subject: Preparing Yourself For Shipping Across International Borders [print this page] Shipping internationally is a challenge that every company that wishes to grow to a certain size needs to confront at some point during their growth. In order to do so, it is important that they learn the ins and outs of preparing all the paperwork which is required for international shipping. If you're shipping from LA to any other country in the world, your biggest ally in this task is going to be the California delivery service that you're using to make those deliveries for you.
There are many types of paperwork which may be required for any international shipping that you are preparing to do. However, not all paperwork will apply to all shipments. This is another area where the expertise of your courier company is going to be invaluable. They can help show you which types of documents are going to be required for which types of shipments, and in many cases make sure that they are prepared properly before shipping begins.
The commercial invoice and your bill of lading are two pieces of paperwork which you have to make sure are completed and included with your shipment. This lets the customs agents make sure that what you're shipping is legal to be moved into their country, and also lets them know what kinds of taxes and fees need to be paid on the shipment. Without these two basic documents, it isn't likely that any kind of shipment will be let across any international border, no matter how much cargo typically moves across.
There are other documents which might be required, but this can be different every time you ship depending on what type and how much cargo you are shipping. There are import and export licenses and permits for shipping under certain trade agreements which apply to some shipments but not to others. This is where the expertise of courier companies can be extremely helpful. If they're experienced in international shipping they can help you make sure that nothing ever gets overlooked when it comes to prepping all your paperwork.
Making sure that all this paperwork is obtained, and that it is filled out correctly, is critical if you want to satisfy your international clients. A missing piece of paperwork or something that conflicts with the shipment can cause delays of days at borders until the issue is cleared up. This is sure to dissatisfy customers, but can be avoided through careful preparation.
