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From the packing, to the shipping and actual relocation of your belongings,
international shipping can be as exciting and laborious as moving by yourself
for the first time in your life. No matter what the reasons behind your
international shipping needs, good planning and spotless organizational skills
will keep you on top of things and trouble free. To help you get a head start,
we offer you this clear-cut international shipping guide.
The first step you should take is to ask yourself what are you shipping and
where to. This information is crucial for the whole shipping procedure depends
on it. The shipping quote, duties and taxes fees, and pertinent international
shipping documentation are all based on what kind of goods you will be shipping
and where in the world are you shipping them to.
For this reason, it is important that you will take your time to accurately
understand and describe the nature of the items you wish to ship abroad: what
is/are the item/s? How many of each item are you shipping? What is/are the
item/s made from? What is the item/s intentional use? What is the value of the
item/s? Remember, upon this information you will be filling the relevant
questionnaires and labels related to your international shipping. For instance,
“200cmX170cm had-made 100% wool carpet for interior décor, $200” would be a more
precise and comprehensive description of an item that just labeling something as
“personal belongings, personal value”. When filling specific forms more detailed
information like country of origin, serial numbers and/or number of parts of the
item/s will be most likely required by the shipping company due to international
shipping laws, so keep that in mind and prepare accordingly.
The destination of the items will be the other crucial factor to take under
consideration. Depending on what the final destination of your international
shipment is, you will have to complete different documentation forms and be
aware of slightly different shipping policies, duties and taxes fees, and
possible different shipment services. As a rule of thumb, expect to fill in at
least the following three international shipment documents: Commercial Invoice,
Certificate of Origin, and NAFTA certificate of Origin.
Once you have an accurate idea of what are you sending and where are you
shipping it to, proceed to contact the international shipping company of your
choice and ask for personalized assistance in shipping your goods abroad. Based
upon the information you have gathered, the international shipping company
should be able to help you to accurately quote the shipment, give you a time
frame estimate on your shipment’s arrival date, and fill you in regarding all
the duties and taxes involved in the process. In addition, they should be able
to guide you through the pertinent documentation that needs to accompany the
shipment and most likely provide it to you. Finally, they should also be happy
to offer you extra resources like currency and metric system conversions, or
appropriate shipment dates based on observed holidays and vacations.
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