By the HBK Global Trading Customs Compliance & Logistics Team · Updated July 2026
If you need worldwide shipping Philippines support, start here: send us the shipment details and we will tell you whether we can move it, how, and what it is likely to cost. We would rather review a route properly than sell you a lane we cannot support.
We have spent more than ten years moving cargo between Asia and the Philippines. That is our home turf. But importers do not buy from one region: they source from the USA and Europe, and sell to buyers overseas. We look at origins and destinations worldwide, provided the Philippines is one end of the shipment, and in many cases we can help after reviewing the route, cargo, documents and destination requirements. What we will not do is guess.
We need those details before we can confirm route support, and the full checklist is further down this page.
Worldwide Shipping for Packages, Cargo and Business Goods
Requests reach us in every shape: a package sent internationally, goods imported for resale, an export to an overseas buyer, or commercial cargo moving through a supply chain that cannot absorb a delay.
What “Worldwide” Means Here: One End Has to Be the Philippines
Worth saying plainly, because it saves everyone time. We handle two directions: importation into the Philippines and exportation out of it. The country at the other end can sit anywhere in the world, but one end of the shipment has to be here.
We do not run third-country routes that never touch the Philippines, so a move from the USA to Canada, or China to Australia, is not something we can quote. Import is our core business, and on established export shipping lanes we coordinate clearance here and with the receiving country. Within that scope, availability still depends on the country, the commodity and the delivery type, and you will hear early if a lane or product is one we cannot take.
The Nine Markets We Cater To, and Everywhere Else
The hard part was never the ocean. It was the customs desk at the end of it. The nine Asian markets we cater to are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore. Those are our core import shipping lanes, where we run our own secure consolidation warehouses, including Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Everywhere else, we review on request: goods coming into the Philippines from the USA, Europe, the Middle East or Australia, and goods leaving Manila for an overseas buyer. The transportation choice follows the cargo, never the other way round. Send us what you have and you get a real answer, not a brochure.
International Shipping Services and Options
We are not only a freight forwarder and not only a parcel courier. On our own lanes we act as importer of record, clear with our own compliance team, consolidate in our own warehouses, and deliver to the final address. So we match the method to the shipment rather than forcing your cargo into whatever we happen to sell.
| Shipping Option | Best For | Notes |
| Air freight | Urgent, time-sensitive shipments | Fastest, higher price. Our Asian air lanes generally run 2 to 3 business days. |
| Sea freight (LCL) | Boxes, cartons, part-container volumes | Priced by CBM. Our Asian sea lanes generally run 21 to 30 days. |
| Sea freight (FCL) | Full 20ft or 40ft containers, bulk cargo | Best value at volume. Schedule depends on the route and sailing. |
| Parcel and box consolidation | Online shopping orders, small commercial goods | Accepted as received, shoe box up to a container. Duties still apply. |
| Freight and project cargo | Business cargo, supply chain shipments, machinery | Mixed and heterogeneous loads, reviewed per shipment. |
| Door delivery | Cargo brought to the final address | Nationwide in the Philippines, including Cebu and Davao. Checked per destination on outbound routes. |
Send Your Shipment Details → Contact HBK
Air Freight or Sea Freight? Speed, Cost and Dimensional Weight
The first real decision on any international shipment, and most people get it wrong by reading only the rate.
• Air freight is faster and more expensive. Industry-wide, air moves in about 1 to 5 days; on our own Asian lanes we generally see 2 to 3 business days.
• Sea freight is cheaper and slower, commonly 20 to 45 days depending on lane and sailing. Our Asian sea lanes usually land in about 21 to 30 days.
• Heavy shipments are usually more economical by sea. Weight punishes you in the air and barely registers in a container.
• Dimensional weight catches people out. A light, bulky box is charged on volume, not actual weight, so package size can cost more than the scale does. Pack tight.
You have several shipping options for importing into the Philippines, and consolidation is why a freight forwarder brings the cost down: shared space is cheaper than empty space. Your boxes sit with other cargo in our warehouse, you pay for the space you use, and you are not funding somebody else’s half-empty container.
How We Compare With the Express Couriers
Express carriers are usually the fastest option into the Philippines, and for one urgent item they are hard to beat. Service commitments, coverage and transit times vary by carrier and route, so check their current service pages first.
