Cross-Border E-commerce Logistics Guide

Cross-border e-commerce logistics is a chain with at least seven links, and a weak one anywhere can spoil the order for the customer at the end. The goods have to be sourced, collected, cleared out of one country, carried, cleared into another, stored, delivered and sometimes returned. At each link a different party is responsible, a different document is needed and a different rule applies. This guide walks along the chain for an Indian online business, in the order the goods move. It covers both importing stock from China and selling to customers abroad, sets out the customs point at each stage, explains how trade terms divide the work, deals with returns and unclaimed cargo and ends with a document checklist.

For the choice of shipping method, see international shipping solutions for e-commerce businesses. For the compliance side of importing, see how Indian e-commerce brands can import products from China.

The Seven Stages

Stage	What happens	Who is responsible	The point to watch
1. Sourcing and order	The supplier is verified and the contract signed	The buyer	The trade term and the named documents
2. Pickup and export clearance	Goods are collected and cleared out of China	The seller, the buyer or an agent, depending on the term	Who files the export declaration
3. Main carriage	The goods move by courier, air or sea	The carrier and the forwarder	Cut-offs and chargeable weight
4. Import clearance	The goods are declared and cleared in India	The importer, a broker or the courier	Accurate documents and duty funds
5. Storage and fulfilment	Stock is held and orders are picked and packed	The business or a warehouse partner	Inventory accuracy and storage cost
6. Last-mile delivery	The parcel reaches the customer	A delivery partner	Delivery promise and tracking
7. Returns	Unwanted or rejected goods come back	The business and its partners	A clear procedure and cost

Stage 1: Sourcing and the Order

Everything downstream depends on what you agree here. Verify the supplier, using the checks in our guide to reliable suppliers in China, and agree the trade term and the documents in writing. See EXW vs FOB vs CIF.

Stage 2: Pickup and Export Clearance in China

China's Decree No. 103 says the consignor of export goods may declare to customs itself or entrust an agent declaration enterprise, and that the declaration is made after the goods arrive at the customs control area and 24 hours before loading. The decree dates from 2003, so confirm current practice with your forwarder. Under an ex works term, the ICC Academy notes that the buyer has the obligation to handle the export clearance, which can be difficult for a foreign buyer, and ICC encourages parties to consider FCA for cross-border sales. Agree who files before the goods are ready.

Stage 3: Main Carriage

Courier, air and sea each have a role, and the sequence of questions is the same: how big, how urgent and how valuable. The IATA guidance on air cargo tariffs says carriers charge on the higher of actual and volumetric weight, so packaging counts. Our guide to freight consolidation for small e-commerce sellers shows how to share space.

Stage 4: Import Clearance in India

There are two routes. Cargo that arrives as freight is cleared through a bill of entry presented under Section 46 of the Customs Act, 1962 by the importer or a licensed broker, with the duty paid when a self-assessed entry is presented. Goods that arrive with an authorised courier are cleared under the courier regulations, in which the courier files a courier bill of entry. The regulations, as published on the CBIC courier site, define a low value dutiable consignment as an import with an invoice value not exceeding one lakh rupees, other than documents, gifts and samples. Our guide to customs clearance in India step by step sets out the freight route.

Stage 5: Storage and Fulfilment

Imported goods that are cleared go into your stock. Two limits matter. Under Section 48 of the Customs Act, goods not cleared, warehoused or transhipped within thirty days of unloading can be sold after notice, so do not leave cargo uncleared. And the stock has to be labelled and described as Indian law requires before it is sold, which our guide to importing products from China explains.

Stage 6: Last-Mile Delivery

Last-mile delivery within India is a domestic service, and the choice of partner affects your delivery promise and costs. Treat it as part of the same plan, because the order a customer places starts the chain again for your next restock. See our guide to last-mile cost optimization.

