{"id":133,"date":"2021-09-13T07:07:55","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T12:07:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/ecommerce-fulfillment\/international-fulfillment\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T18:33:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T18:33:18","slug":"international-fulfillment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/ecommerce-fulfillment\/international-fulfillment\/","title":{"rendered":"International Fulfilment Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-section-hero-standard-form hero-standard\"><div class=\"container row\"><div class=\"col hero-standard-content\"><h1 class=\"hero-standard-title \"><strong>International Fulfilment Guide<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International fulfilment means storing inventory outside of your home country in or near the countries where your customers live, so orders are picked, packed, and shipped locally rather than sent cross-border from a single warehouse. For growing ecommerce brands, it&#8217;s one of the most impactful infrastructure decisions you can make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The data backs this up. According to ShipBob&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/fulfillment-trends\/\">State of Ecommerce Fulfilment Report<\/a>, 67% of brands already ship internationally and 75% of midmarket brands ship outside the US. Another 36% are planning to add new fulfilment countries in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this guide, we&#8217;ll break down how international fulfilment works, when to move from cross-border shipping to in-country inventory, what drives your landed cost, and what to look for in a fulfilment partner that does more than a traditional 3PL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-so-what-do-you-want-to-learn\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, what do you want to learn?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#h-what-is-international-fulfillment-and-how-is-it-different-from-international-shipping\" type=\"internal\" id=\"#h-what-is-international-fulfillment-and-how-is-it-different-from-international-shipping\">What is international fulfilment (and how is it different from international shipping)?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#h-how-international-fulfillment-works\" type=\"internal\" id=\"#h-how-international-fulfillment-works\">How international fulfilment works<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#h-international-fulfillment-costs-what-actually-drives-your-landed-cost\">International fulfilment costs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#h-when-to-move-from-cross-border-shipping-to-in-country-fulfillment\" type=\"internal\" id=\"#h-when-to-move-from-cross-border-shipping-to-in-country-fulfillment\">When to move from cross-border shipping to in-country fulfilment<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#h-why-brands-partner-with-an-ecommerce-fulfillment-expert-for-international-fulfillment\" type=\"internal\" id=\"#h-why-brands-partner-with-an-ecommerce-fulfillment-expert-for-international-fulfillment\">Why brands partner with a fulfilment expert for international fulfilment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><div class=\"col hero-standard-form offset-1  \"><div class=\"card hero-home-customer-card form-card\"><h3 class=\"form-title\"><strong>Request Fulfilment Pricing<\/strong><\/h3><h3 class=\"h4 form-subtitle\"><\/h3><p class=\"form-copy\"><\/p><div class=\"card-body form-5c43899c-9cb4-4005-b3cb-a8de85a28882\" data-controller=\"form-controller\" data-form-controller-form-id-value=\"5c43899c-9cb4-4005-b3cb-a8de85a28882\" data-form-controller-form-container-query-value=\"form-5c43899c-9cb4-4005-b3cb-a8de85a28882\"><\/div><p class=\"form-note\">We\u2019ll get back to you within 24 hours. <a href=\"\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a id=\"locations\"><br><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-is-international-fulfillment-and-how-is-it-different-from-international-shipping\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is international fulfilment (and how is it different from international shipping)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International fulfilment is the end-to-end process of storing, picking, packing, and shipping orders from fulfilment centres located in or near international markets. It&#8217;s not the same as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/international-shipping\/\">international shipping<\/a>, where all orders leave a single domestic warehouse and travel cross-border to reach customers abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/cross-border-shipping\/\"> cross-border shipping<\/a>, every international order passes through customs, incurs duties, and takes longer to arrive. With international fulfilment, your inventory is already positioned in-country, so orders ship domestically within that market. Delivery is faster, shipping costs drop, and your customers skip the customs headaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most brands operate somewhere along a spectrum of three models:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Model<\/th><th>How it works<\/th><th>Best for<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Cross-border from one warehouse<\/td><td>All orders ship from a single domestic fulfilment centre<\/td><td>Low international volume, testing demand<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Regional hub model<\/td><td>Inventory split across 2-3 strategic hubs<\/td><td>Growing brands with demand in specific countries<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>In-country fulfilment<\/td><td>Inventory stored locally in each target market<\/td><td>High-volume markets where speed and cost matter most<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t need to pick one model and stick with it. Many brands start cross-border, then layer in regional or in-country fulfilment as demand grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c<span>I always wanted a truly global fulfilment partner \u2014 I had been trying to find this solution for years. <\/span>ShipBob has multiple fulfilment centres in the US, one in Canada, one in the EU, and one in the UK.* All locations filter back into one centralised warehouse management system, so everything is under the ShipBob umbrella.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Wes Brown, Head of Operations at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/black-claw\/\">Black Claw LLC<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-international-fulfillment-works\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How international fulfilment works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The international fulfilment process follows a consistent operational flow, regardless of which country you&#8217;re shipping from. Here&#8217;s what each step looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Inbound receiving.<\/strong> You ship inventory to a fulfilment centre in your target market. The warehouse receives, inspects, and logs your products into the system.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inventory storage and allocation.<\/strong> Products are stored and tracked by SKU, so you always know what&#8217;s available and where.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Order routing.