With the growth of e-commerce, international sales are no longer the preserve of large companies. SMEs and VSEs are also setting out to conquer new markets. But behind the opportunity lies a major challenge: international logistics.
Customs, transport, packaging, tracking, returns… each stage carries its own risks, and can directly affect your margins and your customer experience.
In this article, we will explain:
- International logistics.
- What’s at stake for e-tailers?
- The KPIs you need to manage it.
- Best practices for successful shipments to Europe and beyond.
What does international logistics mean?
International logistics is the complete management of the physical and administrative flow of goods between different countries.
It includes :
- Cross-border transport (air, sea, road, rail).
- Customs management: invoices, certificates of origin, duties and taxes, incoterms.
- Warehousing and order preparation in international or multi-country warehouses.
- Packaging and labeling in compliance with local regulations.
- Managing cross-border returns.
In short, it’s a complex orchestration designed to deliver a foreign customer under the same conditions of speed and reliability as if he were ordering in his own country. To put this in a more global context, discover the origin and importance of the global supply chain.
International logistics players
An international expedition never depends on a single link, but on a coordinated ecosystem:
- The international logistician: planning and coordinating the entire chain, from warehousing to final delivery.
- The international logistics company: providing a global solution including transport, storage, customs and tracking.
- International carriers: DHL, FedEx, UPS, La Poste/Colissimo, or ocean carriers like Maersk for containers.
- Freight forwarders: administrative experts who facilitate the passage of goods through customs.
- Technology platforms: SaaS solutions that connect warehouses, carriers and e-tailers in real time.
Without coordination between these players, delays, customs errors and additional costs are inevitable.
The challenges of international logistics for e-commerce
- Meet delivery deadlines
A Spanish, German or Italian consumer will not tolerate a lead time twice as long as that of his French neighbor. And yet, if you don’t plan ahead, customs formalities and distances will lengthen the journey.
- Reduce logistics costs
International transport costs represent a significant proportion of the average shopping basket. Without pooling or optimizing packaging, your margins will quickly melt away.
- Making the supply chain more reliable
A parcel lost in customs or a container jammed not only entails costs, but also a loss of confidence on the part of your customers.
- Meeting environmental challenges
The carbon footprint of shipping is becoming a criterion of choice. Brands that adopt greener logistics are ahead of the game.
For a more on-the-ground view, check out eCommerce Nation’s 5 key challenges in international logistics.
KPIs in international logistics
To keep control of your flows, it is essential to monitor specific performance indicators:
- Lead time: time between order and final delivery.
- Customs compliance rate: % of packages processed without error or blockage.
- Logistics costs per order: transport, insurance, taxes, packaging.
- Breakage or dispute rate: indicator of packaging and transport quality.
- International returns rate: a reflection of customer satisfaction and the fluidity of the after-sales service.
- Carbon footprint per shipment: increasingly scrutinized by customers and partners.
These KPIs are the basis for managing your flows, negotiating with your service providers and continuously improving your international logistics.
Packaging and international logistics: an inseparable duo
Packaging is a strategic element in long-distance shipping:
- It protects your products against impact, temperature variations and multiple handling.
- It optimizes costs by reducing weight and volume (less empty space = lower costs).
- It must comply with local standards (e.g. labelling for food or cosmetic exports).
- It plays a crucial marketing role, even internationally (unboxing experience, branding).
💡 Eco-packaging is becoming unavoidable. Solutions like Hipli offer reusable packaging, reducing both long-term costs and environmental impact.
Best practices for successful international shipping
1. Anticipate customs formalities
- Define the right incoterms (EXW, FOB, DDP…).
- Prepare commercial invoices, certificates of origin, EORI numbers.
- Check product restrictions (e.g. cosmetics, foodstuffs, lithium batteries).
2. Choose the right mode of transport
- Air: fast, reliable but costly → ideal for lightweight and premium products.
- Maritime: economical on large volumes → suitable for large stocks.
- Road: essential for intra-Community Europe.
- Rail: a competitive, environmentally-friendly alternative, especially between Europe and Asia.
3. Optimize your packaging
- Consolidate multiple orders into a single package.
- Reduce voids to lower volumetric weight.
- Choose certified packaging (export standards).
4. Set up real-time monitoring
International customers want the same transparency as a local purchase. Offer clear, reliable tracking.
5. Working with a global partner
An international transport logistician like Iziship centralizes flow management, mutualizes costs and gives you greater flexibility.
Iziship, your partner in international logistics
At Iziship, we support e-tailers in their international expansion with a tailor-made offer:
- Warehousing in France and Spain for rapid European coverage.
- International multi-carrier network with negotiated rates.
- Seamless integration with Shopify, Prestashop, WooCommerce, Magento.
- Customs support: document management and compliance.
- Personalized, eco-friendly packaging for a positive impact on your customers and your margins.
International logistics FAQs
Key documents include: commercial invoice, certificate of origin, EORI number, customs declaration and specific licenses if your products are regulated (food, cosmetics, electronics).
The most frequent are: misdeclaring the value of goods, choosing unsuitable incoterms, neglecting to optimize packaging or ignoring country-specific regulations (e.g. multilingual labeling).
The key is to plan a clear process: local collection point, consolidated forwarding, or return to a European warehouse. Outsourcing returns management reduces costs and improves the customer experience.
Connected solutions (WMS, CMS integration, real-time tracking) facilitate traceability, automate documentation and reduce human error. This is a major advantage when it comes to scaling without losing efficiency.
By optimizing routes (pooling), choosing carriers committed to reducing emissions, and adopting reusable or recycled packaging. These choices enhance your brand image and build customer loyalty.
In a nutshell
International logistics is a major challenge, but also a tremendous opportunity for e-tailers. By anticipating formalities, optimizing your packaging and monitoring your KPIs, you can offer your international customers the same quality of service as your local customers.
With a partner like Iziship, you’ll benefit from expertise, shared transport rates and connected tools for scaling serenely to Europe and beyond.
