You are expecting an international delivery and have received a “Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs” tracking update?
What does it mean when you see this alert and is there anything you need to do?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs
The “Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs” tracking alert means that the shipment has cleared customs in the origin (export) country. The package will now go through cross-border transit on its way to the destination country. Upon arrival, it may be subject to import customs clearance checks.
Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs – Guide
Essentially, this is a positive tracking update to receive.
It means that the parcel has successfully cleared any export clearance checks from the origin country and is a step closer to delivery.
However, in the grand scheme of things the shipment is still in the early stages of its journey.
After clearing export customs it will be loaded onto an aircraft, cargo ship, or truck (depending on the nature of the cross-border travel arrangements), in order to be shipped to the destination country.
- Related Content: The “Customs Retention or Investigation” Tracking Alert
Even then, the package may not travel direct.
Stopovers at intermediate transit countries (where the parcel may transfer to a different aircraft or cargo ship) can and will happen with international shipments.
The nature of the delivery service purchased and the estimated time will provide an indication of the speed of the shipment in this regard.
- Related Content: Departed From Export Office – EMS Tracking Guide
Tracking Stuck on “Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs”
Okay, there is a good chance you have reached this article because the tracking on your international package is stuck on this update.
This is actually a common occurrence and is not due to your package being literally stuck, it’s because the tracking does become less frequent at this stage.
For example, if the package is being shipped by a low-budget carrier from China, may (Yanwen, Sunyou, etc), will stop scanning the item once it has been handed over to customs staff.
After the “Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs” alert your package will be handed over to a line-haul operator.
This is the service responsible for overseas transit.
It is extremely common for customers to stop receiving any updates at this stage. The line haul operator either is not scanning the parcel for tracking purposes or you are just looking in the wrong place.
When this happens, your original tracking may not update for what could be weeks (in the case of a package traveling via container ship)…
In fact, sometimes the tracking will not update until the parcel is in the hands of the carrier or postal service responsible for final in the destination country.
As you can see, this will cause a large gap in the tracking update frequency, making it seem that the package is stuck.
- Related Content: What Does “Arrival at Export Hub” Mean (Tracking Guide)
But the Tracking has been Stuck for Weeks Now!?
If you find yourself in a frustrating situation where the tracking really has completely stopped updating, there are a couple of proactive steps you can take.
Universal Tracking App
The first is to check your tracking details with a universal tracking app.
Remember how I said your parcel may now be with a line-haul operator and you are just not seeing the updates?
Well, using a free service such as 17Track or Parcelsapp will reveal such information if it exists.
Simply put, the app will scan the database of hundreds of carriers for any sign of your parcel.
If updates exist elsewhere, you will be able to find them with this method.
- Related Content: “Held by Customs at Destination” – What To Do?
Contact the Sender/e-commerce Platform
If after checking the tracking number you find no further details, it will be time to contact the sender.
For Ecommerce orders you will generally be able to do this via the sales platform.
This also provides you with some backing in terms of compensation should the item be lost or you were the victim of a bad seller.
Platforms such as AliExpress and Shein provide buyer guarantee periods and will ensure that you get your money back or online store credit if the package never arrives.
Before things reach that stage, however, the sender should look into issues on their end because as it stands, the item may still be inside the origin country.
Contact the Carrier
If you are the recipient, the carrier responsible for the shipment in the origin country may not deal with you directly, (it was the sender that made the delivery order after all), however, it does not hurt to contact them all the same.
This is especially relevant if the sender seems to be dragging their heels on the issue.
The carrier you contact should be the last one cited as dealing with your package.
Bear in mind, that some overseas carrier services (especially the low-budget ones based in China) can be difficult to get hold of, and may even be less than responsive when you do.
- Related Content: DHL “Processed at Export Facility” – Tracking Guide
Final Words
Despite the potential doom and gloom, I have covered in this article, the “Parcel Has Cleared Export Customs” is actually a good update to receive.
It means that your parcel has gone through all the customs nonsense in the origin country and should soon be on its way to the destination country.
However, it is still in the early stages of the shipment journey and depending on the carrier used may well be weeks away from delivery.
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. 🙂
