International shipping: what it is and how it works
What is an international shipment? Discover everything you need to know about shipping your goods worldwide.
Entering the global market and selling your goods worldwide is every e-commerce business's dream, but the prospect of dealing with customs paperwork, duties, inspections and problems on a global scale can hold many brands back.
In this article you'll find advice on how to get organised, which documents you'll need, what kind of problems to expect, the main carriers' rates, and generally everything you need to take the first steps in the right direction.
Cos’è una spedizione internazionale?
An international shipment is any shipment that crosses the sending country's border to deliver goods in another country. Not all international shipments are the same, however.
How does an international shipment work?
Moving goods between two countries brings a number of issues to contend with:
- Differing legislation on the movement or shipping of certain product categories
- Differenze di tassazione tra uno stato e l'altro
- The existence of duties intended to protect a given country's domestic market
- The need for a single system to identify goods in transit regardless of language differences
- Eventuali accordi comunitari internazionali da rispettare in aggiunta ai vincoli locali
- Targeted agreements requiring additional payments or documents for goods from a particular country
- Impossibilità di effettuare spedizioni tra alcuni paesi
Since every country has its own particularities and different types of goods may be subject to different laws, it isn't easy to generalise; but we can start by considering two broad groups: international shipments within the European Union and international shipments outside it.
How does international shipping work within the European Union?
Thanks to the trade agreements in force within the European Union and the removal of customs duties, shipping goods within the EU is no different from domestic shipping. The only exceptions are special territories (such as the Canary Islands), which may require a customs declaration and even apply duties.
What is the Washington Declaration?
The Washington Declaration is a free-export declaration containing the sender's details, required to reach European Union territories located outside the continental mainland.
Spedizioni internazionali fuori dall'Europa
Outside the European Union, international shipments are governed by very precise procedures for identifying, accepting and taxing goods. These range from registering your e-commerce business to receive an EORI number to producing a number of documents for customs procedures.
In the next section we'll look in detail at everything you'll need to complete your international shipments successfully.
Documentation and customs for international shipments
Having the correct documentation is one of the critical points of any international shipment.
Incomplete or incorrect documentation will cause goods to be held, delaying delivery, requiring resources to resolve the problem, and may even lead to penalties. Let's look at the essential documents.
Compilare l'indirizzo per spedizioni internazionali
It may seem obvious, but an unclear or incomplete address for either sender or recipient is the number one problem countless parcels around the world run into.
The details to include in the shipping address, for both sender and recipient, are:
- First and last name (if the recipient is a company, it's advisable to include a contact name too)
- Indirizzo
- Località
- CAP (Codice di Avviamento Postale)
- Paese di residenza
These details are already on the waybill attached to the parcel, but adding them to the parcel itself acts as a safeguard should the documentation be lost.
Before filling in the details, it's worth consulting your carrier.
Fattura e Fattura proforma per spedizione internazionale
The invoice is the first essential document for shipping goods outside the European Union, as customs needs it to determine the value of the goods in transit. If it isn't a sale but a free-of-charge transfer, you'll need to issue a pro forma invoice stating this.
Lettera di vettura
Every parcel must be accompanied by a waybill. The waybill represents the contract between sender and carrier, contains information essential to the shipment and is indispensable for tracking.
Numero EORI
All companies and individuals resident within the European Union who need to ship goods to non-member states must hold an EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number.
This number is used solely for customs purposes and uniquely identifies who made the shipment. The EORI number can be requested free of charge by completing l'apposito modulo sul sito dell'Agenzia delle Dogane.
Other documents for international shipments
Once the basic requirements are met, the additional documentation you'll need depends largely on the country you're exporting to and the type of goods you're shipping.
The only way to avoid penalties and delays is to know perfectly the criteria and procedures in force in each country for the types of goods you sell online. Here are some questions worth asking to be sure you haven't overlooked anything.
Does the destination country permit the import of your products?
