EMS ePacket tracking

Fast and economical international shipping for online commerce

EMS ePacket is a fast and economical international shipping service specifically designed for small parcels from e-commerce. Developed by China Post (China Postal Express & Logistics) in partnership with other national posts, this service allows merchants in China and Hong Kong to reliably ship their lightweight products abroad, with parcel tracking throughout the journey. Designed in the era of e-commerce, EMS ePacket (sometimes called EUB (e Youbao, its name in Chinese)) offers a preferred logistics solution for online sellers on platforms such as AliExpress, eBay, or other international markets. Thanks to EMS ePacket, customers worldwide can benefit from reduced delivery times compared to standard postal shipments, while enjoying moderate shipping costs and complete traceability of their parcel from dispatch to delivery. The acronym EMS (Express Mail Service) indicates that it is an international express postal service. The ePacket component of this service has been specially adapted to the needs of cross-border e-commerce.

History and development of EMS ePacket

The EMS ePacket service was launched in 2011 following an innovative partnership between the United States Postal Service (USPS) and Hongkong Post, with the support of the eBay platform in China. This founding agreement aimed to accelerate and facilitate the sending of small parcels from e-commerce from China and Hong Kong to the United States. By offering faster routing than traditional postal mail, while ensuring tracking until delivery, EMS ePacket immediately met the needs of online sellers and international buyers of the time.

Building on this initial success, the service quickly expanded beyond the initial link between China and the United States. Throughout the 2010s, similar agreements were established with a growing number of countries, allowing EMS ePacket to gradually serve new markets. This international expansion notably concerned Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Russia, and many other countries in Europe, Asia, and America. The common goal of these extensions was to offer online merchants in these regions simplified access to overseas customers, benefiting from optimized transit times and reassuring tracking for consumers.

Today, EMS ePacket is an integral part of shipping solutions for global e-commerce. The service operates in several dozen countries and continues to expand based on demand and international partnerships. This growth has helped strengthen consumer confidence in international online shopping by making parcel delivery from China and Hong Kong more transparent and reliable. EMS ePacket has thus become synonymous with efficient e-commerce logistics connecting China to major global destinations.

Global reach and postal network of EMS ePacket

The global reach of EMS ePacket relies on the vast international postal network. Initially limited to a few specific routes, the service is now offered in more than forty countries across all continents. In concrete terms, this means that a parcel shipped via EMS ePacket from China or Hong Kong can be delivered to regions as diverse as North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, or even parts of the Middle East and Africa.

This geographical deployment is made possible by partnerships between China Post and the national postal services of the destination countries. For example, an ePacket shipment to the United States will be handled upon arrival by USPS, while in France it will be handed over to La Poste's parcel service, in the United Kingdom by Royal Mail, in Canada by Canada Post, etc. EMS ePacket takes advantage of the logistical infrastructure and territorial network of these national postal operators to ensure final distribution. This cooperative operation is part of the Universal Postal Union's EMS program, which encourages postal services worldwide to collaborate for international express mail services.

Thanks to this integrated network, EMS ePacket can reach both major metropolises and more remote areas, benefiting from the local experience of each postal operator. The pooling of resources allows for a relatively homogeneous service on a global scale: wherever the recipient is located, the ePacket parcel will be efficiently handled by the local post once it arrives in the country. This extended reach gives EMS ePacket a definite advantage for online sellers looking to deliver their products internationally without having to deal separately with a multitude of private carriers.

Logistical operation of EMS ePacket

The routing of a parcel via EMS ePacket follows a standardized path involving several coordinated logistical steps between the country of origin and the destination country:

• Pickup in China: The process begins when the seller drops off their parcel at China Post or a postal agent collects it from the sender. The parcel is accepted, registered in the ePacket system, and receives its tracking number. It is then officially taken over for routing and transferred to an international sorting center.
• Sorting and export: At the departure sorting center, the ePacket parcel is sorted and grouped with other shipments destined for the same region of the world. It goes through export procedures, including verification of the customs declaration provided by the sender (description of contents, declared value, etc.). An inspection by Chinese customs may take place at this stage. Once the parcel is authorized to leave the territory, it is routed to an international airport. The package is handed over to an airline for air transport to the destination country.
• Arrival and customs clearance in the destination country: When the parcel arrives in the destination country, it is received by the international exchange center of the local postal service. It is usually at this point that import customs control takes place. The customs authorities of the country examine the parcel, its documentation, and decide on the application of any customs duties or taxes. The parcel may be temporarily held in customs during this process. Once the formalities are completed and any fees paid, the parcel is declared "cleared" and handed over to the country's internal postal circuit.
• Internal distribution and final delivery: After customs clearance, the parcel is taken over by the local carrier's domestic network. It is directed to a regional sorting center and then to the distribution office closest to the recipient's address. Finally, it is entrusted to a delivery agent (postman) for the final round. The delivery person brings the parcel to the recipient's address. If the recipient is present, the delivery is made and may result in a delivery confirmation. In case of absence or inability to deliver (blocked access, etc.), the delivery person usually leaves a notice indicating the delivery attempt and instructions for retrieving the parcel.
• Exception handling and returns: If despite new attempts the delivery is unsuccessful or if the address is incorrect, the parcel then enters the return circuit to the sender. EMS ePacket provides for the return of the original parcel to China at no additional cost to the initial sender. The package is rerouted via the reverse postal network and returns to the point of origin. This free return ensures that the undelivered shipment does not remain indefinitely blocked and that it will return to the seller, thus preserving the seller's interests.

