International shipping is an upcoming phenomenon across the world. In 2017, retail e-commerce sales worldwide amounted to 3.46 trillion US dollars, and e-retail revenues are projected to grow to 4.88 trillion US dollars in 2021. These figures are not possible without an aggressive eCommerce market growth across the world. One such trade channel is the eCommerce between India and USA.
Ever since the government offered incentive schemes to exporters, there have been various sellers who now want to ship overseas. The market is fresh and can be tapped easily. Not only this, in 2016, the USA’s De minimis value was decreased to 800 USD, which has also led to an increase in the international business.
As Amazon India’s report rightfully pointed out, items like bed sheets, traditional art, home decor, clarified butter, and other indigenous goods are in high demand in the US, the point is, who is the right partner to help you ship them there. Let us find out.
1) DHL
DHL is a leading name in the field of eCommerce shipping. They have recently started a new branch with the name of DHL eCommerce just for eCommerce sellers. DHL has been instrumental in delivering international packages on time. Hence they are considered the best. With state of the art integrated software, customer support, and delivery potential DHL is a reliable giant in the industry.
The international shipping charges from India to the USA start at Rs. 120/50 g and can go up to Rs. 320/50 g depending on various plans and delivery time variations.
They provide white-labeled tracking, take care of customs and also provide express delivery when required.
2) FedEx
FedEx is another renowned name in the field of eCommerce shipping. You can ship your products from their FedEx international branch which has three options – FedEx international first, priority and Economy. They offer return management and also cater to special shipping requirements like hazardous goods and dangerous goods. For small and medium level enterprises, FedEx also has industry-specific solutions for you! Along with these features, you even get first class shipping, monitoring, and tracking tools to always stay up to date with your shipments.
When you pack your shipment yourself, shipping costs start at around Rs. 1000/50 g and when you tie up with FedEx for packaging, Rs. 900/50 g.
3) Shiprocket
Shiprocket is India’s leading eCommerce shipping solution. They offer a fully automated panel wherein you can ship to 220+ countries across the world. Being a courier aggregator, they have not one, but three shipping partners – DHL, FedEx and Aramex and these are the leading names for shipping to the United States of America. Thus, you can ship different shipments via different courier partners without really having to commit to the prices of any one of them.
Along with multiple shipping partners, Shiprocket also offers you the option to integrate your international marketplaces like Amazon US/UK and eBay US/UK to make sure you don’t miss out on any orders. You can track your orders through white-labeled tracking and make sure they are delivered to your destination the way you intend to deliver them.
Their starting prices are Rs. 110/50 g!
4) Aramex
Aramex is a leading eCommerce shipping giant based in Dubai. They offer eCommerce logistics solutions to small businesses, start-ups and established companies in supply chain management, technical support, and eCommerce logistics. With Aramex, you are at the receiving end of a variety of solutions which include, warehouse management, end-to-end tracking, and facility management. Their service is regarded as one of the best for delivering to the USA. With the latest technologies at their disposal, Aramex is undoubtedly one of the best courier partners for shipping overseas.
Their shipping rates for India to the USA start from Rs. 650/50 g.
With such evolving and competent courier partners, we understand it can get slightly overwhelming to make the right choice. But we’d suggest you take your time and zero down the option which offers the most benefit and is economical at the same time. But before you start shipping to USA, make sure you follow this guide in order to avoid any problems.
Guide to Shipping to USA from Bangalore
Shipping to America is a really easy, hassle free process when the right preparation has been completed. In this guide you will learn what is necessary to get your parcel over the Atlantic and into the United States, regardless if you are a first-time shipper or business regular.
When shipping to the US all goods must go through Customs to be cleared. This therefore
means that you will need a Customs Invoice for your shipment. This document will determine how much tax and duties you will need to pay – so ensure it is completed properly and clearly.
