can you ship to door overseas

Can you ship to door overseas?

Yes. But here are the options.

An express shipment of a single parcel: typically a door to door service from the USA will include clearing, and final delivery to business, or residence but not any duty payment. The recipient is responsible for paying any tax or duty in the local currency.

Air and Ocean Freight (100 lbs or more of cargo): typically the recipient wants to save money by clearing their own cargo, or by hiring a customs broker that is licensed in the country of destination. Here is the procedure that we have observed.

1. When the shipment recipient / consignee has received the AWB or BOL and Commercial Invoice they fax/email the documents to 1 or more clearing agents or brokers in the vicinity of the airport or ocean port of destination and ask them to please provide the following:

• broker or entry filing fee;

• VAT, duty and excise tax;

• inspection fee, or bond;

• any other cost/fee against the commodity listed on the commercial invoice;

• port or terminal fee;

• terminal handling charges, or deconsolidation fee;

• terminal storage fees;

• any other fee the broker anticipates paying at the air or ocean terminal, or to the local carrier agent for the release of the cargo;

• cost of picking the cargo up at the air or ocean terminal and delivering it to the final destination address.

2. If you try to get an ESTIMATE before you have the AWB/BOL and Commercial Invoice in hand:

• the broker or clearing agent overseas may be less likely to give you a response.

• If you are only estimating your shipment details and date, all they can give you is an "estimate" of what the costs.

• An estimate is not a guarantee of costs.

3. Once you have the AWB/BOL and Commercial Invoice the broker or clearing agent can and probably will give you a QUOTE.

• They know the cargo is inbound, they can see the actual details that customs and receiving terminals will use to assess their charges.

• They know what the local charges are and can then quote them with reasonable certainty.

• With an estimate they cannot be reasonably certain of what to charge you, in part because they don't know when your cargo will be arriving and costs can change at any terminal or port at any time.

4. If you don't like the quotes you receive:

• • ask a friend who may have done this before;

  • contact the receiving terminal yourself and ask them the costs (here in the USA a typical air cargo terminal fee is $50.00, but for ocean it can be $250.00 or more;

  • ask the receiving terminal for the contact information on the local Customs Bureau for the country of destination and then contact that office and obtain the clearing forms specifying what you will need to file.

  • get a taxi or cargo transport truck and pick up the cargo yourself.

5. Generally to clear customs you need the following:

• • AWB or BOL;

  • commercial invoice;

  • packing list (especially if personal effects);

  • recipients Passport or ID;

  • if claiming a personal exemption, VISA and travel tickets showing the country from which you traveled.