged. The fee is determined based on the cost of packing materials and the difficulty of packing.
  • Delivery Fee : After the goods are delivered to the destination, if door-to-door delivery is required, a delivery fee may be incurred. The fee is determined based on the distance and difficulty of the delivery address.
  • Seasonal Shipping Scheduling Fluctuations: Logistics Companies may temporarily increase shipping fees based on flight availability and warehouse saturation levels during different seasons and holidays.
  • Unpacking and Repacking Handling Fees : Based on the actual situation, unpack damaged packages and repack them, and incur certain fees after packing according to the weight of the order packages.
  • Policy Reason: Additional tariff expenditures incurred due to the temporarily adjusted tariff policy of the state.

Different cross-border logistics companies may have different charging standards and preferential policies. When choosing logistics services, it is necessary to carefully compare the quotes and service content of each company, and select the most suitable solution based on your own needs and budget.

2.Channel Description

  1. Billing Method/Coefficient/Rule: The billing of goods is mainly based on the actual weight and volumetric weight of a single box or the entire batch of goods, with the larger value taken as the billing weight. For transportation modes such as air freight, sea freight, rail, and trucking, the DHL standard is usually adopted, i.e., the volumetric weight of each item is calculated as length * width * height / 6 000 (unit: centimeter). International express services mostly use 5000 as the denominator to determine the volumetric weight. International postal small parcels services are charged only based on the actual weight, without considering the volume factor.
  2. Transport Route/Flight Description/Sailing Schedule Description: The specific transportation route of goods varies depending on the export method. For example, when shipping electrical products to Europe, they usually depart from Hong Kong or South Korea, clear customs via the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, or the Czech Republic, and then complete the final delivery through local courier companies such as DPD or UPS.
  3. Expected Pickup/Delivery Timeframe Explanation: The time it takes for goods to reach the customer from the warehouse depends on the distance between the country of origin and the destination country. If express delivery is used for the last leg of the journey, it generally arrives within 1 to 3 working days after the goods are picked up. Taking Germany as an example, if the goods are handled by UPS Germany, neighboring countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Belgium can receive the package within 1-2 days; for more distant destinations such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal, it may take an additional 1-2 days to complete the delivery.
  4. Goods Size/Weight Instructions: The size and weight requirements for goods are crucial, as exceeding the specified limits may result in additional charges. Different channels have different restrictions, mainly based on the regulations of the last-mile delivery provider. For example, Germany UPS waives the surcharge when the longest side does not exceed 100 cm, the second longest side does not exceed 76 cm, and the chargeable weight per piece does not exceed 30 kg; US UPS does not charge additional fees when the longest side does not exceed 120 cm , the second longest side does not exceed 76 cm, and the chargeable weight per piece does not exceed 22.5 kg.
  5. Explanation of Undeliverable/Rejected Addresses: The situation of undeliverable or rejected addresses depends on the specific channel and last-mile delivery service provider. Taking US UPS as an example, its service covers 48 states across the country but generally does not accept post office boxes (P.O. BOX) and military addresses, and some remote areas such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Guam, and parts of Alaska may be undeliverable.
  6. Acceptable/Rejected Goods Product Description:Commonly rejected items include, but are not limited to, anti-dumping goods, liquids, powders, explosives, contraband, counterfeit brands, controlled knives, hazardous chemicals, food, and pharmaceuticals, among other sensitive categories. If you have special goods that need to be procured through 1688order on your behalf, the platform will complete the procurement, quality inspection, and shipping for you through special means to help you purchase the goods you need. Special goods need to be confirmed by contacting the platform’s customer service, and special logistics routes also need to be selected for shipping.
  7. Return/Second Redelivery Instructions: There are various reasons for returns, such as the absence of the recipient, multiple delivery failures, the goods being regarded as potential dangerous goods and thus refused, unclear address information, etc. If redelivery is required, corresponding handling fees and second delivery fees will be incurred.
  8. Platform Selection Method: For international postal and dedicated line services, customers need to specify the logistics option when placing an order. On major e-commerce platforms such as Wish, AliExpress, DHgate, Amazon, and eBay, Dutch Post corresponds to the NLPOST code, China Post is CHINA POST, and Belgian Post is BPOST.

