If you are a business owner that sells products outside of the U.S.,  then you may be wondering how to handle the sometimes steep costs of international shipping. Luckily, there are ways to lower these costs. You can ship your products or packages in bulk, stay aware of hidden fees, and pay attention to rules around tariffs.

Ship (And Buy) In Bulk

One of the best ways to lower the costs of any shipping, especially one as expensive as international shipping, is to ship your products in bulk. The more product you ship at once, the less it costs per item to ship. This holds true even for the things you buy to ship the products — boxes, tape, and other packaging supplies are all cheaper per unit if you buy them in bulk, further reducing your costs. If shipping your products (or buying the supplies) in bulk isn't possible, then you still have other options.

Look For Hidden Fees

Another way to lower the costs associated with shipping goods internationally is to avoid various hidden fees that can affect those unprepared in the process of shipping their goods. For example, even if you ship your products in bulk, you may have to pay a storage fee. This fee occurs when the transportation company you use has to store your products longer than they otherwise would, interrupting the flow of business. A similar fee, called detention fees, are those applied on a per-day basis to businesses that use the equipment of their chosen shipping service. At the end of the day, you can avoid both of these fees with some careful planning.

Pay Attention To Tariffs

Finally, the best way to reduce your international shipping costs is to choose what you ship and where you ship it carefully to keep the tariffs low. There are hundreds of different tariffs attached to goods being shipped internationally, depending on what is being shipped and where it's being sent. For example, original art you make yourself is duty-free, but art that isn't handmade generally requires a tariff. Paying attention to the tariffs involved in what you sell and ship will make it easier to choose what items you should attach a surcharge on to cover your costs and which items you can sell normally.

International shipping costs can be difficult to handle, but with a little preparation, you can reduce them substantially. Try to ship your products in bulk, stay ahead of special fees like storage and detention fees, and pay attention to what tariffs apply to your products. Find a low-cost international shipping solution provider today.