We are not one of them, and we do not claim to be their partner. We do what they are not built for: consolidating boxes, cartons and commercial cargo, clearing it as importer of record, and delivering at freight pricing. Weigh total landed cost, not the headline rate.
Compare Your Options With HBK → Contact HBK
How the International Shipping Process Works
Every job runs through the same six steps.
• Send the shipment details listed below.
• We check route availability, customs requirements at both ends, and the shipping services open to you. If a route cannot be supported, we say so.
• We confirm the option and the cost, with the shipping fee basis in writing before anything moves.
• You prepare documents and packaging. On our managed import lanes little is needed from you.
• The shipment moves by air, sea or freight. Goods received in our Asian warehouses are dispatched within 48 to 72 hours; timelines elsewhere depend on carrier and route.
• We handle customs clearance, applicable duties and taxes, then deliver to the final address, including Cebu and Davao.
Customs Clearance, Duties, Taxes and Required Documentation
Customs is where most international shipments go wrong.
As general guidance, current at the time of writing: under the CMTA, Republic Act No. 10863, imports are assessed on declared value and classification. Most attract 12% VAT on the CIF value plus duty based on the HS or AHTN code, while shipments valued at ₱10,000 FOB or below are generally covered by de minimis relief. Thresholds and rulings change, so confirm the current position with the Bureau of Customs at customs.gov.ph, or ask us to check it against your cargo before you budget.
Every entry is assigned a selectivity lane: green for release, yellow for document review, red for physical examination. Clean, consistent documentation helps reduce avoidable red-lane risk, although the lane assignment rests with customs. Weak paperwork is what parks cargo in the yard while demurrage builds.
Documentation is required for every international shipment. That sounds obvious until you watch a container sit for a fortnight because someone wrote “assorted goods” on a packing list. Some items are restricted whether the cargo is a pallet or a parcel. This is what we ask you for:
• Item list, product description, quantity and commercial value
• Weight, dimensions and country of origin
• Sender and consignee details, and the full delivery address
• Invoice or proof of purchase, packing list, and any permits or certificates for regulated goods
Duties, taxes and fees vary by destination, product type and commercial value. What we add is the part a website cannot: someone who has walked a red-lane shipment out of the yard before.
What Affects Worldwide Shipping Rates and Fees?
There is no single price for global shipping Philippines routes, and anyone quoting one before seeing your cargo is guessing. A pallet of ceramics and a pallet of phone cases weigh, clear and cost differently. Shipping rates move with the shipment, and these are the levers.
• Shipping method: air, sea or freight
• Package size, cargo weight and volumetric weight
• Declared or commercial value, origin, destination and delivery address
• Customs clearance, duties and taxes
• Handling, warehouse charges and door delivery
• Dangerous goods, special handling or insurance where available
• Route availability, and delays from incomplete documents
What matters is not the number on the quote but what it includes. Ask what is covered, so duties, taxes, handling, warehouse charges and delivery fees are clear before you commit. Hidden fees are real in this industry, and any forwarder who bristles at the question is telling you something.
We do not hand out blanket discounts, because a discount on a badly classified shipment is not a saving. On selected HBK-managed import lanes we can quote all-inclusive and take payment on arrival, where that pricing model is available, confirmed in writing before booking. Settlement is by BDO or UnionBank deposit, with a BIR-registered invoice or official receipt, because your accountant will ask for one. Outside those lanes, duties, taxes, handling and delivery are itemized in the quote.
Get Global Shipping Philippines Support → Contact HBK
Packages, Online Shopping and E-Commerce Shipping
Online shopping created a generation of accidental importers. If you bought from a platform such as Alibaba or AliExpress, you cannot select HBK at checkout. Tell the supplier you are using your own shipping company and send the goods to our warehouse. From there we consolidate, clear and deliver under our retail shipping and importation service.
Sellers exporting face the mirror image: an accurate commercial value, a correct product description and a clean delivery address keep a cross-border parcel moving. Some goods are restricted regardless of size, so let us check before you ship.
Dangerous Goods, Restricted Items and Special Handling
Not everything can ship internationally, and this is the one part of the job where we do not bend.
