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An international shipping API designed for global growth
ShipStation’s international shipping API gives you real-time shipping rates, labels, and customs compliance in a single integration. Automate documentation, cut border delays, and scale your international shipping with ease.
Driving fulfillment for the world’s leading brands
Real time cross-border reach, local experience
Turn complex international shipping rules into simple API calls. Cut manual work, stay compliant with customs, and give shoppers clear landed costs and tracking wherever they order from.
Ship to more countries, without more busywork
Expand into new markets without reworking your workflow. One International Shipping API handles labels, duties, taxes, and forms for major carriers. You enter shipment details, and ShipStation API returns the right services, documents, and tracking. So you focus on fulfillment instead of chasing country-specific rules.
Eliminate surprise fees with real-time landed costs
Help shoppers feel confident ordering internationally by showing the total cost upfront. With real-time rates that include duties, taxes, and fees where supported—and Delivered Duty Paid for eligible U.S. to Canada USPS® shipments—you can prevent unexpected charges and keep checkout clear with flat-fee DDP options.
Protect your brand with compliant documentation
Border delays create support tickets and hurt customer trust. ShipStation’s International Shipping API ensures carriers and customs authorities get the product, tax, and customs details they expect. Every shipment stays compliant, from harmonized tariff codes to VAT data, without manually editing paperwork.
International shipping features built into a single API
Always send complete customs declarations
Define shipment contents, return handling, and applicable trade terms using the customs object. Customs information is passed with each label request, allowing the API to return or submit the appropriate forms based on your selected carrier and service.
Use detailed product data to satisfy customs authorities
Declare each item in a shipment with the level of detail global customs authorities expect. The products object supports item descriptions, declared value and currency, weight and unit, SKU, harmonized tariff codes, country of origin, VAT rates, and more—helping speed classification and reduce the risk of delays or returns.
Manage tax IDs, incoterms, and DDP in code
Accurate tax and duty data is essential for modern international shipping. The tax identifiers object lets you attach VAT, EORI, IOSS, and other identifiers to a shipment, including the responsible party and issuing authority. Combined with the terms of trade code field and options like Canada Delivered Duty, you can support Delivered Duty Paid shipments to Canada via USPS® in a single API call—without managing separate flows.
Meet regional documentation requirements
The International Shipping API helps you follow country-specific rules without hard-coding them yourself. Add a content description at the package level to support Mexico’s Bill of Lading Complement. Include harmonized tariff codes and detailed product descriptions for shipments going into or through the EU. Follow the latest guidance for shipping from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework in a single international shipping integration.
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International Shipping API FAQs
What is an international shipping API?
An international shipping API lets your application create labels, access rates, and generate customs documents for global orders. ShipStation’s International Shipping API centralizes carriers, customs data, and required forms so you can manage global fulfillment in one place.
How does the API handle customs forms and HS codes?
You pass customs information, products, and harmonized tariff codes in your label request. The API then submits data electronically where supported or returns customs forms for you to print and include with the shipment.
Can I create Delivered Duty Paid shipments to Canada?
Yes. Ship from the U.S. to Canada using eligible USPS international services and enable a prepay DDP option. ShipStation API returns rates that include a flat fee for duties and taxes. Your recipient pays nothing at delivery.
Does the International Shipping API support Mexico, the EU, and Northern Ireland?
Yes. You can provide package-level descriptions for Mexico’s Carta Porte. Include HS codes and detailed product information for EU-bound shipments. You can also follow Windsor Framework guidance when shipping from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. All of this works through a single international shipping integration.
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