How international packages travel from seller to door — customs clearance, import duties, shipping times by country, and step-by-step guides for AliExpress, SHEIN, and Chinese carriers.
A package crossing a border passes through more hands than most people realise. It leaves the seller, moves through the origin country's postal or logistics system, transfers to an international carrier, clears customs at the destination, and then enters the domestic delivery network. At any of those stages tracking can go quiet for days — not because the package is lost, but because the systems between countries do not always communicate.
The guides in this category cover what actually happens at each stage. The customs clearance guide explains why 95% of consumer packages clear US customs automatically in 1–3 days and what puts a shipment in the 5% that gets held. The import duties guide covers the $800 de minimis threshold — the rule that means most purchases from AliExpress, Temu, and eBay cross the US border without any duty at all — and explains precisely when that changes. The shipping times guide gives realistic country-by-country transit windows, not the optimistic estimates shown at checkout.
If you are tracking a package from China, start with the AliExpress tracking guide. Chinese logistics involves multiple carrier handoffs invisible on the seller's platform, and understanding the full path explains why a shipment can appear stopped for ten days and then arrive.
The checkout estimate is almost always the optimistic end of the range. This guide gives you realistic numbers — country by country.
Read article99% of consumer packages clear US Customs automatically in 1-3 days. Here's what puts a package in the other 1% and what to do.
Read articleMost customs holds clear on their own within 3-7 days. Calling on day 2 accomplishes nothing. Here's the right timeline for each action.
Read articleUnder $800 you owe zero US import duties. That covers almost everything on AliExpress, Temu, or eBay. Here's when that changes.
Read articleYour AliExpress package is not lost — it's probably waiting at an air cargo facility for a flight. Here's the complete 7-step journey.
Read articleAliExpress uses 12+ logistics companies and your package often switches carriers mid-journey. Here's how to follow it every step of the way.
Read articleSHEIN ships from a US warehouse (3-7 days) and directly from China (10-20 days). Know which one your order is coming from before you buy.
Read articleMost international packages clear US customs in 1–3 business days. Around 95% of consumer packages clear automatically without human review. Packages that get held typically involve undeclared goods, incorrect valuations, or items on restricted lists. During peak periods like November and December, clearance can extend to 5–7 days even for straightforward shipments.
No. The US de minimis threshold is $800 per shipment. Any package with a declared value below $800 enters duty-free. This covers the vast majority of consumer purchases from AliExpress, Temu, Shein, and international eBay sellers. Above $800, duties depend on product category — typically 0–25% of declared value. The threshold applies per shipment, not per day or per seller.
Gaps of 3–7 days are normal for international shipments. The most common gaps happen during air transport (packages are not scanned in flight), at the handoff between the origin postal system and the US carrier, and during customs review. A package from China can go 5–10 days without a scan and still arrive on schedule. Investigate only when total elapsed time exceeds the estimated delivery window by more than 7 days.
If the package has been held fewer than 10 business days, wait. Most holds resolve automatically. If you receive a formal notice requesting documentation, respond within the specified window — usually 5–30 days. If 15 or more business days have passed with no movement and no notice, contact the seller first; they may need to submit corrected documentation to customs.
AliExpress provides a tracking number once the seller ships. Enter it on the AliExpress order page or paste it into ParcelsZen, which automatically identifies the carrier. Numbers starting with LP or ending in CN typically indicate Yanwen, Cainiao, or China Post. Tracking often shows no updates for 7–14 days after the first scan — this is normal air transit time, not a sign the package is lost.
Related guides from across the blog.
