01Three sets of rules, stacked
An item has to pass all three checks. Failing any one of them stops the parcel, and the three are administered by completely different authorities with different priorities.
1. Aviation safety
Set by air carriers. Batteries, aerosols, flammable liquids and anything pressurised are dangerous goods. This rule applies because your parcel flies, and it is the strictest of the three.
2. China export control
What may lawfully leave the country. Covers cultural relics, protected wildlife products, currency, and items requiring export licences or official inspection.
3. Destination import law
What your own country permits to enter. This is where brand-name goods, food, seeds, medicines and certain electronics become a problem, and it varies enormously by country.
02The hard bans
These will not travel on standard routes at any price. Some can move on dedicated lines with documentation, which is noted in the third column.
| Category | Examples | Any way to ship it? |
|---|---|---|
| Loose lithium batteries | Spare power banks, uninstalled cells | Generally no on postal routes; extremely limited otherwise |
| Aerosols and sprays | Dry shampoo, spray paint, deodorant | Dedicated lines only, documented, higher cost |
| Flammable liquids | Perfume, nail polish, lighter fluid | Some dedicated lines accept perfume in limited quantity |
| Magnets and magnetic goods | Strong magnets, speakers with large magnets | Restricted; may need special packing and line approval |
| Compressed gas | Cartridges, canisters, lighters | No |
| Weapons and replicas | Knives, batons, imitation firearms | No |
| Currency, gold, securities | Cash, bullion, bearer instruments | No |
| Protected wildlife products | Ivory, certain furs and traditional medicines | No, and it is a criminal matter in many countries |
| Counterfeit branded goods | Items infringing trademarks | No; subject to seizure and possible legal action |
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03The grey areas
These are where most disputes between buyers and platforms happen, because the answer genuinely depends on the route and the destination.
| Item | Why it is complicated | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics with a built-in battery | Installed batteries are treated differently from loose cells, and rules vary by carrier | Confirm the specific route accepts installed batteries |
| Wireless earbuds, smart watches | Small installed batteries plus radio equipment regulations | Ask before ordering; some lines exclude them entirely |
| Liquids in cosmetics | Non-flammable liquids are usually fine, but volume limits and packaging rules apply | Check quantity limits per parcel |
| Food and supplements | Destination import rules are strict and country-specific | Assume restricted unless confirmed for your country |
| Seeds and plants | Agricultural quarantine in most countries | Generally not worth attempting |
| Medicines | Prescription status differs by country | Do not ship without checking your own import rules |
| Branded goods you can prove are genuine | Enforcement treats appearance-based suspicion as sufficient cause to hold | Expect scrutiny regardless of authenticity |
04Why one shipping line accepts what another refuses
This confuses people constantly, and the explanation is simple once you see it: lines are not interchangeable.
A shipping line is a commercial arrangement between the platform, a carrier and a customs broker. Each arrangement carries its own terms. A dedicated line may hold dangerous-goods certification, use a tax-paid import structure, and accept categories that a standard postal route excludes. A budget postal route has none of that and will refuse the identical parcel.
The consequences are worth internalising:
- Cheaper is often narrower. The lowest-cost lines typically accept the fewest categories. If your basket contains a restricted item, the cheap option may simply not be available to you.
- Specialist lines cost more and are documented. Accepting a battery means paperwork, certification and liability, which is priced in.
- Availability changes by destination. The same item that can travel to one country may have no compliant route to another. This is the number one reason a parcel cannot be shipped at all.
- Consolidation can create a problem. Combining a restricted item with ordinary goods forces the whole parcel onto a restricted line, potentially raising the cost of everything. See how consolidation affects freight.
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05If a parcel is seized or held
The outcome depends on the item and the country. What follows is the general pattern, not a guarantee.
| Situation | Typical outcome |
|---|---|
| Undervalued declaration, ordinary goods | Duty demand plus a handling fee; parcel released after payment |
| Missing or unclear documentation | Held pending information; if not provided in time, returned or destroyed |
| Restricted item, compliant line | May be returned to sender or destroyed, with notice |
| Prohibited item | Confiscation and destruction without compensation |
| Suspected counterfeit goods | Detention, possible destruction, and in some jurisdictions notification to the rights holder |
Two things are consistent across all of them. First, the international freight is not refunded — the cost of moving the parcel was incurred regardless of the outcome. Second, the decision belongs to the destination authority, which means no platform can promise you a result, and any that does should be treated with suspicion.
06How to check before you order
-
Assume restricted if there is a battery, a spray or a flame symbol
These three cover the overwhelming majority of refusals. Treat them as a trigger to ask rather than a reason to guess.
-
Send the product link to support and ask in writing
Not "can you ship electronics" but "can you ship this link to this country, and on which line". A written answer is also your evidence if the warehouse later refuses it.
-
Check the line's restrictions for your country specifically
Route availability is country-by-country. A line that accepts an item to one destination may not exist for yours at all.
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Factor the specialist-line premium into the price before buying
If the only compliant route is expensive, the item may no longer be a bargain. Better to know now than at the warehouse, with the item already bought and paid for.
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Keep restricted items in a separate parcel
One restricted item forces the whole consolidated parcel onto a restricted line. Isolating it protects the cost and the timeline of everything else.
07Questions people actually ask
Can lithium batteries be shipped from China?
Loose or spare lithium batteries are broadly banned. Batteries installed inside a device may travel on specific certified lines, depending on destination. Always confirm the exact route before buying.
Why can't perfume and aerosols be shipped?
They are flammable liquids or pressurised containers, which air carriers classify as dangerous goods. Dedicated documented lines may accept them at higher cost; standard and budget routes generally will not.
What happens if my parcel is seized?
It ranges from a delay and a duty demand up to confiscation and destruction. Confiscated goods are not compensated and the freight is not refunded, because the decision rests with your country's authority rather than the platform.
Why does one line accept an item that another refuses?
Because each line is a separate commercial arrangement with its own carrier terms and customs structure. A dedicated line may hold dangerous-goods certification and a tax-paid import arrangement; a budget postal route does not.
How do I check before ordering?
Send the specific product link to the agent's support and ask whether it can ship to your country and on which line. Do this before you pay, and keep the written answer.
Know what travels before you buy. Browsing the catalogue by category makes it easier to spot the items that need a specialised line.
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