Shipping Strategies
FedEx
Regional Economy
Last Updated
June 25, 2023
6 min.
Written By
Krišs Ģērmanis
Each package can weigh up to 68 kg, with a max length of 274 cm and max 330 cm for length plus girth.
A single shipment can hold up to 9,998 packages; anything larger moves as FedEx Regional Economy Freight.
You must use your own packaging, not FedEx-branded boxes or envelopes.
No dangerous goods (narrow exception for UN 3090/UN 3480 lithium batteries), no perishables, and no cut flowers.
Maximum declared value is US$50,000; road liability caps at 8.33 SDR per kg unless you declare higher and pay the fee.
Non-EU European routes (UK, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, Serbia) need a commercial invoice, HS codes, and an EORI number.
Weight and size limits
Each package on FedEx Regional Economy can weigh up to 68 kg. There are also size limits: a maximum length of 274 cm, and a maximum of 330 cm for length plus girth combined. Girth is the distance around the thickest part of the parcel, calculated as two times the height plus two times the width.
If you are sending several parcels together, a single shipment can hold up to 9,998 packages. Anything heavier than 68 kg per package or larger than these dimensions moves as a separate service, FedEx® Regional Economy Freight, and is priced differently.
Limit | Maximum |
|---|---|
Weight per package | 68 kg |
Length | 274 cm |
Length plus girth | 330 cm |
Packages per shipment | 9,998 |
In practice, most sellers are nowhere near these limits. Almost 64% of parcels shipped on the service weigh under 2 kg. There is a real mid-weight group too, with 8.6% over 10 kg and about 1.3% over 20 kg, so the headroom up to 68 kg does get used, but the typical parcel is light.
Packaging rule
One rule catches sellers out if they are used to other FedEx services: you cannot use FedEx-branded packaging on FedEx Regional Economy. You supply your own boxes and envelopes.
Prohibited and restricted items
Some goods cannot travel on this service at all. The service-specific restrictions are:
No dangerous goods, with one narrow exception. Certain lithium batteries (types UN 3090 and UN 3480) can ship under a specific safety provision with the correct handling code. Waste, damaged, or defective batteries are never accepted.
No perishables, such as food that can spoil.
No cut flowers.
On top of these, the standard FedEx prohibited-items list applies, as it does across FedEx services. Commonly restricted categories include:
Cash, currency, and negotiable items in bearer form
Firearms, weapons, and their parts
Live animals
Human remains
Illegal goods, such as counterfeit products and narcotics
If you are unsure whether a specific item qualifies, check before you ship rather than after, since a stopped parcel costs more time than a quick check.
Declared value and liability
The maximum declared value for a FedEx Regional Economy shipment is US$50,000. Because the service moves by road, liability for loss or damage follows the international road transport convention, which caps compensation at 8.33 SDR per kilogram unless you declare a higher value for carriage and pay the associated fee. SDR is a standard international currency unit, so the exact euro figure moves with exchange rates.
For higher-value goods, insurance is available as an add-on, along with a signature-on-delivery option. If the contents are worth protecting beyond the standard cap, it is worth adding cover at the point of creating the shipment.
Documents for non-EU European routes
Most FedEx Regional Economy shipments move within the EU, where no customs documents are needed beyond normal VAT handling. A meaningful share, though, goes to non-EU European destinations such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Turkey, and Serbia. These routes cross a customs border, so they need more paperwork.
For those destinations you will need a commercial invoice, HS codes for the goods, and an EORI number for EU export. Who pays any duties depends on whether you ship DAP (the recipient pays) or DDP (you pay); the pillar guide explains that choice.
Quick eligibility checklist
Before creating a shipment, run through this:
Is each package 68 kg or under, and within the size limits?
Are you using your own packaging, not FedEx-branded?
Are the contents allowed, with no dangerous goods, perishables, or cut flowers?
For non-EU European routes, do you have a commercial invoice, HS codes, and an EORI number?
If you can answer yes to all four, the shipment is good to go.
Ship FedEx Regional Economy on Swotzy
FedEx® Regional Economy is available directly on the Swotzy platform, with no separate carrier agreement needed. You can compare it against European alternatives on delivery times and prices before you decide.
Getting started is simple: create a free account, connect your store through Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, PrestaShop, Magento, or the API, and import your orders automatically. Creating a shipment is four steps, select the order, choose the service, generate the label, and ship, with tracking syncing back to your store automatically. There are no contracts, no minimum volumes, and no monthly fees.
Keep reading
What Is FedEx Regional Economy? A Guide for E-commerce Businesses
FedEx Regional Economy Delivery Times & Reliability: The Real Data
FedEx Regional Economy Cost: What Sellers Actually Pay Across Europe
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