Shipping Internationally

Packing for international customers shouldn't be any different than for domestic customersas long as you do it right. Foreign shipments are likely to get even rougher treatment than usual, so make sure the package is packed as securely as possiblewith more than enough cushioning to survive the trip to Japan or Europe or wherever it happens to be going.

Note

Given the increased chances of loss or damage when shipping great distances, you should purchase insurance for all items shipping outside North America.

What is different about shipping internationally is the paperworkand the shipping costs.

Chances are your normal method of shipping won't work for your international shipments. For example, you can't use Priority Mail to ship outside the U.S.not even to Canada or Mexico. This means you'll need to evaluate new shipping methods and possibly new shipping services.

If you want to stick with the U.S. Postal Service, check out Global Priority Mail (reasonably fast and reasonably priced), Global Express Mail (fast but expensive), Airmail (almost as fast, not quite as expensive), or Surface/Parcel Post (slow but less expensive). In addition, UPS offers its Worldwide Express service, FedEx offers FedEx Express service internationally, and DHL is always a good option for shipping outside the U.S. Make sure you check out your options beforehand, and charge the buyer the actual costs incurred.

You'll also have to deal with a bit of paperwork while you're preparing your shipment. All packages shipping outside U.S. borders must clear customs to enter the destination countryand require the completion of specific customs forms to make the trip. Depending on the type of item you're shipping and the weight of your package, you'll need either Form 2976 (green) or Form 2976-A (white). Both of these forms should be available at your local post office.

In addition, you can't ship certain items to foreign countries: firearms, live animals and animal products, and so on. (There are also some technology items you can't ship, for security reasons.) You need to check the government's list of import and export restrictions to see what items you're prohibited from shipping outside U.S. borders. Check with your shipping service for more detailed information.

Note

eBay offers several pages of advice for international trading at pages.ebay.com/globaltrade/.