Stage 7: Returns and Unclaimed Cargo

Reverse logistics is the stage most businesses plan last. The PIB release of 31 March 2026 on CBIC's courier reforms describes three relevant changes from 1 April 2026:

A Return to Origin facility lets goods that remain uncleared or unclaimed for more than 15 days, and that are not prohibited, restricted or under an enforcement hold, be returned to the origin through a simplified procedure.
A simplified, risk-based procedure applies to the re-import of returned or rejected goods, including those relating to e-commerce exports, with a dedicated return module in the Express Cargo Clearance System.
The ₹10 lakh value cap per consignment on courier exports was removed.

The courier regulations in their 2022 form also say imported goods not cleared within thirty days of arrival can be detained and disposed of after notice, so a parcel that nobody collects is a cost. Check the current text, as amended in 2026. For a fuller treatment, see our guide to cross-border e-commerce returns.

Who Does What Under the Trade Terms

Term	Export clearance	Main carriage	Import clearance and duty
EXW	Buyer	Buyer	Buyer
FCA	Seller	Buyer	Buyer
FOB	Seller	Buyer	Buyer
CIF	Seller	Seller, to the port of destination	Buyer
DDP	Seller	Seller	Seller

The ICC Academy articles on FOB, CFR and CIF, EXW and FCA and EXW and DDP are the basis for the table. DDP obliges the seller to manage both export and import formalities, and ICC Academy notes that a seller may face significant barriers completing import formalities abroad and may be better off selling under DAP. Under Indian law the bill of entry is presented by the importer, so if you buy on delivered terms, confirm who is named as importer and who holds the IEC.

Pile of cardboard boxes sealed with blue tape — Every carton in the chain needs a document that describes it. Photo: Rohit Choudhari on Unsplash

A Document Checklist by Stage

Order: purchase order or contract, and the supplier verification file.
Export: commercial invoice, packing list and the export declaration.
Carriage: the bill of lading or air waybill, or the courier's documents.
Import: the bill of entry, the IEC, the invoice and packing list and any permission the goods need.
Stock: labels and listings that carry the importer, the origin and the price.
Returns: a written procedure and a record of each return.

Our guide to what documents are required to import goods into India covers the import papers in detail.

Cost Lines to Track

Supplier's price and any packaging or labelling charges.
Pickup, export clearance and origin handling.
Main freight and insurance.
Customs duty and IGST, and brokerage or courier clearance fees.
Terminal, storage and delivery charges.
Last-mile delivery and the cost of returns.
Bank charges and the cost of money tied up in stock.

Common Cross-Border Problems

Nobody files the export declaration because the term was not clear.
A route is chosen for price and the goods turn out to be excluded from it.
Duty is left out of the selling price.
Unclaimed cargo accumulates charges.
Returns have no procedure and eat the margin.
Documents disagree and customs asks questions.

Run the Chain With RR Brothers and Logistics

RR Brothers and Logistics coordinates the stages from pickup in China to customs clearance in India, with e-commerce logistics, sea freight and air freight. Tell us how your chain works today and we will show you where the gaps are.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sourcing and ordering, pickup and export clearance, main carriage, import clearance, storage and fulfilment, last-mile delivery and returns.

It depends on the route and the trade term. For freight, the importer or a licensed broker presents the bill of entry. For courier, the courier files a courier bill of entry. Under DDP the seller manages import formalities.

According to PIB, from 1 April 2026 goods that remain uncleared or unclaimed for more than 15 days at courier terminals, and that are not prohibited, restricted or under an enforcement hold, can be returned to the origin through a simplified procedure.

PIB says CBIC has adopted a risk-based approach in place of consignment-wise verification for the re-import of returned or rejected goods, including those relating to e-commerce exports.

Under Decree No. 103, the consignor may declare itself or entrust an agent declaration enterprise. Under ex works terms ICC says the buyer must handle export clearance. Agree who files before the goods are ready.

Section 48 of the Customs Act allows goods not cleared, warehoused or transhipped within thirty days from unloading to be sold after notice. Courier cargo has its own rules, so check the current regulations.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules, rates and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a licensed customs professional before you ship. Regulatory references were checked against the official sources listed above on 26 October 2026.

Image credits: header photo by Daniel Miksha on Unsplash; photo by Rohit Choudhari on Unsplash. Used under the Unsplash License.

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Cross-Border E-commerce Logistics: A Complete Guide