E-Commerce: Selling Internationally

Selling your products online allows for immediate entry into the global marketplace. However, shipping your product overseas presents a few challenges if have little experience with taxes, duties, customs laws, and consumer protection issues involved with international commerce. If you are just getting started, the following resources will help understand legal and regulatory requirements when shipping overseas:

• Export.gov - E-Commerce Toolbox
  This site brings together information and resources the U.S. Department of Commerce and other U.S. government agencies offer to U.S. businesses interested in using the Internet to export their products.
• Electronic Commerce. Selling Internationally - A Guide for Business
  As members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States and 28 other countries have signed on to new guidelines that help protect consumer information on the Internet.
• Small Business Guide to Import/Export
  Business.gov provides general guidance on how to comply with federal export and import regulations

Certain types of merchandise are restricted for export such as nuclear, chemical, various electronics, computer, and telecommunications / information security equipment. These are subject to the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security's Export Administration Regulations Requirement. Before exporting any of these types of merchandise, check out E-Commerce: Why Should You Care about the Export Administration Regulations Requirements? to see if the type of item you are selling is listed.