For example, when completing the form, make sure to accurately describe each item included in the package. Instead of saying that your package contains ‘clothes’, write ‘t-shirts for boys aged 10-12’. The better the accuracy, the speedier the process – US Customs is notorious for its due-diligence.
No duties or taxes will be applied if the total parcel value is below certain thresholds. For example, the Gift value threshold is $200. If you are sending a gift to the US then declare the item as an unsolicited gift on the invoice, its complete description and value. Make sure to send your gift to a residential address and not a US business address, otherwise you will have to pay duties and tax. The Formal Clearance threshold is $2,500. This means that if your shipment is worth over $2,500, it will be subject to delays as it goes through formal clearance.
If your package has duties or taxes applied, the receiver will be contacted by customs to confirm their Tax ID. They will then need to pay the additional costs applied to your parcel. You can pay for the costs yourself by contacting customer support prior to booking and arranging for the charges to be sent to you, instead. Some items require an import license for them to enter the United States legally. If you are unsure if you need one or not, then please view the official US Customs import licenses page for more details.
Restricted and Prohibited Items in the United States
The US operates a list of prohibitions and restrictions on what can be imported. To view them, please visit the official US Customs page for restricted and prohibited items. We highly recommend customers view these items before booking a delivery, to avoid any additional fees or delays to the parcel.
Other items are specifically restricted from entry in the US by Customs. Some of these include ink and other poisonous materials. If you would like to import goods like this, you will need a TSCA (Toxic Substance Control Act) form/declaration, with a breakdown of the ink composition. We also advise customers who are importing photographic film that you will be charged duty on it, if it was purchased in a different country. If it was purchased in the US, and you are returning to the US, then you will not be charged.
Sending food to the USA from the Bangalore
Food is a wonderful gift for anyone missing home and shipping food to the USA is not complicated, but there are a few things you need to be aware of. You can send food gifts to the US; however whenever sending food abroad, you do need to check out what you can and cannot send.
Importing food products into the United States is governed by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) and there are some food products which are not allowed to be shipped. However you can send chocolates to the USA as well as other popular types of food gifts to America.
What you can send: Non-perishable foods
Store bought foods with a best before date over 6 months away.
Items must be in the original manufacturers packaging and unopened.
The food label needs to list all the ingredients.
The best before date must be displayed on the packaging.
What you cannot send: Perishable foods
Foods with a shelf life of less than 6 months.
Homemade foods or any foods not in the original manufacturers packaging.
Foods that can spoil during transit.
Food in packaging that have been opened.Food that does not contain a food label listing the ingredients.
How to Package Your Goods to Arrive in the US
When sending goods to the USA, your packages will be handled many times when they are loaded and off-loaded from vehicles and aircraft. They may have boxes placed on top of them and experience vibrations during transportation. When sending a parcel to America, it's really important that you ensure your items are packaged safely.
Use a strong rigid box with no creases.Use a double lined box if the package exceeds 10 kg and a triple lined box if it exceeds 30 kg. Wrap each item separately. Fill each box fill of internal cushioning such as polystyrene packing chips and ensure the items cannot move around inside the box.
Shipping Personal Effects to the US
While personal effects and gifts are generally exempt from customs duties, they have to meet certain criteria.
Foods must be in the original manufacturer’s packaging. Food packaging must be sealed and not tampered with in any way.Food label must list all ingredients. Foods must have a shelf life of longer than six months from the date of shipping. All foods that have a shelf life of less than six months will be classed as perishables, and cannot be sent via courier, even if store bought.
Clothing must be owned and personally worn by the sender for at least six months. For the USA, there are no value exemptions but, generally speaking, items valued below $200 USD should be exempt as long as they are declared as personal effects. The receiver will need to complete this form.
Important points to note:
The definition of personal effects are products that are used by one person, such as jewellery or clothing. Products that are used by a household are considered as 'household effects' and have different duty exemption thresholds. When sending personal effects to the US, you will need to complete a personal effects form.