Canada Post has been entrusted to ship a package overseas and you have received an “International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country” tracking update.
What does this mean exactly? How long will it be before the package is delivered and what do you do if the tracking becomes stuck?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country
The “International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country” tracking alert simply means that Canada Post has loaded the package onto a cargo plane that will now depart Canada toward the destination country. This could be via a direct flight or through an intermediate transit country.
International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country – Guide
Although Canada Post has its own fleet of aircraft, the package may still be transported overseas via a line haul operator. Either way, when you receive this update, you are being told that the package is in the process of leaving Canada.
Essentially, the scan that triggers the update is taken as the shipment is loaded onto the plane, (or handed over to line-haul).
Export customs clearance has already taken place, and the package is being forwarded to the destination country.
- Related Content: What Does “Item Bagged” Mean? Tracking Guide
How Long Will it Take to Arrive in the Destination Country?
From the point that the package is loaded onto the plane for departure, arrival into the destination country will take anywhere between 12 and 48hrs.
The long end of that time frame is where the shipment passes through an intermediate transit country, (Canada to Australia is unlikely to happen in one flight for example).
Either way, you should not expect a new tracking alert for at least 24hrs. Upon landing in the destination country, the package is no longer the responsibility of Canada Post.
(If a line-haul operator was responsible for overseas transit, Canada Post relinquished physical responsibility at the point the package was handed over.)
The next step after arrival in the destination country is customs clearance before it is received by the local postal service or carrier responsible for the next stage of the delivery.
- Related Content: Tracking Guide: Shipment Picked up by Canada Post
Tracking Stuck on “International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country”
Let’s face it, you have probably google searched this particular alert because your tracking is currently stuck.
What might have gone wrong?
The most likely outcome is that there has been a delay in the local postal service in picking up the item after customs clearance.
The package will automatically go into a holding warehouse after the clearance process. If it is misplaced during this transfer, or the carrier responsible for the next stage of delivery fails to pick it up, no new scan will take place.
This will cause your tracking to not update for what could amount to several days, or until inquiries into its location begin.
Your first avenue if the item is stuck is to contact Canada Air customer services. The onus SHOULD be on them to contact the carrier responsible inside the destination country to see what the hold up is.
Note the capitalization of “Should”. The fact is, Canada Post can be very unhelpful in situations like this. Representatives will often ask you to raise a support ticket rather than handle your issue there and then.
You can then end up waiting days (during Covid, even weeks) before a human will actually take a look at the problem for you.
If Canada Post proves completely unhelpful in this regard, you may want to take up the inquiry yourself with the local carrier.
You should be able to get the details of which carrier is involved in local delivery via your Canada Post tracking page.
- Related Content: Tracking Guide: “Item Processed” Canada Post
Clearance not Granted
Another issue might be to do with the customs process itself, (i.e clearance inside the destination country was not granted).
However, this is normally accompanied by follow-up tracking alerts providing information on the problem and what steps need to be taken.
The nuts and bolts of clearance are beyond the scope of this article, however, if you suspect this might be the issue, you should once again contact Canada Post for clarification.
What Happens After an “International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country” Update?
As covered above, when a shipment goes according to plan, the package will arrive inside the destination country within 48hrs, pass through customs, and be made available for the carrier responsible for the next stage of delivery.
From here, it will be transported to a nearby carrier facility where it will be sorted and distributed toward another facility or postal center in the region of the recipient.
After this, it will be loaded onto a truck for final delivery to the destination address.
Final Words
Overall, the “International Item Being Forwarded to Destination Country” alert is a standard update that shows Canada Post has begun shipping the package abroad.
It is a normal step in the international transit process and is nothing to be concerned about.
Only when your tracking becomes stuck for several days should you begin your inquiries into the potential delay.
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂
