Of note is that if you are wanting to ship something that is classed as a prohibited item by air or land, or are importing to the UK, is that it is always deemed to be outside the parcel couriers’ terms of carriage. This means that if you send one of items below via a parcel courier then delivery is not guaranteed, the item is not insured whatsoever, and you are liable for any problem that may arise as a result of shipping it.
You will also find if you ship such an item that you will be liable for any surcharges, payments for delay or even compensation, or International fines.
This could mean that if you shipped a prohibited item abroad and the van or airplane was stopped at customs the whole cargo could be put in quarantine and you would be liable not only for the cost of any delay caused to the parcel courier, which would be substantial, but in the even the entire couriers load was confiscated you could find yourself liable for the whole amount, and to say the least it would be not even worth picking up the phone to your insurance company to see if you could claim.
In general the list of prohibited goods in most countries is fairly similar with the following being recognised pretty much internationally:
However be aware that some countries have their own specific import laws, where items may or may not be acceptable - for example the US has slightly different import rules to those mentioned above, so it's always best to check beforehand!