What items are prohibited and can't be delivered through Borderlinx?

Export and Import Regulations and Restrictions

For your guidance, we've provided a detailed list of products that cannot be shipped. We have tried to make this page as complete as possible, but it is not necessarily exhaustive. There may be other items not specifically named which fall into one of the following categories.

Legal Restrictions Safety Restrictions
Some products are prohibited due to exporting country, importing country or transportation regulations. In addition, items ultimately destined for countries subject to U.S. or international embargoes are prohibited. Shipments destined to certain prohibited persons and entities are also excluded from the Borderlinx service. Products that cannot be safely shipped include flammable products or dangerous items, e.g., products that are toxic or that may catch fire or explode during shipment. This category includes some everyday products such as aerosols and certain cosmetics.

Lithium Batteries

As you may know, there is a risk of certain lithium batteries catching fire. New regulations restrict the shipment of certain types of lithium batteries, which are considered "dangerous goods". Although not all lithium batteries are affected by these regulations, be sure to check your product specifications carefully against the restrictions below.

CAN be shipped
LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES WITH EQUIPMENT
  • Laptop with battery outside of laptop CAN ship, as long as battery is under 100 Wh and packaged with equipment (same box, inside of another box).
  • Camera & camera battery CAN ship.
    • Per NEW regulations only 1 battery per shipment with equipment.
    • Must be sent in box, no longer shipped inside of padded pouch or poly bag.
LITHIUM-ION INSIDE EQUIPMENT Regulations have not changed for iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc.
CANNOT be shipped
LITHIUM-METAL BATTERIES
  • With Equipment - All instances are prohibited
  • In Equipment - All instances are prohibited
  • Loose - All instances are prohibited
LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
  • Over 2.7 Wh and less than 100 Wh per battery and more than two batteries per box, OR
  • Over 2.7 Wh and less than 100 Wh per battery and more than 8 cells per package.
LOOSE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
  • I.E. - Power banks, battery packs, cell phone batteries, laptop batteries.
  • All external battery packs and power banks are now regulated to ship and listed as hazardous.
Other Important Information
SCREENING We will screen the batteries in all electronic items at our export facility and will not be able to ship any items to you that fall into the above categories. That may mean that the product has to be returned to the merchant.
DAMAGED or DEFECTIVE We will not ship any lithium batteries (ion or metal type) that are confirmed or suspected to be defective or damaged.
MORE INFORMATION International Air Transport Association (IATA)

Commonly Prohibited Items

Export and important regulations restrict the shipment of the following categories and goods.

CANNOT be shipped
CASH, MONEY and RELATED ITEMS
  • Cash (banknotes and coins)
  • Travelers checks
  • Any monetary instrument in bearer form
  • Counterfeit or imitation money
  • Credit cards and credit card readers
CIGARETTES AND RELATED PRODUCTS
  • Cigarettes
  • Electronic cigarettes and liquid
  • Cigars
  • Tobacco
  • Tobacco products including chewing tobacco
ELECTRONICS
  • Restrictions apply. Please carefully check Lithium Batteries and Electronic Products that require them before you purchase any lithium batteries or electronic items that include lithium batteries.
  • Certain radio transmitters and cordless phones may not be approved for use in your country.
SHARP OBJECTS
  • For the safety of our staff and that of our carriers, we prohibited the shipment of sharp objects.
    • Axes
    • Darts
    • Bows and arrows
    • Bayonets
    • Etc.
GAMBLING ITEMS
  • Gambling equipment and apparatus
  • Poker chips
  • Lottery tickets and other similar prize tickets
PERISHABLE PRODUCTS
  • Frozen items, items requiring refrigeration
  • Fresh flowers
  • Living plants, trees, bushes
  • Seeds
  • Perishable foods (e.g., cheese, milk, yoghurt, eggs, meat, fish, seafood)
  • Live bait
FOOD PRODUCTS and DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
  • Baby Food or related products (US Import only)
  • Syrups such as coffee creamers, flavoured syrups, artificial sweeteners
  • Food gift baskets, frozen foods
  • Dietary supplements including acai berry tabs and supplements, weight loss kits, adult male supplements, alertec supplements, anabolic 7, diet pills, fish oil vitamins and supplements, herbal supplements
  • Bodybuilding supplies, traditional Chinese tonic
PRECIOUS METALS and STONES
  • Bullion, gold and other precious metals
  • Loose precious stones
  • Gold, silver and platinum jewelry
  • Antiques
  • Rare coins
PORNOGRAPHIC and OBSCENE MATERIALS
  • Sex toys, clothing and equipment
  • Pornographic material
  • Erotic publications (e.g., videos and DVDs)
MISCELLANEOUS
  • Products or beverages containing alcohol
  • Counterfeit or "pirated" goods; items that infringe intellectual property rights (e.g., trademarks, copyrights or patents)
  • Documents and personal mail
  • Ashes, human remains
  • Soaps

Drugs

We are required to submit any items in this category for review. At the discretion of the authorities, the product may be seized for further investigation.

