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International Shipping
The Backbone of eCommerce

Picking the right international shipping partner can help you expose your cross-border eCommerce business to a larger market and increase your profits.

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Which Are Dangerous Products in International Shipping?

In the world of international logistics, we sometimes have to deal with dangerous products. If they are not handled with care, it could cause harm to those handling them in transit. Most dangerous goods are defined internationally by IATA, the international organization that regulates air travel. However, some couriers operate according to slightly different rules.
Here is the list of products which are dangerous to ship:
  • products with batteries iconProducts With Batteries (laptop and mobile phones with lithium ion batteries)
  • weapons iconWeapons (knives, ammunition and guns)
  • aerosols and other flammable products icon Aerosols and other flammable products
dangerous products in international shipping

What Are Possible Problems You Can Encounter in International Shipping?

As in every industry, in international logistics various problems may occur. This is perfectly normal and facing such problems is part of the job. The following may serve as a short guide to identify potential problems and ways to solve them.
Here are some issues you could encounter and some ways to solve them:
As in every industry, in international logistics various problems may occur. This is perfectly normal and facing such problems is part of the job. The following may serve as a short guide to identify potential problems and ways to solve them.  Here are some issues you could encounter and some ways to solve them:
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Cargo Damage and Lost Parcels

Due to a variety of reasons, it could occur that products are either damaged or lost. To refrain from cargo damage, make sure to secure the parcel properly. It is important to always provide tracking for each parcel. Upload your customers’ tracking event details consistently to avoid missing parcels.

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Shipment Stuck in Customs

There are lots of reasons why shipment could be stuck in customs. The most common reason is that the products cannot be shipped because they don’t meet the local requirements. The best solution to resolve this issue is to contact your courier immediately to clear your shipment. Another way to prevent this problem is to make use of bonded warehouse which gives you more them to meet the local requirements.

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Product Returns

It is highly likely that you will have to deal with product returns in international shipping. Therefore, it is important to find a local partner or international courier who can help you to automate returns. Reverse logistics can be extremely challenging, and it is thus important to find a reliable partner who can operate on your behalf.

International Sales Tax

International Sales Tax is an important aspect in international logistics since most governments have it as a requirement for cross-border sales. Customers are often charged with taxes for products they bought online, implemented by their local government. The following are some examples of US tax regulations that might be useful if you are a US company:
  • list arrow icon If you are an international seller without physical appearance in the US nor make sales in the US, then you do not have to pay tax in the US.
  • list arrow icon If you are an international seller without physical appearance in the US but makes sales in the US, then you have to pay tax in the US.
  • list arrow icon If you are a seller who fulfills items in other states, then you have to comply with the sales tax law of that state.
For every sale, there is a corresponding tax that sellers have to deal with. But nowadays, sellers are not just based in certain places. They are across the world as the online market rises and with that, they have to face the sales tax internationally.
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What is Shipping Automation?

Shipping is of course an essential part of eCommerce. Shipping automation can be a very useful tool to eliminate the hassle of managing inventory and incoming shipments. This can increase the efficiency of the operations and lets you focus on growing your business.
These are the advantages of shipping automation:
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Inventory Management

A systematic approach to sourcing, storing, and shipping out inventory. Stocks of products are automatically monitored through the use of the system.

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Shipping Process Optimization

Helps you choose the best shipping solution based on weight, volume, distance and multi- depot scheduling to ship the order to your customers.

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Shipping Labels Generation

Generating shipping labels for multiple orders is a time-consuming job. Automation allow this to process become a single click job once the order is processed.

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Shipment Tracking

Track the shipment at different points in time during sorting, warehousing, and package delivery.

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Improved Order Accuracy

Automatically check the weight and size of your package using a WMS can significantly improve your operation’s order accuracy rate.

Growing a business can be very labor intensive. Automating manual tasks saves time and decreases human error. So start making smarter decisions by letting the system make the decisions for you.