International Shipping FAQs Answered

With businesses evolving beyond geographical restrictions, it is indeed the need of the hour for them to learn more about international shipping and have a basic idea of the same before attempting it.

This blog aims to clarify any confusion surrounding international shipping by addressing fundamental questions, exploring various shipping and carrier options, and covering packaging preparation, among other topics.

The questions will be segregated under different sections. Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

Table of Contents

International Shipping FAQs

Basics: Understanding International Shipping

1. What is International Shipping, and how does it differ from domestic shipping?

International shipping is a mode of shipping where shipments are transited between national borders. This is one of the sole differences between international shipping and domestic shipping. Domestic shipping happens within the country’s borders. Also, international shipping is expensive when compared to domestic shipping.

2. What are the essential things I need to know before starting international shipping?

As international shipping is an expensive affair, when you plan to start, you need to consider some factors:

Evaluate the international demand for the products
Negotiate with the shipping couriers for the best rates for shipping internationally
Figuring out an international shipping strategy based on the product weight, shipping destinations, specific shipping needs, etc.
Abiding by country-specific rules
Protecting fragile shipments

3. Which documents are required for international shipping?

The primary documents for international shipping are:

Airway Bill: It’s a cargo receipt that serves as a contract of carriage between the shipper and carrier.
Commercial Invoice: An Important document issued by the exporter to the importer as evidence of the sale transaction.
Bill of Lading: A Legal document issued by the carrier for the receipt of goods for shipment.
Customs Declaration Form: Documents required by the customs department.
IEC Code: Importer exporter code; a unique identification code issued by the country’s trade authorities.
Packing List: Description of Contents
Certificate of Origin: A Document that certifies the origin country.
Export and Import Licenses: Licenses issued by authorities.
Insurance Certificate: A Shipping insurance document that serves as proof of insurance coverage.

4. What is customs clearance, and why is it important?

The customs clearance document includes specific information on the product in the shipment. This declaration must comply with the customs laws of the respective country. If the customs document doesn’t comply, it will be stuck and will not reach its end customer unless the correct information is obtained.

5. What are restricted and prohibited items in international shipping?

The list of prohibited items changes from country to country. But some of the common restricted and prohibited items are:

Illegal Drugs
Explosives
Firearms
Gasoline, etc.

Shipping Options & Carriers

6. How do I choose the right international shipping carrier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.)?

Every carrier has its individual strengths and weaknesses. You have to pick the carrier that best suits your needs. Let’s look at different factors that need to be considered:

Package Dimensions and Weight
Budget
Destination
Delivery Speed
Tracking

7. What are the differences between express, standard, and economy international shipping services?

The difference mainly lies in speed, cost, and tracking capabilities.

Express Services are faster in nature as they use air cargo, which reaches your customer in 1-3 days. It is also an expensive option when compared to other modes. Better tracking visibility and mostly used for time-sensitive shipments.

Standard Services are faster than economy but slower than express services. The rates are affordable but not as cheap as economy services. The services are best suited for shipments that aren’t time-sensitive and are not of a valuable nature. A tracking facility is available with limited features.

Economy services are the slowest option out of the lot. The rates are cheap but not suitable for time-sensitive shipments. Includes tracking but limited features.

8. What factors affect international shipping costs?

The key determinants of shipping costs are:

The mode of transportation
Shipment size and weight
Destination
Choice of Services
Additional Services
Fuel Rates

9. What is dimensional weight, and how does it impact shipping charges?

Dimensional Weight or DIM weight is the technique used by shipping companies so that they don’t lose money on large, lightweight shipments. If the weight of the shipment is the sole calculation element, then larger boxes with lightweight products will be charged with lower charges.

10. Do I need a business account with a carrier to ship internationally?

Not always. Most carrier allows people to send packages using a guest account. But, some carriers require further information, like IEC number, commercial invoice, etc., for availing business-related shipping.

Packaging & Preparation

11. How should I package items for safe international delivery?

There are many ways to package items safely for international delivery:

Choosing the right box: Right material, right box size, double boxing
Wrap items separately
Fill the box with packing peanuts, crumpled paper, and air pillows
Seal with Quality Tape in ‘H’ pattern
Add special labels

12. What are HS codes, and why do I need them for shipping?

HS codes or harmonized system codes are numerical identifiers assigned for classification. These codes help differentiate 5000 types of products. HS codes are created for global acceptance.

It helps in calculating tariffs and taxes
Enforces regulations
Informs trade strategy

13. How do I create and attach shipping labels for international orders?

You can create shipping labels in multiple ways:

Go to the carrier portal for shipping labels
Using shipping plugins or multi-carrier shipping APIs for creating shipping labels

14. Who pays customs duties and taxes—the seller or the buyer?

The payment of customs and duties is done based on Incoterms. They are:

If it’s DDU/DAP, then the buyer pays duties and taxes
If it’s DDP, then the seller pays duties and taxes upfront

Operations & Returns

15. What are my options for handling international returns?

Let your customer choose the mode of return
Make arrangements with the shipping carrier
Providing return instructions in the customer’s native language
Offer flexible refund methods

16. How can I integrate international shipping with my eCommerce store (e.g., WooCommerce, Shopify)?

In both platforms, you can use carrier-specific plugins and API integrations like ReachShip to integrate international shipping to your WooCommerce store. This will help in eliminating the manual entry of packages and details. It will also aid in finding the right real-time shipping rates for your shipment.

Conclusion

Understanding the fundamentals of international shipping is necessary to ensure a streamlined shipping process. As it involves transhipments around the world, it will be ideal to know the basic terminologies.

Hope this blog was able to answer a good number of queries regarding international shipping.