International Shipping Solutions

Shipping internationally can be a complex and expensive endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. With a good international shipping solution, you can save money, make your logistics team more efficient, and ensure customer satisfaction.

Expanding your business to overseas markets is an important step for e-commerce. Here are some tips to help you choose the best solution for your needs:.

Cost

Shipping internationally can be more expensive than shipping domestically, especially for smaller businesses. It requires more resources to transport goods across borders, including customs clearance and a variety of duties and taxes that can vary widely from country to country.

It’s important to consider these additional costs when planning your international shipping strategy and budget. To help offset the cost, look for a freight provider that offers flexible international shipping solutions and an advanced transportation management system (TMS). This can simplify global supply chain and warehouse logistics.

Another option is to work with a 3PL provider that offers global fulfillment, warehousing and distribution services. This can reduce costs and international shipping solutions accelerate ecommerce growth. These providers can also offer local expertise and speedy delivery times in the regions where your customers live.

When choosing an international shipping solution, make sure you understand the total landed cost of your product before offering it to customers. This is made up of the shipment cost from your freight provider plus any applicable duties and taxes. It can be helpful to compare postal, express and regional courier options to find the best value for your product. Keep in mind that regional couriers typically offer the most affordable shipping rates but may have longer delivery times than a faster air or ocean carrier. Be sure to communicate these differences with your shoppers.

Customs and Tariffs

International shipping isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Each country has its own specific laws and regulations, making it important to work with a freight forwarder who can assist in complying with these laws. International shipping also includes duties and taxes, which can add up to a significant amount of money for the buyer. Having this information upfront can help your business set realistic pricing for foreign buyers and avoid surprise fees.

Duties and tariffs are different types of charges imposed on products when they cross borders. They are a way for governments to protect local industries by raising state revenue that can offset lower-cost manufacturing. Customs duties are based on the value, weight, size and other characteristics of the product. Tariffs, on the other hand, are a flat rate levied on imported goods by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The first step to determining your duty rates is identifying your product’s 10-digit Schedule B or HS Code. Once you know this, you can find a variety of public and private resources that will help you estimate tariff rates for your specific products. Your freight forwarder can also help you find these resources and determine international freight solutions the correct cost for your product shipments. Working with your freight forwarder will ensure that all of these international fees are factored into your overall shipping strategy, preventing any surprises.

Language and Culture

International shipping can be difficult due to language and culture barriers. E-commerce avoids this issue by working through a website interface, but if the company is handling customer service directly, it is important to understand the local customs and language. This is especially true when interacting with customers who may have questions about their order or if there are issues with the delivery.

Shipping companies work to adapt their business model to the global market by utilizing technology and increasing capacity. They also work to combine their shipping activities with sustainable development goals and are responsible for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If you are interested in learning about languages and cultures, a major in international shipping could be the right fit for you.

Time

Modern transportation lets us fly a plane or drive across the country in just a few hours, but international shipping takes longer due to strict carrier regulations, complex customs requirements, route disruptions and more. This makes finding the right international shipping solutions critical for your business to grow and serve a global customer base without costly mistakes.

An effective ecommerce shipping solution will help you make the most of your time and budget. For example, a multi-carrier shipping platform like Calcurates provides an instant estimate from top couriers of both the cost and delivery time to any country for many different services, so you can choose the best option for your business.

A good international shipping software should also automate the process of generating and sending all required documents to the appropriate parties, which is critical for keeping your shipments on schedule, avoiding demurrage charges, improving customer satisfaction and realizing supply chain efficiencies. For instance, a solution that integrates with UPS can automatically send documents to the proper authorities, which eliminates human error and speed up document processing at customs.

A streamlined ecommerce shipping solution that connects to hundreds of carriers lets you expand your reach without logistical hassles. The most powerful solutions enable you to easily compare prices and discounts from multiple providers, automatically choose the right carrier for each shipment and even monitor your shipments in real time. Additionally, some tools can even verify addresses to ensure that customers enter their shipping information correctly, which helps reduce unnecessary delays and extra costs.