Customs clearance
Customs clearance
Move your shipments across borders and into your customers’ hands with FedEx Express. Our knowledge, expertise and tools simplify international shipping, saving you time, increasing the accuracy of import/export documents, and helping you expand your business into new markets.
Having a long-term experience in advanced customs clearance, including being accredited in many countries to have Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status, and with presence in over 220 countries and territories worldwide, FedEx Express is well positioned to ensure shipments clear customs seamlessly.
Thanks to the experience of our dedicated customs experts, FedEx Express is entrusted with handling 14 million packages daily. So, whether you’re learning about customs or preparing a shipment, FedEx Express makes the process straightforward to understand and smooth to execute.
Customs clearance – key action points:
1. Tell your customers that their packages will be delivered by FedEx Express.
This is to ensure they expect packages from FedEx Express rather than TNT. In the event receivers of your packages have never received from or shipped with FedEx Express, and their shipments require customs clearance, they will be contacted by the local FedEx Express clearance team for any required authorizations (Power of Attorney), company registration numbers, or other documents needed by FedEx Express to clear their shipments. This may also include any agreements or authorizations needed for the payment of duty and tax in relation to their shipments. These steps are essential to ensure a smooth clearance process and successful delivery of packages.
2. If your customers have received a dutiable shipment from FedEx Express before, there’s no action to take.
This is because we would already have their information in our systems.
FedEx® Global Trade Manager
Following extensive experience with customs officials around the world, FedEx Express has developed innovative technology to streamline the clearance process. Our tool, FedEx® Global Trade Manager, simplifies international shipping for you.
FedEx® Global Trade Manager covers:
Duties and taxes
Easily receive estimations of duties and taxes that will be levied against international shipments.
Document preparation
Get help and access to the necessary documents for international shipments. You can also save frequently used documents, so they’re available whenever you need them.
Destination information
See snapshots of country/territory profiles and shipping advisers. You can also access important regulatory information specific to your shipments and World Customs Organization (WCO) tariff classifications for products.
The business benefits of using FedEx® Global Trade Manager
Save time
This online solution offers information and consulting services to guide even novice shippers through the often-complicated process of international shipping.
Increase accuracy
You can prepare the appropriate import / export documents for your shipments by selecting the recommended customs forms based on the commodity description and the import / export countries entered.
Grow internationally
FedEx® Global Trade Manager simplifies current international shipping and trade activities by solving customs issues, helping you to enter new markets around the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, FedEx Express will process customs export clearance for your FedEx Express shipments unless advised otherwise. The shipments you receive as imports will depend on the logistics partner selected by your suppliers. If they currently ship with TNT from their country, your import clearance will remain with TNT until such time as TNT and FedEx Express clearance are fully integrated in your country.
We would recommend you notify your receivers that their shipments will now be shipped and cleared through customs by FedEx Express. In the event that your customer has never received or shipped through FedEx Express, and their shipment requires customs clearance, they may be contacted by the local FedEx Express Clearance team on the payment of any duty or tax accrued in relation to their shipments. Please contact FedEx Express customer service if you have any questions.
Yes, FedEx Express will process customs export clearance for your FedEx Express shipments, unless you advise us otherwise. Shipments you receive as imports will depend on the logistics partner selected by your suppliers. If they currently ship with TNT from their country, your import clearance will remain with TNT until such time as TNT and FedEx Clearance are fully integrated in your country.
A ‘document’ shipment includes paper of little or no commercial value such as business correspondence, and generally doesn't require a Commercial Invoice. A ‘non-document’ or ‘product’ shipment defines all other shipments and printed materials of value. Examples include clothing, automobile parts, sports equipment, books etc. All non-document international shipments require a Commercial Invoice.
To ship a FedEx Express package, you will need to complete an international air waybill. You can complete this online using your FedEx Express shipping tool at fedex.com. You must use the FedEx International Air Waybill and print the required documentation.
All non-document international shipments also require a Commercial Invoice. This is the official transaction record between an exporter and an importer and is relied on by customs officials to clear shipments across international borders. Gifts, videotapes, drawings and all other non-document shipments, regardless of value, require a Commercial Invoice.
For more information on how to prepare shipping documents to ship internationally, please visit www.theshippingchannel.com. Please also visit our Customs Tools section on fedex.com.
We recommend you tell your customers that they will receive packages from FedEx Express. This is to ensure they expect packages from FedEx Express rather than TNT.
If the recipients of your packages have never received or shipped with FedEx Express before, and their shipments require customs clearance, they will be contacted by their local clearance team for more information. This will include any required authorizations (Power of Attorney), company registration numbers or documents needed by FedEx Express to clear their shipments. It will also include any agreements or authorizations needed for the payment of duty and tax in relation to their shipments. These steps are essential to ensure a smooth clearance process and the successful delivery of their packages.
If receivers of your packages have received a dutiable shipment from FedEx Express before then you don’t need to take any action. This is because we will already have their information on our systems.
HS code is short for Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. It's a list of numbers used by customs to classify a product – click here to find out how to get one.