This page explains the cross-border logistics methods, how freight is calculated, acceptable product categories, and size/weight limits for goods traded on GoodTradeCenter. This platform is a B2B online wholesale marketplace; goods are shipped by the independent suppliers that list them. The platform provides channel matching. The final freight is the quote calculated by the system at the time of ordering. Please read this together with our User Agreement and Return & Refund Policy.
1. Two Shipping Methods
Cross-border shipment on the platform falls into two categories. Confirm which one applies to your goods before ordering:
Small Parcel Direct Mail — small parcels delivered directly to the buyer. Suited to compact, lightweight, moderately valued items (phone cases, cables, jewelry, single garments). Billed by gram or by 0.1 kg, with a low entry threshold, but with hard limits on size and weight.
International Line (the focus of this page) — a stable channel for bulk, medium-to-large, or special-category goods. Usually billed by kg plus a registration/handling fee. When your goods exceed the size or weight ceiling of small parcel direct mail, you must switch to an international line, otherwise the carrier will refuse or return them.
Important: Small parcel direct mail has explicit ceilings on single-side length, the sum of three sides, and per-piece weight (most routes cap at 2 kg per piece; the US route caps at 30 kg per piece but with strict single-side limits). If your item's size or weight exceeds the small parcel limit, do not order as small parcel direct mail — choose the corresponding international line below. Oversized shipments are returned by the carrier within 3 days, and the resulting costs are borne by the sender.
2. Category Rules
Different categories require different channel qualifications. Before ordering, determine which channel your goods must use:
General Cargo — goods with no batteries, no liquids/powders/pastes, no magnetism, and no brand infringement. Accepted by most line channels; lowest price, most stable transit.
Apparel / Textiles — only bag-packed, compressible apparel (ordinary clothes, dresses, hats, scarves, socks) is accepted; boxed packaging is not accepted. The commodity name must follow the format "Men's/Women's + fabric + weave + garment style", e.g. women's polyester knitted shirt; for footwear made of synthetic leather, the material must be stated.
Battery-Powered Goods — items with a battery built into the device (cameras, phones, laptops, watches, electric toothbrushes, electric shavers). For battery channels, the built-in battery must not exceed 100W·H. Battery channels come in "Standard" and "Economy" tiers, chosen by destination and transit requirement.
Cosmetics — liquid, powder, or paste cosmetic products (lipstick, foundation, cream, eyeshadow, perfume-type items). Must use a cosmetics line. A complete ingredient label is required; all alcohol-containing liquids are not accepted; white powders are not accepted; liquids/powders without any ingredient labeling are not accepted. Some routes (e.g. the US) have an additional per-parcel declared value ceiling.
Special Cargo — mixed shipments containing cosmetics, battery-powered goods, and other sensitive attributes must use a special cargo line. Priced above general cargo, with stricter declared value limits.
3. Special Notes on Battery-Powered Goods (Built-in Battery ≤ 100W·H)
Battery-powered goods are the most error-prone category in cross-border logistics. Please note:
Only "built-in batteries" are accepted — batteries integrated into the device and not removable. Accompanying (spare) batteries and pure batteries are not accepted (batteries, power banks, or cells shipped on their own).
The built-in battery must not exceed 100W·H. Above that limit, another channel with lithium-battery transport qualifications must be used; consult our staff first.
Battery channels usually also accept general cargo and apparel/textiles, but pricing follows the battery tier; if a parcel contains both battery-powered goods and general cargo, the higher rate applies.
Weakly magnetic goods (magnetic knife racks, magnetic cables, magnetic watch bands) are not built-in batteries but are subject to aviation magnetic restrictions; choose a channel explicitly marked "weak magnetism accepted".
The following are never accepted on battery channels: pure batteries, external/spare batteries, large lithium batteries (e-bikes, e-scooters, energy storage boxes), food, liquids, powders, controlled knives, counterfeit brands, raw wood or wood-containing products, epidemic-prevention materials, dangerous goods such as lighters, laser pointers, helmets, etc.
