If you are shipping overseas, many things need to be considered. From additional custom regulations to comply with, down to the huge amount of paperwork to sort out, all this is just the tip of an iceberg when sending packages internationally. Unlike local shipments, the process of international shipments is more complex and requires extra patience.
Understanding what overseas shipping is all about and the procedures involved is the best way to be on top of everything related to shipping overseas from Australia. How to do it? It’s easy! Read this article from top to bottom to learn more about the things to look out for when sending packages overseas. Don’t miss out on the tips and tricks from experts and market leaders. Let us go through each of them below.
1. Custom Regulations
Custom regulations are a significant part of overseas shipping to ensure trade security and uphold standards. Because of that, it is only right that this is the first thing you should consider when sending packages overseas.
Moreover, custom regulations cover a wide range of commercial transactions, policies, and standards essential to running a business. Complying with all the trade regulations means your business understands the importance of meeting legal obligations. Whether you import or export goods, customs regulations should be on top of your priority list to save your business from penalties and other consequences that come with non-compliance with the laws.
2. Custom Fees
Apart from that, customs fees are another concern that should be taken care of. In case you don’t know, customs fees are imposed to protect local industries, generate state revenue, and control cargoes when entering or exiting a country.
This fee varies widely depending on the goods’ value and what country it is being shipped to. Take note that products with higher values will cost you more fees. Hence, checking the custom fee rates of different countries is essential before shipping goods.
Being a responsible shipper leads to a smoother shipping process. Make sure to do your part when shipping overseas from Australia.
3. Shipping Tariff
Overseas shipping encourages countries’ growth, improvement, and development as part of international trade. But every country has different laws, which means businesses are conducted in various ways. International trade laws are complex, and regulating them per country can be difficult. As a result, each country’s government has its own regulations of what goes in and out of its border. They impose tariff rates as added costs on cargo to maintain the staffing necessary for enforcing the regulations.
Shipment fees charged by the shipping company and additional freight taxes applicable on certain goods are included in the shipping tariff. Like the customs fees, the shipping tariff varies depending on the courier company handling the shipping of your goods. It is advised to check the tariff rates of different shipping companies when arranging overseas shipping of goods.
4. Time of Transit and Packaging
Before shipping overseas from Australia, carefully planning the date you want the goods to be delivered is necessary. Although delays are not the case for every shipment, it is more likely to occur, especially shipping packages abroad. Unlike local shipping, overnight or same-day delivery is not possible for overseas shipping at all. On top of that, there is a customs clearance that can take longer, which may cause even more delays in the delivery of goods.
One way to avoid causing a delay in the time of transit is to package your goods properly. Again, different countries have varying regulations on the handling of goods. Make sure that you follow the country’s standards where your goods will be shipped to. Apply efficient packaging to the goods and label them accurately. Besides placing the products in a corrugated box, utilising infills, such as bubble wraps and air pillows, adds an extra layer of protection to your package. You can even go far as shipping with pallets to secure your package from the tremendous movements caused by international shipping.
5. Mode of Shipment
Another thing that you should pay close attention to when sending packages overseas is the mode of transportation. There are three ways to do this—you can ship your goods either through land transport, sea freight, or air freight. But, if you are shipping overseas from Australia, you don’t have lots of options. Instead, you may ship using sea or air freights. Sometimes, it takes a combination of shipment modes to transport goods from one place to another successfully.
Time, cost, and product must be considered in selecting the transportation medium. Yet, if your shipping requirements call for urgent delivery, you may consider air freight because it is the fastest. Also, it is more expensive to compensate for the convenience it offers. While sea shipment is often overlooked because it is not as fast as the sea freight, it is ideal for shipping delicate items that cannot endure the turbulence of air travel. Availing of sea freight is cost-efficient, too.
6. Shipment Rules
Some goods are restricted in various countries, which you should consider. If you ship goods overseas, take time to be familiar with the restricted items list of both the origin and destination. Doing this streamlines the shipment process.
Other than the restrictions imposed on some goods, there are shipment rules for shipping perishable goods, animals, and plants. Sending perishable goods requires complying with the quantity of products allowed to be shipped at a time. This also depends on where the items come from and their destination.
Meanwhile, shipping animals or plants require additional procedures and permits. Make sure that you go through all this when shipping packages overseas with living creatures. Additionally, get a courier company in Sydney with years of experience and expertise handling shipments like this because they know how to handle this kind of situation.
7. Insurance
Whether you like it or not, international shipping’s damage rate is high. According to Port Technology, poor and incorrect packaging of goods contribute to 65% of the cargo damage claim. This and other potential causes of damages to your goods are enough reasons to consider insurance. It is safer to get your package insured for damages and accidents. You might think it is unnecessary, but insurance is a safety net that will save you from more severe problems when unexpected things happen during the shipment of your goods.
For more details about Couriers by Demand Express, call us on 02 9095 5000. We will be glad to cater to your shipping requirements, and we can also help send packages overseas. Get in touch with us today!
