The following commodities are not acceptable for transport by DHL under any circumstances.
This is a result of a policy decision, following the full consideration of Operational, Legal and Risk Management implications.
Live animals
Hunting (Animal) trophies, animal parts such as ivory and sharks fin, animal remains, or Animal-by-Products and derived products not intended for human consumption, prohibited for movement by the CITES Convention and/or local law.
Illegal goods, such as counterfeit goods and narcotics
Property, the carriage of which is prohibited by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government of any country to or through which the shipment may be carried.
If you are in any doubt as to the acceptability of your goods, please contact your DHL representative prior to shipping.
Counterfeit Goods are Prohibited
DHL's security policy states that it is not allowed to transport counterfeit goods via the DHL network. DHL does not want to be associated with counterfeit goods and upon suspicion of such goods being imported, Customs will be informed. It is prohibited in many countries to introduce counterfeit goods and where proven the Customs authority will seize the goods and penalize the buyer.
If you are offered very low prices for branded goods that are sold on shopping websites or via other channels, you can normally assume that the goods are counterfeit. High quality branded goods that are often copied are:
Shoes
Clothing
Bags
Expensive Watches
CDs and DVDs
Perfumes
Electronics
Shipping Commodities – What You Need to Know
Certain commodities are considered as “Non-Document” and need to be accompanied by an invoice and, in some cases, additional customs documentation. Other commodities are considered simply as a “Document” and only require a DHL Waybill to be completed. The following list explains what you need to do in order to ship various commodities.
Commodities where you should contact your local Customer Service advisor to clarify shipping requirements
The following commodities may be acceptable for transport by DHL, if the destination country's stated conditions or circumstances are complied with. Here is a list of selected commodities that you should look out for. Always consult customer service for the individual country's list of restricted and prohibited commodities.
Alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, spirits
Animal products
Non-fragile antiques like work of art, fine art
Drugs and pharmaceutical products
Flowers
Industrial diamond
Ivory
Medical samples like blood, urine, tissue
Negotiable instrument
Perishable items
Plant and plant products like cotton, seeds, tobacco
Pornography
Watches
All other commodities are Non-Document in nature and should be accompanied by a DHL Waybill and an Invoice.