<\/strong> When a customer places an order, the system routes it to the optimal fulfilment centre based on destination, inventory availability, and cost. ShipBob&#8217;s platform handles this automatically across all locations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pick and pack.<\/strong> Warehouse staff pick the ordered items, pack them according to your specifications, and prepare the shipment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customs documentation and clearance.<\/strong> For cross-border orders, the system generates the necessary documentation automatically. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipping calculates and collects duties at checkout, so your customers never face surprise fees at delivery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Last-mile delivery.<\/strong> A local courier picks up the shipment and delivers it to your customer, typically within standard domestic transit times.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International returns are worth noting here. Without a local return address, return shipping costs can be prohibitive for you and your customers. In-country fulfilment gives you a local address for returns processing, keeping the experience smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>View all of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/shipbob-locations\/\">ShipBob\u2019s locations<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-international-fulfillment-costs-what-actually-drives-your-landed-cost\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">International fulfilment costs: what actually drives your landed cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most brands underestimate international fulfilment costs because they focus only on the shipping rate. Your true <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/logistics-costs\/\">landed cost<\/a> includes pick and pack fees, storage, inventory transfer costs, customs brokerage, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/import-duties\/\">duties and tariffs<\/a>, VAT or GST, returns processing, and failed-delivery costs. Here are a few noteworthy examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>DDP vs. DDU.<\/strong> With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/ddp-shipping\/\">Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping<\/a>, duties and taxes are calculated and collected at checkout. Your customer pays one price and never faces a surprise fee at the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU), the customer gets hit with unexpected charges on delivery. That leads to refused packages, support tickets, and lost trust. If you&#8217;re serious about international customer experience, DDP is the standard to aim for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>De minimis threshold changes.<\/strong> Recent changes to de minimis rules mean that many shipments that previously entered countries duty-free now incur tariffs. For brands that rely heavily on cross-border shipping, this is a direct hit to margins. Two ways to offset this: ShipBob&#8217;s De Minimis Defense Program (FTZ warehouses in California and Pennsylvania that defer or eliminate duties on qualifying inventory) and in-country fulfilment (which avoids cross-border duties entirely by shipping domestically).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>VAT and GST obligations.<\/strong> When you store inventory in another country, you may be required to register for and collect VAT or GST. This catches many brands off guard. ShipBob is not a customs broker and does not provide legal, tax, or regulatory advice, but your finance team should factor these obligations into expansion planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-blog-highlight blog-highlight\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">For specific ShipBob pricing details, shipping costs are variable based on weight, dimensions, destination, and service. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote\/\">Request your custom quote here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-when-to-move-from-cross-border-shipping-to-in-country-fulfillment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to move from cross-border shipping to in-country fulfilment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cross-border shipping is a smart starting point for testing international demand. But there are clear signals that it&#8217;s time to move inventory closer to your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider making the shift when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>International orders exceed 15-20% of your total volume in a specific country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your average cross-border shipping cost per order exceeds the cost of local fulfilment plus inventory transfer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delivery times to key markets exceed 7-10 days, and you&#8217;re seeing cart abandonment or negative reviews.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customs delays or surprise duties are generating support tickets and refund requests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your team is manually managing international shipments outside your primary platform.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the cost picture from the previous section in mind, this doesn&#8217;t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. ShipBob supports a hybrid approach where you can start by shipping cross-border from your existing fulfilment centres, then layer in regional inventory as demand justifies it, which means you can stay with the same provider as you scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-why-brands-partner-with-an-ecommerce-fulfillment-expert-for-international-fulfillment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why brands partner with an ecommerce fulfilment expert for international fulfilment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Handling international order fulfilment in-house requires courier negotiations in every market, local warehouse staff, customs expertise, and a tech stack that works across borders. For most brands, partnering with an ecommerce fulfilment expert, one that goes beyond a traditional 3PL, is the faster and more cost-effective path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what that partnership unlocks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lower per-order costs<\/strong> through negotiated courier rates with partners like DHL, Royal Mail, Evri, DPD, SEUR, and Australia Post, plus the savings of shipping locally instead of cross-border.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Faster delivery<\/strong> by positioning inventory in-country, cutting transit times from weeks down to standard domestic timelines.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Operational scalability without headcount<\/strong>, so you can open new markets without hiring local warehouse staff or operations managers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Centralised visibility and control<\/strong> across all markets from one platform, covering inventory, orders, tracking, and returns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reduced customs complexity<\/strong> through DDP shipping support, automated documentation, and FTZ options.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brands that have made this move are seeing measurable results. Hairburst, a fast-growing beauty brand with strong international demand, partnered with ShipBob to streamline global ecommerce fulfilment operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;ShipBob&#8217;s tech and integrations are top-notch. For example, we&#8217;re using Fulfil as our ERP and that native integration between Fulfil and ShipBob is making the process so much easier.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Rachel Hicks, Operations Manager at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/hairburst\/\">Hairburst<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our Place expanded its warehouse network and saw immediate cost and speed improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Expanding our warehouse network from 2 to 4 warehouses has translated into $1.5 million in freight cost savings for Our Place. It also cut our fulfilment and shipping times in half, from 5 or 6 days to just 2.5 days.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Ali Shahid, COO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/our-place\/\">Our Place<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These results reflect what happens when brands stop treating international fulfilment as a DIY project and start treating it as a partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-shipbob-s-global-fulfillment-network-works\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How ShipBob&#8217;s global fulfilment network works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At ShipBob, we operate dozens of fulfilment centres across the US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia, connected by a hub-and-spoke network with regional sort centres and middle-mile zone skipping. What makes our network valuable isn&#8217;t just the number of locations. It&#8217;s how they work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our infrastructure is built on a connected network model where inventory flows between locations based on demand signals. Your products aren&#8217;t sitting in isolated warehouses. They&#8217;re part of a system that moves inventory to where it&#8217;s needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what it looks like in practice: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/product\/inventory-placement\/\"><strong>Inventory Placement Program<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> In the US, ShipBob uses historical order data and demand forecasting to recommend where to position your inventory across the network. You ship to one hub location, and ShipBob distributes your products automatically. This removes the manual spreadsheet work most brands use to allocate inventory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>De Minimis Defense Program:<\/strong> ShipBob&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/ftz-warehouses\/\">FTZ warehouses<\/a> in California and Pennsylvania let you defer duties until an order actually ships, rather than paying on arrival. With recent de minimis threshold changes increasing landed costs for cross-border shipments, FTZ offers a meaningful cost advantage.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>True Classic used ShipBob&#8217;s FTZ warehouses to defer approximately $4 million in duties and free up more than $12 million in working capital.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unified dashboard:<\/strong> Every location feeds into one dashboard, whether it&#8217;s in the US, UK, Poland, or Australia. You get real-time visibility into inventory, orders, and shipments across your entire global operation without logging into separate systems for each country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ShipBob&#8217;s fulfilment network spans the United States, Canada, the UK, the EU, and Australia. The same dedicated team supports all international fulfilment centres, which use the same proprietary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/product\/wms\/\">ShipBob WMS<\/a> and follow the same SLAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How True Classic Leverages ShipBob to Grow their Multi-Million Dollar Omnichannel Brand\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YcCqcPaTiZ4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-managing-international-fulfillment-across-channels\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Managing international fulfilment across channels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most brands selling internationally aren&#8217;t running a single Shopify store. They&#8217;re managing DTC, Amazon, Walmart, wholesale, and potentially retail replenishment across multiple countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each channel comes with its own order formats, SLAs, labelling requirements, and tracking expectations. Without integration, teams end up managing this manually across disconnected systems. That approach breaks down fast as you add countries and channels, but here&#8217;s how ShipBob resolves that fragmentation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Turnkey <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/partners.shipbob.com\/\"><strong>integrations<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> ShipBob connects with more than 50 platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, Walmart, NetSuite, and TikTok. Order data flows automatically from every channel into one fulfilment system. Order data stays reconciled across every channel from a single dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/plus\/\"><strong>ShipBob Plus<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> For brands with $10 million or more in GMV or complex multi-market operations, ShipBob Plus provides customised rates, dedicated supply chain architects, and enterprise-grade support. It&#8217;s built for brands that have outgrown standard international fulfilment services and need a partner that operates as an extension of their team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-style-blog is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The ShipBob Plus program has been instrumental in our growth. They are truly an extension of our team, enabling us to ship over a million Tonieboxes in the U.S. while maintaining a 50% year-over-year growth rate.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Ryan Steffenson, Head of Fulfilment and Logistics at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/blog\/tonies\/\">Tonies<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you&#8217;re selling across two channels or ten, the right integrations turn multi-market complexity into a single operational workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-start-building-your-international-fulfillment-strategy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start building your international fulfilment strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International fulfilment is an operational infrastructure decision, not just a shipping decision. The brands that get it right build a foundation of local inventory, unified technology, and a fulfilment partner that can grow with them across markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an ecommerce fulfilment expert and supply chain enablement platform, ShipBob brings together dozens of global fulfilment centres, a unified technology platform, automated inventory placement, duty optimisation through FTZ, and integrations across every major sales channel. Whether you&#8217;re testing your first international market or scaling across continents, the infrastructure is built to support you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Need a fulfilment partner that does more than a traditional 3PL?