Are you tracking a shipment from Aliexpress, and the most recent message is ‘Shipment At Local Distribution Center?’
This message doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture, and often times you may have no idea where the package is even at!
So, what is the ‘local distribution center’ that Aliexpress is referring to, and how much longer can you expect to wait before your package arrives?
Thankfully, the answers to these questions are actually quite simple. In this article, I’ll cover everything that you need to know!
What Does Aliexpress Tracking Mean When It Says ‘Shipment At Local Distribution Center’
If Aliexpress tracking is stating that your package has arrived at a local distribution center, this means that it has entered your country.
Because Aliexpress packages tend to arrive in bulk – along with many other orders from other people, they must first go into a distribution center before they can be further processed.
Keep in mind that at this point, the package is yet to clear customs.
This can take a significant amount of time, so despite the fact that it is now in your country, it does not necessarily mean that it’s close to arriving.
We’ll talk more about the timelines you can expect in just a moment!
The Customs Clearing Process
Unfortunately, clearing the package with customs is often one of the longest parts of the process.
Depending on the item that you’re importing, the country you live in, and dozens of other factors, the customs clearance process can take anything from 1 day to several weeks.
This also assumes that the shipper filled out all customs forms correctly, and there are no errors or issues that would prevent it from clearing customs successfully.
Of course, if you’re ordering from Aliexpress, most shippers will have gone through this process so many times already, that they aren’t prone to making errors.
To make matters more frustrating, Aliexpress tracking does not exactly provide a lot of information regarding the package’s clearance status. So, you may be completely in the dark about how it’s progressing, until it finally clears and you receive another update.
You may be able to find out a bit more information using a more powerful tracking tool like Parcels.
Parcels is completely free to use, and provides a lot more information about tracking – especially for packages that change couriers, as is often the case when ordering from Aliexpress.
I use it for all international shipments that I track, and I highly recommend it!
So, How Much Longer Will My Aliexpress Shipment Take To Arrive?
Now that you know exactly what’s going on with your package, here comes the important question – when can you expect it to arrive?
As mentioned earlier, clearing customs can take anywhere from one day to several weeks.
Once your package has cleared customs and has been handed off to the courier that will actually deliver it to you, your tracking will update to say ‘Accepted By Last Mile Carrier.’ Often times, the last mile carrier for Aliexpress shipments is USPS, particularly for small items under 1 pound.
Once the package has been tendered to USPS, it is usually delivered within 2-3 business days.
However, according to USPS, the additional timeline is to allow up to 5 days for delivery.
All-in-all, most people receive their packages between 5 days and two weeks after first seeing the ‘Shipment at Local Distribution Center’ appear on their Aliexpress tracking for the first time.
What To Do If Tracking Remains Stuck
Because your item still has to clear customs, it’s completely normal for it to remain stuck on the ‘Shipment at Local Distribution Center’ for quite some time – even several weeks!
However, if it goes far beyond that, it may be time to get in touch with the seller from Aliexpress.
Since they may have more information available than what is listed on Aliexpress’ tracking page, or even the Parcels tool mentioned earlier.
Additionally, you’ll want to be mindful of Aliexpress’ shipping guarantee.
Aliexpress allows you to open a dispute and receive a full refund if your package does not arrive by the promised time.
So, if the package is truly lost or stuck, and it’s arriving too late for your needs, then you should be able to get your money back.
Until the deadline passes however, all you can do is wait – and continue monitoring the tracking page for updates.
Conclusion
If your package is currently at a ‘Local Distribution Center’, the good news is that it’s arrived in your country.
The bad news is that it still has to clear customs, which can sometimes be a lengthy process.
Depending on how the customs clearance process goes, you can expect to receive your package within 5 days to several weeks.
I hope that this article has answered all of your questions. Have any other questions about Aliexpress? Ask them below!
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister