Things You Should Know to Make Your Shipping Experience Easier

Thanks to the growth of e-commerce and the increase of online businesses, international shipping is increasingly becoming popular. While there are people who also ship locally, it differs a lot from international e-commerce shipping. Some of the things you must know include:

Taxes and Customs

Everything you ship internationally has to clear customs regardless of the type of shipment. You have to fill out the customs forms and pay the mentioned taxes. Most of the time, you will fill two forms, for the country you get your package from and for the country the package is going to.

The fee you pay for your package depends on the country you are shipping it to and the value of your package.

Weight of Your Package

The shipping fee you pay for your package depends on the weight. As explained by the experts at Hale Trailer, you should use a weight scale to determine the exact weight of your package. You should also look at the price charts for different weights so that you do not pay extra.

You should also consider the dimension requirements of the shipping company.

Compare Prices

Different shipping companies have different rules and prices. Compare the policies of weight and dimension for different companies and also check their prices. Determine which is best suited for your type of package.

Time of Transit

You should always know the delivery date of your package to help you plan the details. Sometimes, the delivery might get delayed because of factors like lack of night-time delivery or longer clearance time at the customs office.

Documents

You have to have all the right documents for international shipping. The commercial invoice is the most important document because it contains information about the products you are shipping, the sender, and the receiver.

It also details the value of your package and its country of origin. Other important documents you must have include: Electronic Export Information, Certificate of Origin, NAFTA Certification of Origin, and Shipper’s Export Declaration.

Medium of Transport

There are two mediums through which you can ship overseas; sea and air. Before choosing your transport medium, consider the cost, the type of your product, and the time it will take to ship.

Sea is the most affordable means but has a longer transit time. Air is the fastest but costs the most. If you are shipping delicate and perishable goods, air should be your preferred medium.

Once your shipment gets to your country, they transport it closer to you either by dry van trailers or train. They can either have the package delivered directly to your doorstep or a post office, depending on the destination you listed.

Dry van trailers are mostly preferred because they keep the shipments inside safe from the damage they could get from external elements.

Know the Perishable and Restricted Goods

If you are shipping perishable products, you should look up the best practices for shipping perishable goods to keep them from getting spoiled during the shipping.

You should also check the shipping company’s website and look at their list of restricted products. Different countries could have different restricted products, and therefore you should research before shipping anything.

If your products appear on the restricted products lists, the personnel in the customs office might prevent them from entering or leaving the country.