Seven Issues That Might Make Your International Shipping Costs Higher

If your company needs to regularly ship products or materials internationally, then your shipping costs could be a considerable expense. Saving money on international shipping could drastically improve your profits.

The following are seven issues to be aware of that might make your international shipping costs higher. 

The weight of the packages you're sending

The heavier the items you're sending are, the more you'll have to pay for international shipping. If you can make shipments lighter, you could save a considerable amount of money on your international shipments.

The number of international shipping providers you work with

Doing your research and choosing one quality international shipper to work with for all of your shipments could result in considerable savings. An individual shipper might give you a bulk discount if you let them handle all of your shipments.

Shop around to find an international shipper that can handle deliveries to all of the countries to which you need to ship on a regular basis. Working with one international shipper when possible won't only lead to savings, but could also simplify the management of your company shipments. 

The packaging you're putting your international shipments in

Packaging that you're using to ship internationally can push up costs if it's particularly bulky or heavy. That's why it's important to put detailed research into finding the best packaging solution for international shipments. 

The insurance you get for your shipments

Insuring shipments is always a good idea. Insuring shipments is especially important when it comes to international shipments. However, insurance costs could get high if you're not paying attention to them.

Compare options for insuring your international shipments and choose the international shipment insurance method that's as cost-effective as possible. 

The distance your packages are traveling

You'll have to pay more to ship further from home. If your international shipment costs are very high, you might want to consider moving production to a closer location where possible to minimize shipment distance and therefore shipment costs. 

The fragility of the items you're shipping

Shipping fragile items is inevitably more costly than shipping less fragile items. You can minimize the risk of damage to fragile items with your packaging. 

It's especially important to compare the quality and costs of fragile item shipping from various providers to minimize both costs and shipment damage en route. 

The security precautions that are taken in countries to which you are shipping

Packages that are shipped to some countries may have to go through an enormous amount of security procedures that could push up costs and delay shipments. This is especially true for international shipments to countries where some type of emergency situation is in progress.

If your organization is dealing with costly shipping because of shipping to such countries, you might want to try to find alternatives that allow you to avoid shipping to these countries to keep costs down. To learn more, contact an international shipping service.