International Shipping Fees: Know What You Are Paying

Whether you operate an established cross-border eCommerce company or are trying to attract international customers for the first time, you are probably aware of the significant difference between local and international shipping fees. Due to the different taxes, tariffs and customs requirements imposed by each country, it can be difficult to calculate your international shipping fees from one country to the next. 

At Parcelhub, we provide our clients with numerous cross-border solutions, including support with the costs of shipping internationally. In this article, we will look at how much international shipping costs for eCommerce businesses and examine the factors that impact international shipping fees.

How Much Does International Shipping Cost?

International shipping fees are determined by a variety of factors, from the weight, dimensions and contents of your shipment, to the country of dispatch and method of shipment. Generally speaking, the cost of shipping internationally starts at around £5 but can jump into the hundreds as your shipment gets larger and its destination becomes further.

Why Are International Shipping Fees High?

While local parcel delivery and order fulfilment are sophisticated processes that rely on multiple services working harmoniously, international deliveries require significantly more organisation between even more authorities. After being processed in a depot, shipments are transported to airports, loaded onto cargo planes, flown to another country, and inspected by customs officials before being passed onto a courier to complete their journey.

While these additional steps undoubtedly contribute to higher international shipping fees, one of the main reasons why shipping internationally costs much more than locally is to generate revenue. Countries rely on the money gained from international shipping fees, and the tariffs they impose depend on their relationships with other countries.

Another reason why international shipping fees tend to be higher is to protect domestic industries from outside competition. By charging to import goods from abroad, local businesses in their infancy are given the opportunity to grow.

What Affects the Cost of Shipping Internationally?

Shipping Destination

The laws and cultural expectations of the country receiving your shipment are among the main factors contributing to how much it costs to ship internationally. From the economy of the country, its historic and current political relationship with your home country, to the nature of your shipment and social attitudes toward it, any number of cultural factors can increase or decrease how much you can expect to spend.
For example, Russia has complex personal allowance levels as well as other issues that impact its international shipping fees. By leveraging the services of cross-border specialists like Parcelhub, you can take advantage of tailored international shipping options to ensure your shipments meet the expectations of recipients in other countries.

Contents of Shipment

While the dimensions and weight of your shipment are taken into consideration by courier services when calculating your international shipping fees, the contents, materials and purpose of your shipment can affect how much you are charged by local customs authorities. For this reason, it is important to provide detailed descriptions of your shipments to prevent any delays or returns, which can increase the expense.

Duties and Taxes

As shipments depart from and arrive in countries, customs officials on either side must assess the duties and taxes that apply to their contents. These assessments are informed by the Air Waybill (AWB), which is the document that accompanies the shipment, as well as the commercial invoice, which is the legal documentation that confirms the amount due from the recipient.

Customs officials will typically calculate the amount of tax and duties based on the description of goods, value of goods and origin of goods. While this expense is considered separate from your international shipping fees, the sender is liable for duties and taxes and will be charged in the event that the recipient refuses the package or fails to pay.

How Can Parcelhub Help with International Shipping Fees?

Calculating how much it costs to ship internationally can be confusing, especially when trying to account for duties and taxes. At Parcelhub, we handle all tax and duties considerations for clients importing and exporting from the UK.

Our team of delivery management partners offer a range of services, including economy, standard and premium delivery options. As well as sending to established markets, such as the USA, Australia and France, we tap into new and emerging markets like Russia, Brazil and China via international tracked deliveries and other solutions.

Best of all, there are no hidden fees. Our international shipping fee quotes are flat fees that cover the customs process, as well as every tax and tariff. If you have been searching for an easy solution to your international shipping fee woes, get in touch and allow Parcelhub to manage your cross-border costs.