Many international shipping beginners aren’t aware of the many nuances involved with the process.
On the basic level, international shipping services are the same regardless of the cargo’s final destination. First, the cargo is transported to the nearest, most efficient port in the United States either by carrier service or by the customers themselves. This port can be in New York, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Texas, California, or any other available port in the country.
The international shipping company would then arrange for the shipment overseas by taking care of the export formalities, insurance, and actually sending the container or roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel overseas. Up until this point, the price is dependent on the shipping company’s rates, the shipping line’s price for the transportation to the specific country of interest, and the size, nature, and quantity of your cargo.
The price can vary once the cargo actually arrives at the country of interest. At that point, the customs clearance laws of the final location can dictate how much more or less the customer would have to pay. Some countries have very low import tariffs, while others are high; this fact can often affect the type of cargo that is usually shipped to that specific place.
For example, the high Chinese import taxes make it hard for customers to justify shopping affordable automobiles. Instead, most international automobile shipping to China is of expensive luxury automobiles.
However, customers shouldn’t worry about the nuances of international shipping. The company will normally take care of everything with only minimal help from their client to contribute to a stress-free process.