4. Size and Weight Limits (Small Parcel vs International Line)
The table below summarizes per-piece ceilings for major routes to help you judge whether goods can go by small parcel direct mail. Anything over the ceiling must use an international line:
Route
Max weight / piece
Max dimensions
Min dimensions
Volumetric weight
USA (general/battery/special/apparel)
30 kg
≤ 55 × 40 × 35 cm
≥ 15 × 10 × 0.7 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
UK (general/battery/cosmetics/apparel)
15 kg
≤ 60 × 40 × 40 cm
≥ 15 × 10 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
Canada
30 kg
≤ 60 × 40 × 35 cm
≥ 15 × 10 × 0.7 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
Australia / New Zealand
20 kg
≤ 60 × 40 × 35 cm
≥ 15 × 10 × 0.7 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
Japan (economy / apparel)
10 kg
≤ 59 × 40 × 39 cm, sum of 3 sides ≤ 80 cm
≥ 15 × 10 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
Japan (cosmetics line)
15 kg
≤ 59 × 40 × 39 cm, sum of 3 sides ≤ 80 cm
≥ 15 × 10 cm
L×W×H ÷ 8000
Japan (light small items)
1 kg
L ≤ 31.2 cm, W ≤ 22.8 cm, H ≤ 2.5 cm
≥ 15 × 10 cm
—
Malaysia
30 kg
≤ 60 × 50 × 40 cm
—
L×W×H ÷ 6000
Middle East (Saudi/UAE/Kuwait/Qatar/Bahrain)
30 kg
≤ 120 × 60 × 60 cm
≥ 15 × 10 × 0.7 cm
L×W×H ÷ 6000
Billing: Most routes bill on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight = L(cm) × W(cm) × H(cm) ÷ 8000 (÷ 6000 for some Middle East and Malaysia channels). Weight rounding varies: USA/Canada/New Zealand round by gram (min 50 g); UK/Australia by gram (min 1 g); the five Middle East countries round by 100 g. Japan light items round by 0.1 kg; economy channels use a 0.5 kg first weight and 0.5 kg additional weight, rounded up.
5. How Freight Is Determined
We do not publish the contracted rates for individual channels. The actual freight is calculated in real time when you submit an order, based on the destination country, the chargeable weight (the greater of actual and volumetric weight), and the selected channel — the final amount is shown on the checkout page before you pay, so no surcharge is added afterwards.
If your goods fall into a special category (battery-powered, cosmetics, or special cargo) or the shipment is heavy, please contact us first with the commodity name, destination, and estimated weight. We will calculate the freight including registration and handling fees and recommend a suitable channel.
Freight covers logistics only and excludes destination duties and import taxes, which are payable by the consignee under local customs rules.
6. Declaration and Customs Requirements
Specific, accurate commodity names — vague descriptions (gift / sample / accessories / parts / tools) are not accepted. State the item name, use, and material, e.g. refine "cloth" to "women's polyester shirt"; the name should not include a model number.
Declared value — For the US, per-parcel declared value must be ≥ USD 1 and ≤ USD 249 (special cargo line: USD 1–60), and the daily cumulative value for the same consignee name and address may not exceed the ceiling. For the UK, declared value must not exceed GBP 135 (approx. USD 160); related taxes are paid by the platform or self-declared by the seller to HMRC. For Japan, goods above USD 70 (JPY 10,000) are not accepted, and a single parcel should contain fewer than 10 items.
Customs service fee — Some routes (e.g. the US battery standard line) pre-charge a customs service fee at a percentage of the declared value per shipment, non-refundable and non-adjustable.
Brand and IP — Infringing goods involving brand authorization, design, or international cartoon characters are not accepted; brands filed for IP protection with China Customs require an authorization letter.
7. Coverage and Delivery Notes
The rates above usually cover delivery service only. For failed deliveries, the last-mile provider on some routes destroys the shipment by default and does not offer return or re-delivery.
Remote areas may incur surcharges, e.g. Canada remote postcodes; Australia and New Zealand are priced by postcode zone; the US excludes remote areas such as Alaska and Hawaii and APO/FPO military addresses.
Middle East routes (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain) do not accept Amazon warehouse addresses; an address accurate to city-district-street-room and a valid phone number are required.
Oversized shipments are returned by the carrier within 3 days; return costs are borne by the sender.
8. FAQ
Q: My product has a built-in battery. Can I use a general cargo channel? No. Battery-powered goods must use a battery channel (a battery channel is required), and the battery must not exceed 100W·H.
Q: Can I ship power banks? No. Power banks are "pure/external batteries" and are not accepted on any channel. Only goods with a non-removable built-in battery qualify as acceptable built-in batteries.
Q: My goods exceed the small parcel direct mail size limit. What should I do? Use an international line instead. Small parcel direct mail has hard limits on single-side dimensions and the sum of three sides; anything over will be refused. International lines carry larger and heavier goods (per-route ceilings in Section 4).
Q: Can cosmetics and battery-powered goods go in the same parcel? They must use the special cargo line with the commodity name clearly declared; some routes apply stricter declared value limits.
Q: How is freight calculated? Based on the greater of actual and volumetric weight, plus the route's registration/handling fee. The exact freight can be confirmed on the product order page or with our staff.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about logistics channels, how freight is calculated, or category restrictions, contact us via the Contact Us page or the online chat at the bottom right of the platform. We will recommend a suitable channel based on your specific commodity name and destination.