It's important to remember that goods legal in Italy aren't necessarily legal in other countries. Saudi Arabia, for example — a target market for many Italian luxury goods — does not permit the sale of alcohol, including wine. The first time you ship to a country it's worth doing your research so you don't risk losing the goods or incurring penalties.
Ci sono documenti particolari richiesti solo da quel paese?
Every country has its own bureaucracy, and it's important to know it. Having a very clear picture of all the documentation and permits needed to clear goods in each country you ship to is essential to avoid delays or having the shipment returned to sender.
Are there additional customs costs or extra taxes your customers should be aware of?
International parcels often come with steep customs charges payable on delivery.
Knowing customs costs in advance and telling your customers what extra charges to expect at the point of purchase delivers greater transparency and a better buying experience.
How up to date is your information?
Laws change from time to time, and those relating to customs, documents, transport and taxes tend to change very often. They change because of decisions taken by local administrations (Brexit, for example) and in response to international politics, so staying up to date is essential to avoid nasty surprises.
Quanto costa una spedizione internazionale?
The cost of an international shipment can vary enormously depending on the parcel's dimensions and weight, the carrier and the transit time. Let's look at two of the main international carriers to get a sense of prices and options.
International shipping with DHL
DHL is one of the leaders in international shipping and, on a global scale, is probably the fastest carrier.
DHL Standard 1-70 kg (maximum weight per non-palletised item)
Standard delivery takes 2-3 days for neighbouring countries and up to 20 days over longer distances.
Base prices can range from €40 within the European Union to €341 for the most distant zones. You also have to account for any additional services and customs charges.
DHL Express 1-70 kg (maximum weight per non-palletised item)
DHL's express service can deliver goods to the main commercial areas in 1-2 working days (outlying areas take longer). Base prices range from €46 within the European Union up to €2,077 for the most remote zones. Extra services and taxes must always be taken into account.
International shipping with UPS
UPS is a carrier that focuses heavily on customer service quality and can be an excellent partner when shipping problems need resolving.
UPS Standard 5.000-100.000 cm3 70 Kg max.
Rates depend on the parcel's volume and are divided into size bands from extra small to extra large, with base prices varying by zone.
- Unione Europea: 10,98-42,70 €
- Regno Unito: 17,50-37 €
- Stati Uniti: 34,36-142,20 €
- Cina: 44,31-191,40 €
UPS Express
UPS Express services deliver worldwide in 3-4 working days for the main commercial areas, with prices starting from €85.21. For a more precise idea of UPS costs closest to your needs, you can use the calcolatore di tariffe that they make available on their site.
International shipping with local carriers
The international shipping giants aren't the only ones with international offerings.
Many local carriers also have international offerings, and they're often cheaper.
BRT ships across Europe through partnerships with other carrier networks, and Poste Italiane also lets you ship worldwide with its Crono International offering.
Tracking di spedizioni internazionali
When shipping goods worldwide it's essential to follow the movements of all your parcels, both for yourself and for customers facing longer transit times. Some carriers include international tracking in the base rate; for others it's an additional service… Either way, it isn't optional.
Reliable tracking is an essential tool for managing your international shipments without problems.
Quale tipo di spedizione internazionale scegliere?
Is the cheapest option the best? It depends. If your goods have particular requirements, probably not — and it may cause more problems than benefits if the bulk of your international shipments go outside the European Union.
Your customers' needs are another fundamental factor. International express shipping prices, for example, can look prohibitive — but the world is full of people and businesses that value time over money. Offering an express shipping option could help you close more checkouts.
What's more, every carrier has its own strengths and weaknesses. Only through direct experience can you test who offers the best value for money for your type of goods and destination. Over time, you'll find the right carrier for each of your needs.
Using a single carrier makes management enormously simpler, but often forces too many compromises. For international shipping, having a shortlist of carriers with different specialisms is the better route.
Your international shipping with SendNet
In this article we've tried to give you a hand if you're about to tackle international logistics for the first time — but we can do more.
Our e-commerce logistics platform specialises in supporting businesses like yours, taking on the entire shipping back end and removing every worry about producing documents and clearing goods through customs.
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