Things to Know Before Shipping Internationally

by Samuel C. Customs Advisor

Do you want to deliver beyond borders? It is an imperative step in order to reach the next level of growth. Supplying goods from one country to another may seem a daunting task but if you do it legitimately then there are zero restrictions. The e-commerce businesses that have done well in the local market continuously desire to broaden their customs bond and sales. Running a website and getting order request from abroad might be easy but to place them their parcel is quite hectic work.

So if you really want to leverage online tactics and on the verge of implementing high investment in shipping services, these stats may boost your confidence in the job –

· This would give incredible propulsion to your trading. With the help of an overseas market, you won’t have to struggle with seasonal highs or downs.

· Statista has the average order value of an international sale at $147 USD. That’s 17% higher compared to an average domestic sale.

· You would have a chance to add new services for new queries. Maybe, the demand for your products is less in the country you’re trading but there are billions of people on the internet want to explore products like yours. Overall, you may get more prestige internationally.

Now, coming to the point for what you all here on this article. You probably have had read about customs bond, shipping documents, and many other requirements to make it possible. So these tips are meant to help in making your next journey viable.

Determine Your Targeted Market

Planning before execution is what reflects the right outlook for business growth. Professional aspirants always work strategically. So the decision of determining the right market where your products would get good exposure is essential. You can utilize demographics to target the audience of an area and can know your audience's interest by their age, country, income, gender, education, occupation, etc.

Countries like the United States have strict laws for the specific type of goods like food, liquor, animals, etc. So knowing about bonds like continuous import bond and single entry bond becomes crucial. An international freight forwarder, who possesses OTI Bonds CA, can make the legal transaction of your goods through ocean vessels.

You can official site of CBP to make access the list of products that are prohibited or require additional paperwork before its entrance. Hereby, you avoid delays and fines.

Know Rules and Regulations

Every country has its own set of laws to regulate international imports. Like, if you want to deliver foods commercially to the US you would need to seek permission from FDA and/or from the Department of Agriculture.

International intermediaries with proper customs bond can help you in getting information about regulations of each country before finalizing shipment. Being aware of rules is the ideal way to make the procedure soothing and in the right direction.

Know about taxes and duties

Some countries enforce additional duties and taxes to maintain a balance between international and domestic merchandisers. This allows the local government in collecting more revenue and also protects it from any deception. It sometimes applies to both importer and the person who gets the product.

When you do commercial importation to the US, it is important to obtain either continuous import bond or a single transaction bond. These bonds act as surety of taxes, duties, and fines between three parties the CBP, importer, and insurance company that help importer in acquiring relevant bond. The bond amount can be calculated through various online tools or by simply consulting to one the freight forwarding agency.

You should know about the commercial invoices, shipping insurance, certificate of origin, international tariffs, and other documents that can impact your shipping. A broker can help you in getting OTI Bonds CA easily.