At each stage of the journey, scans are performed and tracking statuses are generated. This allows tracking systems to reflect the parcel's progress in real-time, even when multiple postal operators are successively involved in the process.

Features and benefits of EMS ePacket

• Service reserved for small parcels: EMS ePacket applies exclusively to shipments of limited size and weight. In general, an ePacket parcel must not exceed 2 kg. Additionally, its dimensions are restricted: for example, a maximum length of about 60 cm and a total size (length + width + height) limited to around 90 cm. These criteria ensure that the service is dedicated to small goods (accessories, clothing, small electronic gadgets, etc.). Similarly, the declared value of the item shipped via ePacket is capped (around $400 US in the initial service conditions). Beyond these weight, dimension, or value limits, shippers must turn to standard shipping solutions (standard international EMS express or other carrier).
• Reduced transit times: Parcels sent by ePacket benefit from faster delivery than traditional economical postal shipments. Without reaching the speed of a premium express mail, the ePacket service often ensures the receipt of parcels in a few days or weeks, depending on the destination, which is much shorter than ordinary postal times from Asia. This relative speed is explained by priority air transport and accelerated processing in postal centers. E-merchants find a good compromise between speed and cost, to satisfy their customers without bearing the high rates of private express carriers.
• Real-time tracking included: A major asset of EMS ePacket is the availability of detailed tracking at no extra cost. Each parcel has a unique tracking number that allows knowing its status at each stage. Tracking information (date, location, stage passed) is regularly updated from pickup in China to final delivery. The recipient can thus track the progress of their shipment by entering their number on the China Post/EMS tracking site or on that of the destination country's post. This tracking transparency strengthens customer confidence, as they can see where their item is and anticipate its delivery.
• Advantageous shipping rates: EMS ePacket was designed to offer very competitive shipping fees. Thanks to special international agreements, the cost of an ePacket shipment is often lower than that of a standard express shipment for a similar-sized parcel. This allows many sellers to offer reduced shipping fees, or even free delivery, for shipments from China. By democratizing low-cost international shipping, ePacket has played an important role in the rise of small goods shipped directly to consumers abroad.
• Return of undeliverable parcels at no extra cost: In case of delivery failure, EMS ePacket provides for the return of the parcel to the initial sender at no additional cost. This free return (in the case where the package could not be delivered or retrieved by the recipient) is a significant advantage compared to other shipping methods where the return can be complicated or expensive. For sellers, this reduces the risk of a net loss of an undelivered product. For customers, it is the assurance that their order will not remain indefinitely blocked in case of a delivery problem, as the product can eventually be reshipped after return or refunded by the seller.

In summary, EMS ePacket offers e-commerce players an international shipping method specially calibrated for small shipments: fast, economical, and reliable. These characteristics explain its massive adoption by online sellers shipping from China and Hong Kong to the rest of the world.

Tracking EMS ePacket shipments

Parcel tracking is a central aspect of the EMS ePacket service, as it allows shippers and recipients to maintain visibility over the routing. Each ePacket shipment is assigned an international tracking number following the Universal Postal Union's standard format. This number consists of 13 characters: most often, it begins with the letter L (indicating a "light parcel" format specific to ePacket) followed by another letter, then 9 digits, and finally two country code letters (CN) indicating the origin (China). For example, an ePacket tracking could be LM123456789CN. It also happens that some numbers start with E, reflecting the use of the classic EMS network on part of the route, but the general format remains the same and ensures tracking compatibility on an international scale.

Thanks to this unique number, the parcel's itinerary can be consulted on different tracking systems:

• On the official EMS/China Post tracking site, to obtain departure information and initial international tracking.
• On the destination country's postal service site (for example La Poste, USPS, Royal Mail), as soon as the parcel has been locally handled in that country. The ePacket tracking number is recognized by the destination posts' tracking systems.
• Via online universal tracking platforms, which aggregate data from multiple carriers to provide a complete view of the parcel's journey.

EMS ePacket tracking is generally updated in real-time at each important stage. Tracking statuses often appear in English or in the language of the country where the parcel is located at that moment. For French-speaking shippers and recipients, it is useful to know the meaning of these statuses. Below, a table summarizes the main tracking statuses that an EMS ePacket parcel can display, with their translation into French and an explanation of their meaning.

EMS ePacket tracking statuses