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International Shipping: What You Need To Know

It can be very exciting to start an ecommerce company. Logistics can be frustrating, but it is an important aspect that must be addressed.

Before you start planning how to get your product to Point A, you should consider who your suppliers are and to whom you’re shipping.

After you have all this in place, you can start looking at the various international shipping companies and their services.

International Shipping Companies

Your choice of international shipping company will depend on the location they ship to and what rates they charge.

DHL and UPS offer extensive information on exporting and importing regulations on their websites.

The cheapest international shipping companies

You may be able to negotiate discounted rates with international shipping companies depending on the ecommerce platform you use.

Shopify offers customers in the United States and Canada special rates with shipping companies such as DHL Express Express, UPS, DHL Express Express and Canada Post. Many of these companies offer the option to schedule a discount or free pickup.

Shopify generates the appropriate documentation and customs forms when you purchase international shipping labels. These documents can be electronically sent to customs electronically if you use DHL Express to ship items from the US.

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International shipping prices

Understanding international shipping rates is crucial for ecommerce businesses.

Offer free shipping if you do. This will determine how price your productspan styling=”font-weight 400 ;”>. While you don’t want your customers to pay too much, it is not a good idea to overcharge them.

If you charge shipping costs separately, understanding shipping prices will help you better estimate your product’s landed cost.

This section will discuss the various factors that determine international shipping rates.

What is the International Shipping Cost?

International shipping costs vary greatly depending upon a number of factors, such as

Your parcel’s origin and destination. The international parcel delivery costs will be higher if you ship further than usual. But, as we’ll show in an example, this is not always true.
You can ship with express or postal carriers. Express carriers are more expensive because they offer better services.
The product type. Different countries have different tax and duty rates, which can impact your international shipping costs.

How do I determine international shipping costs?

A rate calculator can be used to calculate the shipping costs worldwide. Here is a list with shipping calculators that are commonly used by carriers.

This shipping calculator allows Shopify store owners located in the US to see how much shipping will cost to other countries.

What is the cheapest international shipping method?

Multiple carriers are one of the most cost-effective ways to ship internationally. Each carrier has its own rates so it is worth looking through them and making a list of the best rates to see which one offers the lowest rates based on your destination and package type.

The USPS is the most affordable carrier for small parcels. The USPS Priority Mail 3-Day Flat-Rate Box costs $7.90. The box can hold up to 70 pounds, making it possible to ship multiple accessories or clothing items in one shipment. You might be able ship items for a lower price if your order is smaller with USPS’s small packaging pricing. The cost of shipping your item could be as low as $4.00 depending on its shape and weight. DHL Worldwide Express is the best option to send larger items internationally.

International shipping costs can be reduced by reducing the packaging of products. To reduce the weight of your packaging and shipping cost, bulk down. You might also consider getting free packaging material from shipping companies. For example, the USPS offers free boxes or materials.

Avoiding express shipping is another way to reduce the cost of international delivery. However, it will mean that international shipping takes longer, but this option is attractive for customers who are willing and able to wait.

How long does international shipping take

Standard shipping can take anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks. Express international shipping usually takes 2 business days. Orders can take up 6 weeks to arrive if customs clearance is slow.

Shipping times can be affected by distance and shipping mode (either express or regular). Shipping times can be extended by other factors, such as customs duties and taxes.

Every country has its own regulations and customs when it comes to taxes and duties.

To avoid delays at customs, it is important to have all paperwork in order. The local postal service will often be able to assist with the required documents. These documents can be different from one country to another, but the export packing list and commercial invoice are required almost always.

Taxes and duties must also be paid on-time to avoid delays in international shipping.

Update: International shipping operations have been adversely affected by the global pandemic. Many international shipping companies have stopped all international routes and warned that delays could occur on multiple routes. Many of them suggest businesses use express mail to avoid delays.

7 Tips for Ecommerce Companies

Let’s now get into the details of international shipping. We’ll be focusing on

How do you find reliable suppliers
How do I create custom shipping zones
How to combine your marketing strategies and shipping realities
How do you present shipping information on your site

1. To see international shipping rates, use the Shipping Filters

You can use filters to determine the international shipping cost if you use Dropshipping

Shopify Dropshipping Apps, such as the “Shipping filter” on product pages, allows you to see shipping rates to certain countries. To see shipping rates to the US for items you order, simply type the name of the country.

2. Get the best suppliers

There are several ways to determine the reliability of potential suppliers. We love to get product samples from potential suppliers. Try to imagine yourself as your customers and how international shipping is from their point of view. This will allow you to inspect the packaging and delivery times, as well as contact the supplier with any questions.

If you believe you can find cheaper delivery options from your supplier to you warehouse, you might consider Free on Board (FOB).

3. Explore Other Markets

Dropshipping markets The USA, UK, Australia and Canada are stronghold markets .

There are many markets that allow fast shipping, especially if your understanding of international delivery is good.

Dropshipping is a big business in Malaysia and the Philippines, respectively. This could be due to many factors. Both countries have large English-speaking population and high Facebook penetration. They are therefore tech-savvy and speak the largest language in ecommerce.

Both countries are also a stone’s throw away from China (at least when compared to other major markets). This allows for international shipping to be made easier on many dropshipped merchandise.

