Hazmat Goods and Prohibited Items Explained

Hazmat Goods and Prohibited Items Explained: Here’s What You Can’t Ship with Stackry

With so many amazing cosmetics, clothes, electronics, and other products available from the United States, we can’t blame our customers for getting excited and ordering all types of goodies to be sent to their Stackry lockers. However, many customers end up accidentally ordering Prohibited Goods without realizing it!

Due to import and safety regulations, there are many items that can’t be shipped overseas even if customers have them sent to their Stackry locker. In this article, we’re going to clear up the confusion once and for all. We’ll also explore another less-restrictive category called Hazmat, which can still be shipped to most countries, but only with special precautions. This blog will leave you with a much better understanding of Prohibited Goods and Hazmat items, so your shopping experience can go as smoothly as possible!

What are Prohibited Items and How Can You Avoid Them?

Prohibited Items are certain products that Stackry can’t ship outside the United States in most circumstances. Some Prohibited Items, such as live animals or weapons, are just common sense. But others, such as certain types of jewelry or food items, may surprise you! Before you go on your shopping spree, it’s important to check this list and ensure none of the items in your cart fall into one of the following categories:

• Animals, Plants, and Food: This includes furs, plant seeds, and foods that require refrigeration.
• High-Value Items: Antiques, precious metals, and expensive jewelry also falls into this category. The risk of losing your precious item in the mail is just too high!
• Unidentifiable Items: All liquids, supplements, food items, and non-prescription medications must have a label that clearly states their ingredients.
• Hazardous Materials: Human remains, embryos, and garbage are just a few of the hazmat items we aren’t allowed to ship. Surprisingly, magnets are also banned, since they can cause damage to other electronic items during the shipping process.
• Monetary Items: Cash, lottery tickets, and magnetic chip cards are just a few examples.
• Military Items: Law enforcement uniforms, military equipment, and night vision products fall into this category. Training equipment and thermal imagers are also banned due to the potential for misuse.
• Weapons: This is probably the most self-explanatory category of all our Prohibited Items! Any type of guns, including BB guns, are strictly prohibited. Pepper spray and swords are also banned.
• Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco Products: Cannabis, cigarettes, and drug paraphernalia are just a few of the things we can’t send on to you.
• Pornography: Due to local laws, pornography of any type is a no-go as well.

If you order any of the items off this list, unfortunately, that’s the end of the line for your order. This is due to local regulations, safety precautions, and in some cases even international law. We also can’t ship any sort of item that requires a special license to ship.

For a full list of Prohibited Items, check out this page on our site.

So next time you’re ready to go on your shopping spree, make sure none of these potentially-dangerous items have made their way into your cart! Our shipping specialists are happy to answer any questions you may have about what items you can and cannot send on, so contact us by email any time at [email protected]. We can also be reached by phone at +1 781-491-0874 between the hours of 9 and 5, EST.

What is Hazmat and What’s the Difference from Banned Items?

Next up, we also have a different category known as Hazmat Items that unlike banned items, can still be shipped overseas. Many items such as nail polish, lithium-ion batteries, and perfumes fall into this category, but you may not even realize this while placing your order!

Hazmat Items require some special precautions to be taken before we can send them on to our customers: Depending on which items you’ve ordered, special forms may need to be filled out, material data safety sheets may need to be obtained, and special shipping services may even need to be used. If your order is classified as Hazmat after arriving in our warehouse, we’ll work with you every step of the way and help you decide which shipping method is best for you.

Some common Hazmat items that could surprise you include:

• Aerosols: Anything in an aerosol can, such as hairspray or air freshener, requires special shipping protocols before it can be sent on.
• Electronics with spare batteries: If you order an electronic item (such as a camera or a phone) that includes a spare battery, we’ll need to take special precautions before sending it your way. Any sort of loose batteries will need to follow the same protocols as well.
• Electronics with lithium-ion batteries: This includes some of our most popular items such as smartwatches, laptops, and even cell phones!
• Certain cosmetics such as perfumes and nail polishes: Due to the flammable nature of these items, extra precautions must be taken before we forward your order.

For a full list of Hazmat items, as well as some more info about how we can help you send your items on, check out this list on our site.

You can also view this list from the US Department of Transport for more information.

Shop Safe from the US from Stackry

Hopefully, this article has helped to clear up some of the confusion about what can and cannot be shipped to your home country. But never fear: While there may be some items you can’t get your hands on through our reshipping services, fortunately, there are still plenty of perfectly legal, safe options to choose from! Millions of items from all your favorite US retailers are just waiting to be explored! So the next time you decide to go on a US shopping spree, be sure to choose Stackry at checkout—just don’t forget to check our list of Prohibited Items and Hazmat first!