3. Operational Requirements

  1. System Ordering/Pickup/Delivery Requirements:Currently, more and more cross-border e-commerce logistics providers in the market have started using TMS/WMS systems. It is recommended that customers place orders through the system, issue pickup and channel selection instructions via the system, etc. There are also some cases where customers are advised to print the goods handover document and the corresponding packing list and invoice, and deliver them to the designated warehouse together with the goods, or have the logistics provider pick up the goods directly. Specific requirements shall be subject to the actual requirements of each logistics provider.
  2. Product Certification/Authorization Documentation Requirements:Regarding the certification requirements or authorization documentation for goods and products, this is also a point that requires special attention during communication between sales operations and customers. For example, the most critical CE marking and CE certification in EU inspections. The EU stipulates that all CE products, their product manuals, and outer packaging must bear the CE marking. Common CE products include electronic products, IT products, audio-video products, household appliances, lighting fixtures, medical and health equipment, various instruments, etc. Common ones in the US include FDA, Bluetooth logo, HDMI, FCC, Lacey Act, DOT, etc.
  3. Goods Packaging/Labeling Requirements: Goods shipped by air, sea, truck, or express are generally required to be packed in clean and sturdy cartons, and goods with batteries need to be labeled with battery labels. If the goods are destined for Amazon warehouses, those with a single piece exceeding 15KG need to be labeled with “Heavy Package” (overweight label) on the outer carton, and those with a single piece weighing between 22.5-30KG need to be labeled with “Team Lift” (two-person lift) label on the outer carton.
  4. Requirements for Declared Value of Products/Packages: Logistics providers generally require customers not to underdeclare or conceal the value. The normal declared value for Amazon goods is 20%-30% of the sales link price. International postal services generally require the declared value of a single package to be below 22 euros. International express channels require that some high-value products cannot be declared below the rated value; for example, a mobile phone cannot be declared below 50 US dollars.
  5. Requirements for Providing Packing List/Invoice: If the customer does not place an order in the logistics system, they need to provide a complete invoice and a complete packing list, including the weight and value of the entire shipment, the quantity of SKUs per item, declared value, HS CODE, etc. Complete documentation can facilitate logistics providers to quickly prepare customs clearance documents and ensure smooth customs clearance.

IV. Compensation Explanation

  1. Goods Compensation Rules: Different from traditional logistics, the compensation rules in cross-border e-commerce logistics : In case of lost packages due to logistics issues, customers are required to assist us in holding the relevant logistics provider accountable, and we will re-arrange shipment for the customers.
  2. Claim documentation requirements:Claim documentation generally includes information such as the list of claimed goods, claim investigation form, proof of short delivery upon signing, product link, purchase value, etc. The specific requirements shall be subject to the claim documents required by each logistics provider.
  3. Claims Time Node: To ensure the prompt handling of abnormal goods, logistics providers generally require a specified claims node. For example, some set it at 30 – 40 days after shipment, or for some goods, if the logistics tracking information has not been updated in the logistics tracking backend within 7 – 15 working days, a backend screenshot showing the logistics information has not been updated must be provided in a timely manner. If it cannot be provided within 15 working days, no investigation will be initiated.
  4. Explanation of Initiating Investigation into Problematic Items:Logistics providers will set the explanation for initiating investigations into problematic items according to the requirements of the last-mile channel. For example, they need to provide the goods investigation form to be filled out and relevant materials within a certain period after shipment. It is particularly important to note that the investigation period for problematic items in international postal services is generally quite long, with a time span of up to 2 weeks – 3 months.
  5. Exemption/Waiver Explanation:Common scenarios of exemption or waiver statements by logistics providers include situations where goods are deemed by the destination customs to be branded, products are not truthfully declared, intellectual property rights are infringed, or customs seizure occurs due to the goods being prohibited for import in the destination country, and products lack relevant markings and certifications, such as CE, UL, Bluetooth, HDMI, FDA, FCC, Lacey Act, DOT, etc.