Complete guide to international shipping: Everything you need to know in 2028

What do you need before making your first international shipment?

Mandatory documents for international shipments from Mexico

Every shipment that crosses a border needs the right paperwork. Here are the three essential documents:

Commercial invoice: describes the package's contents, declared value, seller, and recipient. It's the most closely reviewed document by customs authorities worldwide. A mistake here can hold up your package for days or weeks.

HS code (Harmonized System): the international product classification that determines the duties your customer will pay at destination. Envia.com has a product classification tool that finds it in seconds, with no foreign trade expertise required.

International waybill: the transport document required to clear customs. It's generated as part of the label creation process on Envia.com, along with the other customs documents you'll need to complete with the shipment details.

Restrictions by product type

Not everything can be shipped to every country. Here are the products with the most common restrictions for international shipments from Mexico:

• Food and perishables: require specific health permits depending on the destination.
• Cosmetics and supplements: subject to FDA regulations in the United States.
• Electronics with lithium batteries: air transport restrictions due to fire risk.
• Medications: heavily regulated in almost every destination.

If you're unsure whether your product can be shipped to a specific destination, check with Envia.com's customer support team before processing the shipment.

Who pays the duties on an international shipment?

You have two options, and your choice directly affects your customer's experience:

DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid): the buyer pays the duties upon receiving the package. More common, but it can lead to rejected deliveries if the customer wasn't informed about the extra cost.

DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the seller covers the duties from the origin. The buyer receives their order with no additional charges at the door. This builds more trust and reduces rejected deliveries.

When generating your label on Envia.com, you can choose which method applies to each shipment. To understand in detail how the total cost calculation works under DDP, check out our DHL Landed Cost guide.

How to generate an international label on Envia.com: step by step

1. Log in to your account at ship.envia.com and select New international shipment.
2. Enter the origin and recipient details. You can do this manually or use Smart Address, which lets you load the addresses by speaking or taking a photo for extra speed.
3. Describe the package's contents: product type, weight, dimensions, and declared value in dollars.
4. Assign your product's HS code. If you don't have it, use Envia.com's product classification tool.
5. Choose the duty method: DDU or DDP, depending on your agreement with the buyer.
6. Compare carriers by their rates and transit times in real time and choose the best option.
7. Generate the label and complete the required customs documents — waybill and commercial invoice — with the shipment details already entered.

The mistakes that most often delay an international shipment

Declaring a value lower than the actual one. This is the riskiest practice. Customs authorities in the United States, the European Union, and Latin America have tightened their controls. An underdeclared value can result in the package being held, fined, or destroyed, along with legal consequences for the exporter.

Using the wrong HS code. An incorrect code can cause your product to pay higher duties than necessary, or be classified as restricted merchandise. Use Envia.com's product classification tool to verify it before generating the label.

Not informing the buyer about duties. If your shipment goes out under DDU and the customer doesn't know they'll have to pay duties upon receiving the package, they almost always refuse the delivery. The fix: switch to DDP, or clearly communicate it at checkout before the customer confirms the purchase.

Packing without accounting for long transit times. A package traveling from Mexico to Spain can pass through four handling points. What wouldn't need double-boxing for a domestic shipment almost always requires it for an international one.

Not activating shipping insurance. On long transit routes, the risk of loss or damage increases considerably. Activating Envia.com's shipping insurance is a low-cost decision with a high impact on protecting your operation.

The world is your market. Logistics is your passport.

Mexico leads ecommerce growth in Latin America and is the region's top exporter. The tools to sell to the world are already available, accessible, and designed for businesses of any size.

What separates sellers who export successfully from those who never try comes down to understanding the process, choosing the right platform, and leaving no detail to chance.

Ready to sell to the world? Get a quote for your first international shipment on Envia.com and get started today.