International freight and shipping as a business, continues to grow as time progresses because the demand of imported/exported goods has not decreased. Consumer needs and desires continue to grow as well with all of the new technology, clothing, foods and other goods change over time. As a business, one of the smartest paths to take is to offer products worldwide – this grows the customer base which otherwise would be untouched and in turn, it maximizes revenue. Why limit your business when you have the abilities to share your products with the world. Between having the internet and a reliable freight shipping service, the possibilities are endless.
Depending on where your company is shipping to will determine what type of freight company you will need to find. If you are going to be shipping within the same continent of your location, then a truck freight shipping company is what you should be looking for. Sending anything by ground is nine times out of ten going to be the least expensive route, but may not always be the quickest. If your items are time sensitive – then either allow yourself enough time for deliveries to make it there by land or find a quicker method. Air freight will always be the fastest route – but may not be the most cost effective. There are always going to be benefits and downfalls no matter which way you choose to send your items.
If items that are going to be send are extremely large, there is the option of sending the freight by ocean. Container ships can carry massive amounts of products whereas by land and air, space is limited. When looking at the overall benefits of being cost effective and time efficient combined – shipping by ocean generally holds the top spot amongst many companies. Care and safety is to be considered as well when shipping goods. No one wants to receive damaged goods of course, but some materials need to be handled a certain way as well. With that being said – it is imperative to insure the items that you are shipping. By doing so is the only way to ensure that you are fully compensated for your items if anything were to happen to them during the shipment.
For international shipments there are going to be three documents that are important to look out for and required to complete a delivery. Those three are – the Certificate of Origin, Commercial Invoice, and the Shippers Export Declaration. The commercial invoice gives a detailed explanation of everything being shipped; the certificate of origin is a mandatory document proving where the shipment originated. An export declaration is presented if the goods within the shipment are valued over $2,500.