Scandinavia and Western Europe are also good markets for dropshippers. These markets offer solid international shipping options and disposable income.

4. Use common sense when determining your shipping zones

You should be able to create custom shipping zones on your ecommerce platform. Merchants who want to maximize international shipping efficiency can save a lot of time and effort.

This is What it looks like inside Shopify , where you will find shipping zones within your shop’s “Settings”.

We recommend that you set up a free shipping area that includes countries that you are able to ship to at a low cost.

If shipping costs to the US, Sweden and the Netherlands are the same, then you can create one zone that offers free shipping. This can be used to cover all your international shipping markets.

Since we are in Germany, the default “Domestic” area will be Germany. Until we can customize our international shipping options all other items fall into the “Rest of the World” bucket.

Let’s say we work with suppliers who have excellent international shipping options to Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. It might cost $1.50 to ship to each country. You can charge $1.50 to ship the product at checkout instead of adding that extra cost. This will reduce conversion.

We’ll add these four countries to the list, and all of Europe. There is also a “Europe” checkbox so you can add all of Europe in one click. Then we’ll set the price at no cost.

There are many countries that do not have international shipping. Even though international shipping is possible, you may not want to deal with them. They can be costly, they might not be available in your language, or there may be import taxes. There are many reasons.

Countries that fall under the “I don’t want to send there” category will be listed as “Rest in world.”

5. Match your Facebook Targeting with Your Shipping Priorities

Once your markets are identified and your international shipping agencies established, you can make sure your advertising campaigns align with your destination.

We had only international shipping options for the US, Canada and Australia in our previous example. This is where our advertising efforts should be focused.

We don’t want to spend money advertising in countries where we have no products.

We will apply this geographical restriction to all like audiences that we use.

6. Send Products to You First

Sending products to yourself, then sending them to customers – basically “intercepting the package” – is an excellent way to mitigate some of the difficulties that international shipping can present.

Dropshipping is a strategy that a few ecommerce companies have used. It has some key benefits.

It gives you the opportunity to repackage your product before it reaches your customer. This isn’t an issue if you can find suppliers who have nice packaging. Dropshipping can sometimes send products in less-than-ideal packaging. You can make it look better by sending it to yourself and adding your label or stamp to it before you ship it to your customer.

This method also allows you to quickly check the quality of the products before you ship them to your customer.

This approach has its limitations. It doesn’t make sense to ship a product from Malaysia to the US if it is being sourced from China.

If you are based in the US, and you want to target American customers, this strategy can help you cultivate a brand. Even if it’s just to put a sticker on the packaging, this strategy increases the chances that people will remember your brand.

7. Transparent Shipping Details for Your Store

Finally, make sure that your customers are well-informed.

When it comes to international shipping, you need detailed information. Dropshipping is a common ecommerce store that has a longer delivery time than Amazon.

It is inevitable. Uncertainty for your customers is something that can be avoided.

It is vital that all shipping information be displayed on the shipping information page or on every product. It should be clear and concise, including information about where you ship to, the time it will take, and if customers can track their orders.

This will save time in two ways. First, you won’t need to answer the same questions repeatedly. Second, you won’t have deal with refund requests coming from people who don’t know where their package is.

These are just a few examples of Shopify-powered stores handling shipping information.

What is the International Shipping Charge?

International shipping costs can be determined by many factors. These are the main factors to consider when deciding how much international shipping should cost.

Packaging

Packaging is an expense. Make sure you include it in your total product cost. Depending on the size and quality of your product, it should cost between $1.50 and $6.00 per unit. The number of boxes required to hold different sizes orders will affect the cost. Your packaging supplies such as bubble wrap and stuffing can also impact your product and packaging costs.

Handling Charges

What is the minimum hourly wage for your country? This figure can be used to determine if you should add a handling charge to your product pricing. To determine the handling fee, you can use the minimum wage benchmark and see how long it takes to prepare an order for shipment.

If it takes you 15 minutes for an international order to be prepared, and your hourly wage is $12 you can add a $3 handling fee to pay for the effort. International customers will often pay more for quality shipping. This should not be a problem. A big part of high-quality shipments is how they are packaged and handled span>

Taxes and Duties

To calculate the duties and taxes for your destination country, you can use duty calculators. These calculations can then be factored into your product pricing. You can also pass the responsibility for paying taxes and duties on to your customers. This is known as Delivered at Place (DAP), and the customer must pay charges before they are able to receive their order.

You can deliver a hassle-free shopping experience by paying the fees yourself. You should ask customers to pay these fees in advance.

No matter what your approach may be, it is important to communicate with customers about any additional fees.

Conclusions about International Shipping

Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to find out where suppliers are located or what shipping options there are in countries like Malaysia.

These are not luxury problems. There are hundreds of suppliers that you can use to sell your products! You can ship to Malaysia

Yes, international shipping can be complicated. There are many things to keep in mind.

This extra work is a direct result of more opportunity. Each challenge you conquer increases your customer base.

Summary 7 International Shipping Tips For 2023

Use filters to determine international shipping costs
Partner with the top product suppliers.
Find more markets for fast shipping.
Think smart about your shipping zones.
Match your Facebook targeting with your shipping destinations.
Send products to yourself first.
Show transparent shipping details in your store.

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Author: David Vranicar

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