Are there any restrictions on which products I can buy and ship? BuyShipUSA does not handle any "dangerous goods" of any kind.
Please refer to UPS’s Dangerous & Restricted Goods Policy
here to see if your product(s) have restrictions.
Some product(s) may also be illegal in your country. Please contact local customs if you are unsure.
Please note that BuyShipUSA cannot refund customers if local customs decides to confiscate or dispose of an item.
1. What is the difference between restricted and prohibited items? Prohibited Items: If an item is prohibited in your country or for export from the United States, we cannot ship it to you. If you are not sure if an item is prohibited, please contact us before ordering. If we receive an item we cannot ship to you, BuyShipUSA may be unable to ship it to any address, including back to the sender. In some cases, we may be required to dispose of it in a US disposal facility.
Restricted Items: Some restricted items can be shipped, but only after the BuyShipUSA inspects and verifies that the products are in compliance with US export laws. An inspection fee will apply and will delay the shipment of the product up to a period of 3 days. If you have questions about shipping a restricted item, please contact customer support BEFORE shipping the item to your BuyShipUSA account.
Please review our
list of prohibited and restricted items in our FAQ before you shop.
2. What is considered dangerous goods or hazardous material? Dangerous goods/hazardous materials are items that require special handling, additional packaging and labeling to be transported internationally.
These items may or may not be allowed to ship to your country. Shipping dangerous goods is country-specific, and may also depend on the courier you choose, including DHL or Fedex. USPS or UPS cannot ship dangerous goods. Even if your country allows the import of an item, the carrier may not be licensed to handle and transport dangerous goods.
Items considered to be dangerous goods include: flammable items or items under pressure (e.g., hairspray, spray paint, lighters, nail polish and perfume). Dangerous goods items may be required to ship separately from non-dangerous goods items.
Please view our restricted and prohibited items list for more information, or contact us for specific information regarding your country and the items you wish to ship.
3. Are there exceptions to export restrictions for laboratory, medical or research use? No. BuyShipUSA cannot export prescription medications, controlled substances or human growth hormones of any kind, for any reason.
BuyShipUSA cannot export assays, peptides, biological media and animal, veterinary or human vaccines. If BuyShipUSA receives a package containing these items, US regulations require BuyShipUSA to dispose of the items in a local disposal facility. BuyShipUSA cannot ship these items to any address, including back to the sender.
4. Can you export agricultural Items like plants, seeds and soil? BuyShipUSA can ship agricultural items for you if they meet US export requirements, and your country’s customs office allows them to be imported. Please make sure your agricultural products are properly labeled, including their genus, species and country of origin. The labeling requirement also applies to individual seed packets. We cannot ship or store any items we cannot identify, or are not properly labeled.
BuyShipUSA also cannot accept foreign seeds or plants that are not properly imported into the US. These items will be removed from your account upon receipt and properly discarded.
Please contact your local customs office to inquire about local import regulations, and contact us with a link to the item so we can determine if we can export the items for you.
5. Can you export controlled substances? No. BuyShipUSA cannot export controlled substances or any item that contains controlled substances. Please do not ship controlled substances to your BuyShipUSA account.
A controlled substance is any drug that is illegal or restricted for sale in the United States, even if it is readily available in your own country. Examples of controlled substances include Sudafed and Marijuana.
6. Can you export lithium batteries? Yes. However, lithium batteries may be subject to additional regulations, and we may be unable to export them to certain countries. In some cases, lithium metal and lithium-ion batteries may be subject to a Dangerous Goods handling fee.
Due to the potential fire danger, lithium ion and lithium metal batteries are heavily regulated for air transport. The regulations are extremely complex and can vary by country, and even by courier. The size of the battery, how it is packaged, and if it is pre-installed in an electronic device also play a role in the regulations and restrictions.
Our team of trained specialists can arrange for export of most lithium batteries and electronic devices containing these batteries. For assistance determining if BuyShipUSA can export lithium batteries and electronic devices containing these batteries to your country, please contact customer support.
7. Can you export non-prescription or over-the-counter medications? BuyShipUSA can export most over-the-counter medications, providing they arrive in original packaging and may be distributed within the United States. To comply with US Food and Drug Administration guidelines, all medications must be indicated in your documentation and our logistics team will need open the package and verify to ensure they can be distributed. There will be additional handling costs associated with this process and a potential time delay as the package will have to be manually processed.
Please Note: US government regulations prohibit BuyShipUSA from exporting any non-prescription or over-the-counter medication that originated from a merchant outside the United States.
8. Can you export police or military style items? No. BuyShipUSA will not export any product that appears to be related to police, government or military activity. Common items include, but are not limited to:
- Badges
- Body armor
- Protective clothing containing body armor
- Police batons
- Handcuffs
- Surveillance equipment
Please see our list of prohibited items for more information. If you are unsure whether a product is considered a police or military item, please contact customer support for assistance.
9. Do you charge a fee for handling dangerous goods or hazardous materials? Yes, there is a per-shipment handling fee to properly package and label dangerous goods. The fee is 10% of the total value of the "dangerous goods," with a minimum cost of $20 USD.
If lithium batteries are involved and they are uninstalled, then a fee of 10% of the total value of the item is applied, with a minimum cost of $20 USD.
If a lithium battery is installed, there is only a $2 USD handling fee to properly label and package the shipment.
Please note: Dangerous goods may need to ship separately from non-dangerous goods.
Common dangerous goods include perfume, nail polish, glue, paint and batteries.
Some countries do not allow the import of these items. Please click here to see if your country allows import of dangerous goods.
10. Can you export prescription medications? No. BuyShipUSA cannot export prescription medications. Please do not ship prescription medications to your BuyShipUSA suite.
11. Can you export weapons or gun accessories? No. BuyShipUSA will not export any product that appears to be a weapon, weapon part or accessory to a weapon. This includes, but is not limited to, items restricted by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Common gun and weapon accessories include, but are not limited to:
- Scopes or sights
- Ammunition clips or magazines
- Pistol grips
- Rifle butt stocks
- Items equipped with night-vision
- Bayonets
- Items equipped with lasers
Please see our list of prohibited items for more information. If you are unsure whether a product is considered a weapon or accessory, please contact us for assistance.
12. Does BuyShipUSA export food? BuyShipUSA cannot export any food items that are perishable (require refrigeration), labeled in a foreign language, or restricted for export by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We also suggest that you contact your local customs office to inquire if food can be imported to your country, as it is often restricted.
13. BuyShipUSA will not ship any counterfeit merchandise. BuyShipUSA cannot export counterfeit, bootleg or knockoff items. If BuyShipUSA receives an item that does not appear to be authentic, we will notify you by email and refer the item to our trade compliance team to verify its authenticity.
If the item is counterfeit and came from a merchant in the US and the merchant provided a return label, we can help you return the item. If the merchant did not provide a return label, or if the merchant will not accept a return, we must discard the item. BuyShipUSA cannot ship counterfeit items to anyone other than the original seller, including individuals in the USA.