In today’s global economy, your customers are everywhere, so you shouldn’t limit yourself to only selling within your country of origin. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get your product across borders.

For instance, international shipments have to clear customers, they cost more to ship, they can take longer to arrive, and dealing with lost packages can be a nightmare.

However, this shouldn’t stop you from pursuing customers around the world. Thankfully companies exist today with the sole purpose of helping eCommerce companies ship internationally.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to ship internationally with Easyship, Easyship integrations, international shipping rates, and frequently asked questions about shipping items internationally.

International shipping with Easyship

Easyship removes the common headaches typically involved with international shipping by giving you real-time and actionable information to make the best decisions for your business.

Easyship Features

Shipping dashboard

Easyship’s shipping dashboards gives you the ability to manage orders and create shipments instantly. Companies can save time by automating shipping thanks to custom shipping rules determined by courier selection, delivery preference, package size, and more. Additionally, you can automatically generate all your shipping labels, packing slips, and customs paperwork in a few clicks.

Discounted shipping rates

Thanks to Easyship’s 250+ global couriers, you can benefit from making sure you always have the cheapest shipping rate, even if your package has to cross international borders.

Duties and tax visibility

Let Easyship calculate all the duties and taxes required for your international shipments to save you the time and frustration of doing the math yourself. With these charges automated for you, you can ensure packages aren’t held at customs and that you avoid unexpected costs.

Global fulfillment

Increase your sales potential by scaling your business internationally. Easyship offers warehouse partners on four continents for easier and faster international shipping without breaking the bank.

Easyship Integrations

In addition to integrating with the major shipping couriers, EasyShip offers seamless technology integrations with marketplaces, inventory management software, order management software, financial software, and more. These integrations options let you run your business your way without having to chance your tech stack.

Easyship Pricing

Easyship offers plans starting at $29/mo in addition to a free plan that comes with 50 shipments per month to get started. Companies can also save 20% by getting an annual plan instead of a monthly plan.

Learn about how Easyship can help you find the cheapest shipping rates.

International shipping rates

Shipping costs depend largely on the weight of the package, its eventual destination, and how fast it gets there. However, if you hold the weight of a package constant, the cheapest shipping option between USPS, UPS, and FedEx when shipping from New York, US, to the following destinations are:

Destination	Cheapest Courier Service	Cost
London, UK	USPS Priority Mail International	$80.65
Ontario, Canada	UPS Standard	$39.90
Rome, Italy	USPS Priority Mail International	$69.75
Berlin, Germany	USPS Priority Mail International	$69.80
New Delhi, India	USPS Priority Mail International	$76.75
Melbourne, Australia	USPS Priority Mail Express International	$101.75

In the table above, you can see that USPS often has the best international rates, but not always, and every package will be different. This is why it pays to use shipping software like Easyship to always see the best rates without having to search for them.

Additionally, Easyship’s partnerships with shipping couriers allow them to pass along shipping discounts to their customers. In a numbers game like eCommerce, every dollar counts, and some customers find that Easyship can pay for itself with these shipping discounts.

Frequently asked questions about international shipping

What is the cheapest way to ship internationally?

The cheapest way to ship internationally depends on the size, weight, destination, and origin of the package being shipped. However, USPS often has very competitive rates compared to other couriers. If you are determined to get the best rate when shipping internationally, the best advice is to use a shipping calculator or shipping tool to ensure you see every rate available to you.

What qualifies as international shipping?

International shipping is the process of moving a good across any border between two countries. This border includes land, ocean, and air borders. Anytime a package cross these borders, it is considered an international shipment.

How long does it take for international shipping?

International shipping can take anywhere from three business days for a package going from New York to Canada all the way up to 15 days for a package going from Connecticut to Hong Kong. Depending on the location of origin and destination, as well as weight, you can expect there to be a wide variation of time estimates for international shipping. However, you can avoid additional international shipping delays by ensuring your duties and tax are correct on every shipment.

Does customs check every international shipment?

Yes, a customer’s office will check all incoming international shipments and mail to ensure the shipments meet all local regulations and policies.

What happens if a package is held by customs?

There are a number of reasons that a package could be held at customs ranging from incorrect taxes and duties to simply a random inspection. In any case, contacting customs is usually a good first step to find out what, if anything, you can do to help speed up the process.

After confirming that a package is indeed held by customs, there are a number of next steps that can happen. Either missing fees or paperwork must be provided to get the package through customs, or the package will be returned to the sender if it is in violation of any rules and regulations.

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