According to AppleInsider, Apple launched its new Cross Border shipping program on Tuesday, allowing US citizens to purchase gift items for members of select countries. The purpose of this is to prevent having to get it shipped from an impractical location, and instead have it shipped from the nearest destination, making things a lot faster and painless. Before this, it was impossible to have an order delivered to a different country, unless you shipped it yourself.
Here is the list of the currently supported countries: "Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. " AppleInsider points out a distinct lack of Canada, interestingly.
Please note that if you decide to order for someone in, for example, Germany, you"ll need to visit the German Apple Store page. Yes, that means you need to understand German, but have no fear; you can order via an Apple Online Store Expert, to make the procedure less confusing. And of course, you"ll need a credit card to order -- not a debit card.
This service is available already, so get ordering, folks.