Previously, we made a blog on everything you need to know about shipping food overseas. Similar to shipping food, shipping liquids overseas can be more complicated and time-consuming than shipping other types of goods such as books, clothes, and other accessories.

This is because there are many regulations and safety considerations that must be taken into account for shipping liquids.

However, with a little planning and know-how, you can ship your liquids with ease and confidence. To get you started, here are some tips you should know when shipping liquid items overseas!

Research the Rules and Regulations

First and foremost, it's important to research the regulations and requirements of the country you will be shipping liquid items to.

Different countries have different rules and regulations, so it's crucial to research on them before you begin shipping any liquid packages. This will help avoid any potential delays or issues that could arise.

It’s important to understand the types of liquids that generally can and can’t be shipped:

Safe Liquids Commonly Shipped Overseas

Let’s start off with liquids that you can easily ship overseas. If your liquid items are non-hazardous liquids, there shouldn’t be any issue shipping them!

Non-hazardous liquids are typically defined as liquids that do not pose a significant risk of harm to people, animals, or the environment if they are handled or transported incorrectly.

Hence, which is also why they can generally be shipped without any hassle.

Some examples of safe liquids can usually be shipped internationally:

• Cosmetics and personal care products (e.g. Shampoo, Lotion)
• Honey
• Water
• Juices (e.g. fruit juice, vegetable juice)
• Syrup

Although we would consider cosmetics and personal care products as safe items to ship internationally, there are risks to shipping cosmetics to specific countries. For example, countries like Spain and Malaysia do not accept cosmetics. Malaysia also does not allow shipments of more than 1 month’s worth of toiletries.

Slightly Risky to Ship Overseas (Without MSDS)

• Essential Oils
• Medicated Oils
• Soap and cleaning products
• Hand Sanitizer

JustShip has successfully shipped items like medicated oils, soaps, cleaning products and hand sanitizers several times.

It's generally safe to ship these products in small quantities e.g. small bottles under 50 ml. But if you’re thinking of shipping the above items in bulk, it’s best that you prepare a MSDS so we can help check if the items are safe to ship.

What is a MSDS?

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that provides information on the potential hazards of a chemical or substance and how to safely handle it.

MSDSs typically include information such as the Physical and chemical properties of the Liquids, Health hazards associated with the substance, measures required when handling the liquid, etc.

Preparing a MSDS will prevent the risk of your item getting rejected/returned. So if you want to ship items like oils and hand sanitizers in large amounts, prepare a MSDS in advance for a smooth shipping experience!

Liquids that are likely to be Shipped as a Dangerous Good

Liquids that are considered dangerous goods will usually require you to prepare a MSDS for them to be shipped.

Some examples of dangerous liquids that usually requires a MSDS for shipping:

• Hair Dye
• Paint
• Acetone
• Aerosol Sprays
• Dry Ice
• Lighter Fluid
• Nail Polish
• Paint

At JustShip, we offer international shipping of dangerous goods including liquids! Since shipping dangerous goods can be dreadful, we’ll help take care of all the boring bits for you.

Here are the steps to shipping dangerous liquids with us:

1. Enquire with us

Before you fill in our shipment form, you can contact us on Whatsapp or Gmail: hello@justship.sg and send us your item information to check if your items are shippable or not. You can send us your item details, such as:

• Contact Information
• Destination Address
• Item Description
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

2. Fill in our Shipment Form with all your details

3. Make Payment

4. Start Shipping!

• Have your package picked up by us from your doorstep for free, or you can drop it off at our office.

By following these steps, shipping a dangerous good will never be a hassle anymore!

Liquids that cannot be shipped with us

- Alcohol for consumption

Unfortunately, consumable Alcohol is one of those items that fall under our list of prohibited items to ship internationally.

Only businesses that hold appropriate alcohol licenses (licensees) may ship to their customers in select states or countries.

Unsure of what liquids can or cannot be shipped internationally? JustShip provides an expert review of your item documentation to ensure that you don’t ship out any prohibited items.

Furthermore, we’ll let you know if you might need to provide extra documents such as a MSDS so that you avoid any customs issues!

Properly Pack your Liquids

Once you have a clear understanding of the regulations and requirements, it's time to properly pack your liquids for shipping. This is where things can get a little tricky, so be sure to follow these tips:

Step 1: Store the Liquid in sturdy, leak-proof containers

Step 2: Seal and properly label the containers

Step 3: Pack the containers using a box or crate, to provide additional protection and support for the containers holding the liquids

• Use corrugated box dividers to separate the containers
• Include absorbents like paper towels, cotton balls, and moisture-absorbing packets to absorb any liquid leakage that occurs.

Step 4: Use plenty of padding and cushioning materials to prevent the containers from shifting or breaking during transit

(Add packing paper, and bubble wrap to fill empty spaces for cushioning of the containers during shipping.)

Step 5: Fill the containers as full as possible to reduce the risk of leakage

Step 6: Use the H-taping method to seal your boxes

Step 7: Paste stickers indicating fragile products on the containers

Step 8: Double-check your package, and make sure it feels stable and secure!

Take note that the above tips only apply to non-dangerous goods! For dangerous goods, they require specialists to pack them.

JustShip offers professional packing services for dangerous and non-dangerous goods so that your packages are secure when it’s being shipped.

Furthermore, we help choose the most suitable packaging (eg. polymailer, envelope, standard-sized carton box, customized carton box, crate) for your item so that it reaches your destination in top condition!

Not only that, we ensure that the volumetric weight is kept to a minimum so you save on shipping costs. We do this with customised boxes that are true to your item size!

It's important that your liquid items are properly sealed before passing them to us for packing to prevent any leakage!

Conclusion

There are a lot of factors to consider when shipping liquids internationally. But with these tips and best practices, shipping liquids internationally will be much easier!

Enjoyed reading this blog on how to ship liquids? Check out our previous blog ‘Everything you need to know about shipping food overseas’ if you’re thinking of shipping food internationally!

Need a Liquid Item shipped? Create a shipment with us now!

If you have any more enquiries about shipping liquids, feel free to contact us on Whatsapp: 91187971 or Gmail at hello@justship.sg!