• Dangerous goods may require special review and documentation, or may not be accepted
• Some items are restricted by origin, destination, airline, shipping line or customs rules
• Certain cargo needs special handling, temperature control or specific packaging
• Goods must never be hidden, mislabelled or under-declared
Under-declaring to save on duty is not a clever shortcut. It invites examination and seizure proceedings, at a cost far larger than the duty you avoided. Lithium batteries are regulated internationally, including under UN3480 and UN3481, and electronics, food and chemicals carry requirements that differ by carrier and destination. Our compliance team confirms what applies before cargo moves.
Check If Your Goods Can Ship → Contact HBK
Paying Your Overseas Supplier
The part that quietly breaks deals is money movement, not cargo movement. International shipping invoices are often issued in USD even when the supplier is not American, payment stalls on conversion fees and slow remittance, and an unpaid supplier will not release your goods.
Our supplier payment service, Pabayad, settles in USD and CNY or RMB directly to your supplier, so cargo and payment are handled by the same team. Import financing may also be available, covering up to 50% of supplier payments subject to approval. Terms are reviewed per client. Delays in cross-border logistics add cost, and small businesses feel it hardest. We would rather be the company that told you the truth about a route than the one that took your booking and went quiet.
Ask About Supplier Payment and Financing → Contact HBK
Why Choose HBK for Global Shipping Philippines Support?
Plenty of logistics companies can book you a container. Fewer will tell you when the route is a bad idea.
We look at the shipment before we sell you anything
Origin, destination, cargo type, documents, customs exposure. We check all of it first. If another provider suits you better, you will hear it from us.
Our compliance team is ours
Many shipping companies say they handle customs clearance; a good number outsource it. Ours is in-house, so when a shipment is flagged, the person fixing it sits in our office and answers to you, not a third-party broker juggling forty other clients who are all shouting louder than you are.
Delivery that actually ends at a door
Nationwide across the Philippines, including Cebu and Davao. On outbound routes we check the destination and say plainly whether door delivery is available.
What to Send for a Worldwide Shipping Quote
The more of this you send in one message, the faster we come back with a real answer.
• Item list, and product photos if available
• Dimensions, actual weight, commercial or declared value
• Origin, destination and full delivery address
• Sender and consignee details
• Invoice or proof of purchase, and packing list, if available
• Whether it is an import or an export, and your preferred method and timeline
• Whether insurance is needed, or any dangerous goods or restricted items are included
Request a Worldwide Shipping Quote → Contact HBK
Worldwide Shipping Philippines FAQs
Can HBK help with global shipping Philippines needs?
In many cases, yes, provided the Philippines is either the origin or the destination. We review the request and confirm whether the route, cargo, customs requirements and delivery needs can be supported.
Can I ship internationally from the Philippines?
Yes, this is one of our two directions. We review export options by destination, cargo type and route, and on supported lanes we advise what exporter-side registration or documentation is required and what can be handled under our process.
Can I import goods into the Philippines from overseas?
Yes, and it is our core business. On our managed lanes we import as importer of record under our own Bureau of Customs CPRS accreditation, so you do not need your own importer registration. Requests outside our nine Asian markets are reviewed case by case.
Can HBK ship between two countries outside the Philippines?
No. Our lanes run into and out of the Philippines, so we cannot take a shipment that never touches the country, such as a supplier in China sending directly to a buyer in Australia. If the Philippines sits at one end, we can review it.
How much does worldwide shipping cost?
There is no list price. Cost is driven by cargo weight and size, the route, the shipping method, the commercial value, and what customs assesses at the destination. Send the details and you get a figure based on your shipment.
Are duties and taxes included?
On selected HBK-managed import lanes we can quote all-inclusive where that model applies, confirmed in writing before booking. On other routes they depend on destination, product and declared value, and we set them out in your quote.
Can HBK provide door to door delivery?
Within the Philippines, yes, including Cebu and Davao. On outbound shipments it depends on the destination, and we check per location.
Can I track my shipment?
We provide shipment tracking updates on the lanes we manage, with visibility depending on route, carrier and service booked. We tell you what visibility you will have before you commit, not after.
How do I request a worldwide shipping quote?
Send the checklist above to our team through the contact page, where our current phone number and business hours are listed.
Talk to Us About Your Next Shipment
Worldwide shipping is not really about the boat or the plane. It is about whether the paperwork holds, the classification is right, and someone picks up the phone when your cargo sits in a yard. Send us your shipment and we will tell you the next step.