A reference for how various carriers handle shipping to US Territories and Puerto Rico, and how to enter these addresses in ShipStation.
USPS, UPS, DHL, and FedEx require packages going to US territories (like Puerto Rico) to follow certain address formats to get rates or create shipping labels. In some cases, you'll need to fill out customs declarations, even though the carrier considers the shipment to be domestic.
Typically, USPS providers will require the country to be listed as the United States, while UPS and FedEx will require the country to be the territory name (which is often also in the State field). See the below sections for details by carrier.
USPS requires the two-character abbreviation for the state/region and United States for the country.
Use the state codes and country shown in the table below when shipping to each location. When shipping to any of the locations listed in this table, you will use a domestic service.
|
If shipping to ... |
State/Region Code |
Country |
|---|---|---|
|
American Samoa |
AS |
United States |
|
Guam |
GU |
United States |
|
Marshall Islands |
MH |
United States |
|
Micronesia |
FM |
United States |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
MP |
United States |
|
Palau |
PW |
United States |
|
Puerto Rico |
PR |
United States |
|
US Virgin Islands |
VI |
United States |
Here's an example of what a USPS shipment to Puerto Rico should look like:
Important
-
For shipments exceeding $2,500 you will need Electronic Export Information.
-
Shipments to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not go through customs since it is a domestic package, and so will not require customs forms with the shipment.
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Shipping from Puerto Rico and other US territories to the United States follows the same procedures outlined in this section for USPS shipments. The Ship From address country should be set to United States.
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For USPS shipments going to Puerto Rico Highway Contract Routes: The correct address line information follows this format: HC 1 BOX 18. Please eliminate additional designations, such as the names of sectors.
FedEx, UPS, and DHL (Express and Ecommerce) generally require the two-character abbreviation for the state/region and the full territory name for the country. FedEx SmartPost and UPS Mail Innovations services are the exceptions to this (please skip to the next section if using SmartPost or Mail Innovation services).
Use the state codes and country shown in the table below when shipping to each location. When shipping to any location listed in this table, you will use an international service. You must also print the customs declaration and include it with the shipment.
|
If shipping to ... |
State/Region |
Country |
|---|---|---|
|
American Samoa |
American Samoa |
American Samoa |
|
Guam |
Guam |
Guam |
|
Marshall Islands |
MH |
Marshall Islands |
|
Micronesia |
FM |
Micronesia |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
MP |
Northern Mariana Islands |
|
Palau |
PW |
Palau |
|
Puerto Rico |
PR |
Puerto Rico |
|
US Virgin Islands |
Virgin Islands |
US Virgin Islands |
Here's an example of what a FedEx/UPS/DHL shipment to Puerto Rico should look like:
International-Only Services
-
UPS, FedEx, and DHL shipments going to or from Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories require international services. ShipStation will show these by default. However, the shipping rate will be the domestic rate.
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You must declare customs for these shipments.
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If the option to declare customs is not available, change the recipient country from the United States to another country option. Then, refresh the browser window. The Customs Declarations section should now be available. Enter the appropriate customs information into the order. You may need to uncheck the auto-correct option during this process.
FedEx SmartPost and UPS Mail Innovations services are hybrid services with the USPS that have their own requirements when shipping to U.S. Territories.
For some territories, you must use the full territory name in the State/Region field. Some territories are considered international shipments, so please choose an international service in those cases.
Here's a table for your reference:
|
If shipping to ... |
State/Region |
Country |
Additional Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
American Samoa |
American Samoa |
American Samoa |
Choose an international service & declare customs |
|
Guam |
Guam |
United States |
Choose a domestic service & declare customs |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
MP |
Northern Mariana Islands |
Choose an international service & declare customs |
|
Palau |
PW |
Palau |
Choose an international service & declare customs |
|
Puerto Rico |
PR |
United States |
Choose a domestic service & declare customs |
|
US Virgin Islands |
Virgin Islands |
United States |
Important
-
You must declare customs regardless of whether the service is considered international or domestic.
-
If the option to declare customs is not available in the order's details, change the country from United States to another country option. Then, refresh the browser window. The Customs Declarations section should now be available. Enter the appropriate customs information into the order. You may need to uncheck the auto-correct option during this process.
|
US Territory |
Abbreviation |
|---|---|
|
American Samoa |
AS |
|
Guam |
GU |
|
Northern Mariana Islands |
MP |
|
Palau |
PW |
|
Puerto Rico |
PR |
|
U.S. Virgin Islands |
VI |
|
Marshall Islands |
MH |
|
U.S. Minor Outlying Islands: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Navassa Island, Wake Island |
UM |