CANNOT be shipped
  • Controlled chemicals, including substances that are precursors or chemicals for manufacture of dangerous drugs or psychotropic substances
  • Narcotic drugs
  • Unlicensed drugs including synthetic cannabis (often packaged as "herbal incense", "herbal potpourri" or similar descriptions)
  • Infectious substances

Firearms and Weapons

The following list only describes general categories of these types of products. It is not exhaustive. Each item has to be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific ingredients.

CANNOT be shipped
  • Guns, including
    • Revolvers
    • Rifles
    • Pistols and other firearms (or parts thereof)
    • Starter pistols
    • Rifle scopes
  • Ammunition and associated products; bullets
  • Offensive weapons, including
    • Mace
    • Pepper spray
    • Stun guns
    • Tasers
    • Martial arts weapons
    • Hand grenades
    • Flick knives
    • Throwing knives
    • Brass knuckles, "knuckle dusters"
  • Imitation weapons, including
    • Toy guns
    • Toy pistols
    • Toy grenades

Explosive, Toxic and Dangerous Products

The following list only describes general categories of these types of products. It is not exhaustive. Each item has to be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific ingredients.

CANNOT be shipped
  • Irradiating apparatus and radioactive materials
  • Explosives including gunpowder and dynamite
  • Firecrackers and fireworks
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Asbestos
  • Cigarette lighters, gas lighters
  • Poisons
  • Hair regrowth products, e.g., Rogaine
  • Goods that are potentially flammable, including
    • Perfumes
    • Colognes
    • Eau de toilette
    • Fragrance spray
    • Makeup remover
    • Aftershave lotion
    • Nail polish
    • Nail polish remover
    • Some hair care products
    • Aerosols; any product in an aerosol can
    • Compressed gas or gas cylinders
    • Fuels
    • Gasoline (petrol)
    • Gas torches
    • Engine oil
    • Motor oil
    • Essential oil
    • Lighters with fuel; lighter fluid
    • Turpentine
    • Paint thinner
    • Household cleaners
    • Paint and paint guns
    • Varnishes
    • Stains
    • Solvents
    • Glue and adhesives
    • Paintball tanks, guns and grenades
    • Printer toner cartridges
  • Laboratory chemicals
  • Chimney cleaner
  • Drain cleaner
  • Oven cleaner
  • Bleach
  • Pesticides and fungicides
  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
  • Antifreeze
  • Automotive products, including
    • Brake fluid
    • Coolants
    • Degreasers
    • Hydraulic fluid
    • Power steering fluid
    • Transmission fluid
    • Vehicle cleaning solutions
    • Performance additives
  • Please carefully check Lithium Batteries and Electronic Products that require them before you purchase any lithium batteries or electronic items that include lithium batteries.

Weapons and Warfare

We are required to submit any items in this category for review by the government agency responsible for export compliance. Depending on their decision, the product may be:

  • Seized by the agency for further investigation, or
  • Shipped to you if the agency decides it is legal to export it, or
  • We will notify you that it needs to be returned to the merchant, shipped to another domestic address, or disposed of.
CANNOT be shipped
  • Munitions of war
  • Any products or intended for use or which could be used in chemical or biological weapons, missile technology, or nuclear proliferation
  • Any items specially designed, modified, adapted or configured for military use and any "dual use" items (those with both commercial and military/police uses) including but not limited to
    • Projection telescopes specially designed for use with Super High Power Laser ("SHPL") systems
    • Handcuffs, leg cuffs, ankle cuffs, police-type batons
    • Polygraph (lie-detector) equipment
    • Military helmets
    • Night vision equipment (e.g., goggles, binoculars)
    • Bulletproof clothing; flak jackets
    • Nuclear material
    • Surveillance and eavesdropping equipment (including hidden cameras, infrared and thermal imaging cameras)
    • Lasers, radar, sonar systems
    • Telecommunications equipment designed to operate underwater, or at extremely high or low temperatures, or to withstand radiation
    • Spraying or fogging systems
    • Software used for active flight control purposes, or designed or modified to use "cryptography" employing digital techniques performing any cryptographic function other than authentication or digital signature; military encryption software; software employing a key length greater than 64 bits for the symetric algorithm
    • Aircraft and aircraft parts
  • Any other goods subject to government export restrictions or requiring an export license
  • Items destined for countries subject to U.S. or international embargoes
  • Items addressed to U.S. or international lists of prohibited persons and entities
For more information
U.S. Export Restrictions Please reference:
U.K. and EU Export Restrictions You can register to use the "Goods checker" web-based search tool published by the U.K. Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
Hong Kong Export Restrictions Please reference:
Import Restrictions by Country Import restrictions vary by country.

For information on import prohibitions and restrictions, please check with the Border Control authority for your country. Have a look at the World Customs Organisation web site to find your local customs office.
http://www.wcoomd.org.