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-3e41869c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote\">Request a quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-section-container section section-container  max-width-blog\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\"><div class=\"container section-info section-info-align-none \"><h6 class=\"section-title \"><\/h6><h2 class=\"section-content h2\" id=\"international-fulfillment-faqs\">International Fulfilment FAQs<\/h2><p class=\"section-copy\">Here are the answers to commonly asked questions about international fulfilment. <\/p><\/div><div class=\"container flex-container row justify-none align-none flex-wrap\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">Are there additional fees for international fulfilment and shipping with ShipBob?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>As an ecommerce fulfilment expert and supply chain enablement platform, ShipBob prices on three core fees: receiving of inbound inventory, storage of each SKU, and an all-in fulfilment cost that covers shipping and packaging materials with picks included. This structure stays consistent across countries. Shipping costs are variable based on weight, dimensions, destination, and service.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/quote\/\">Request your custom quote here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What tools does ShipBob offer to automate duties, customs compliance, and inventory visibility for international orders?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ShipBob supports DDP shipping, which calculates and collects duties at checkout so customers aren&#8217;t surprised at delivery. FTZ warehouses help defer or eliminate duties on qualifying inventory. The Inventory Placement Program automates inventory distribution across the US network, and the unified dashboard gives you real-time visibility into inventory, orders, and shipments across every global location from a single login.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What are common pitfalls brands encounter with international fulfilment?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>The most common mistakes include underestimating total landed cost by focusing only on shipping rates and failing to register for VAT or GST in countries where you store inventory. Brands also run into trouble by spreading inventory too thin across too many markets before demand justifies it. Start with data, expand gradually, and test demand with cross-border shipping before committing to in-country fulfilment.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">How can brands strategically position inventory to reduce international shipping costs?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Start by analising your order data to identify which countries have consistent, high-volume demand. Move your fastest-selling SKUs into fulfilment centres in those markets while keeping slower-moving products centralised. In the US, ShipBob&#8217;s Inventory Placement Program automates this process using historical order data and demand forecasting. For international markets, work with your fulfilment partner to identify the right locations based on sales velocity and replenishment lead times.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What metrics should brands track to measure the success of international fulfilment operations?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Focus on cost per order by market, average delivery time by country, customs clearance rate, return rate by country, and inventory turn by location. Compare these against your domestic benchmarks to spot areas where international operations need attention. ShipBob&#8217;s analytics dashboard provides visibility into fulfilment cost, shipping performance, and inventory health across all locations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What is the difference between international fulfilment and international shipping?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International shipping means sending orders cross-border from a domestic warehouse. International fulfilment means storing inventory in or near international markets so orders are picked, packed, and shipped locally. The key difference comes down to speed, cost, and customer experience.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What is the lowest-risk way to start selling internationally?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ship cross-border from your existing fulfilment centre to test demand in new markets. Track which countries generate consistent order volume. Once a market justifies it, move your top-selling SKUs into a local fulfilment centre in that country to validate demand before committing to in-country inventory.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-shipbob-blocks-single-faq single-faq direction-col  col-8\" itemscope itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" data-controller=\"faq-controller\" data-faq-controller-open-value=\"true\"><div class=\"single-faq-title-contianer\"><h4 itemprop=\"name\" class=\"single-faq-title\">What is de minimis, and how does its suspension affect international fulfilment costs?<\/h4><div class=\"single-faq-expand\" data-faq-controller-target=\"expand\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/shipbob-2022\/resources\/svg\/plus-solid.svg\"\/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single-faq-childs\" itemscope itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" data-faq-controller-target=\"answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">De minimis is the threshold below which imported goods enter a country without incurring duties or taxes. Recent suspensions mean many shipments that previously entered duty-free now face tariffs. For brands relying on cross-border shipping, this directly increases landed costs. ShipBob&#8217;s De Minimis Defense Program (FTZ warehouses in California and Pennsylvania) and in-country fulfilment are two ways to offset this impact by deferring duties or avoiding cross-border shipments entirely.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"cta-container u-hidden\"><a class=\"btn btn-primary \" href=\"\"><\/a><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is international fulfilment (and how is it different from international shipping)? International fulfilment is the end-to-end process of storing, picking, packing, and shipping orders from fulfilment centres located in or near international markets. It&#8217;s not the same as international shipping, where all orders leave a single domestic warehouse and travel cross-border to reach customers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"parent":124,"menu_order":9,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"hub.php","meta":{"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-133","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>International Fulfillment: Global Ecommerce Fulfillment Services -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how international fulfillment works, what drives your landed cost, and how to choose the right fulfillment partner to scale into new markets.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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