How to ship our ladies plus size and women's Uk wholesale clothing abroad??

I have lost my job?
I need to make some money fast?
I would like to start a new eBay business.
How do I ship clothing to Africa?

www.elesclothing.co.uk and www.elesplusclothing.co.uk get phone calls all the time from our wholesale customers asking how to ship our ladies plus size and women's Uk wholesale clothing abroad.
Here is an article I have found I hope it helps. Although I do need to add nothing beats expertise and a simple google search for shippers will save you much time and aggravation.
Thanks for your business
www.elesclothing.co.uk

Things you must know about international shipping

In this article:
Laws and policies of the recipient country
International shipping rates
Selecting a shipping service
Understanding the duties and customs structure
Documentation requirements
Shipping restrictions
Packing requirements
Risks involved and their management
Conclusion

With every passing day, technology brings the world closer. Now, a product manufactured in a specific region is delivered to another part of the world within a few days. This movement of goods from the point of origination to the point of delivery makes the subject matter of knowing everything about International Shipping.

There are many complexities involved in shipping goods from the UK to other countries. You have to consider laws and regulations, duty rates, limitations on import and export and many other matters. Besides that, you must also have resources, tools, a global network and most of all technical knowhow of international shipping process. Moving goods through air and land is quite expensive especially when the goods are in bulk, which is why a large number of businesses prefer international shipment through sea route.

Being well prepared is the key to ensure successful overseas shipping. This article promises to give with all that you need to know about international shipping. And for that, you got to know the answers of the two most basic questions while exporting from the UK i.e.

What do you want to ship? (Number of items, intended use, types of material)
Where do you want to ship? (Point of destination)
Now let’s have a look at certain things which you must know about international shipping.

Laws and policies of the recipient country

The laws and regulations of each country differ from another to a noticeable extent. You must have detailed knowledge of the domestic business regulations of the UK, which apply to your business, as well as that of the recipient country. Knowing the bylaws, system and policies of the recipient’s country give insights on:

Tax structure
Limitations on imports
Unless you know that the cargo you are going to ship would be allowed to pass through the countries custom laws, you cannot properly begin shipping your goods internationally. If you ship goods worldwide, it would be hard for you to keep a track of import and shipping laws of every country. A wise strategy could be to maintain the record and copies of shipping rules and policies of different countries you deal with and read the documents of that specific country where you intend to ship the goods.

International shipping rates

Shipping rates vary with weight, size and location of the cargo. You first need to pack the cargo and then weigh it to determine the value of insurance required for safe delivery. Compare the international shipping rates of the world’s leading shipping companies such as FedEx, UPS, DHL and USPS.

To compare their international shipping rates, use the calculators available on respective websites of the credible shipping companies. You will be asked to enter specific information regarding the cargo, like destination, weight in pounds and ounces and shape of products to get an estimated shipping rate. Even if you don’t want to avail the services of a specific cargo company, you will still get a fair idea of the international shipping rates and it will help you bargain with other companies.

Selecting a shipping service

Not all shipping companies ship to all parts of the world and not all companies offer all types of shipping options. There are many shipping methods which companies use for international shipping, like live loading method, dropping off, warehouse and terminal loading. You should first determine the method which suits your needs and then pick the company which offers that of your choice.

Moreover, you must also find out if the company you chose ships directly to the desired destination or you would have to pay extra freight or hire the services of another company. A reputable shipping company, which offers quick and hassle free shipping along with order tracking and confirmation information services at rates within your budget is the one you should opt for.

While choosing the shipping company, low cost is an important factor but one should never compromise on the timely and safe delivery. Pay additional amounts if you have to, but always hire an experienced company to ensure that you meet your commitments. You can start searching the freight company by contacting the embassy or nearest consulate of the country where you have to ship the goods; they can provide you with the list of licensed international shipping companies, which legally operate in that country.

Understanding the duties and customs structure

While determining the value of the shipping charges, consider what taxes, duties, custom charges and port handling fee apply to your product. Payment of these charges is an arrangement between the importer and exporter. When goods are shipped in bulk to other businesses, buyers mostly receive the delivery from the ports and have to pay the duties and taxes. But if delivered at the doorstep, these charges are included in the total shipping cost. The structure of these charges varies from country to country and also depends on the contents of cargo.

Duties and taxes are imposed by the government to promote their country’s local industry. These duties must be paid before the delivery. The amount is determined by the custom duties officers according to the trade agreements, product values, and HS Codes (Harmonized System Codes). It is important for you to understand the fee and duty charges structure of the recipient country as it allows you to fix the products price accordingly.

Documentation requirements

International shipping does not mean that you select the shipping carrier and consider all of your work done. It requires proper documentation of various steps of the shipping process. Different countries have different requirements for documentation depending upon their respective laws and regulations. Mostly the following documents are required and you should be vigilant and careful in preparing the following.

Bill of lading
Bill of export
Power of attorney
Packing lists
Certified invoices
Certificate of inception
Shipping orders
Short shipment forms
Certificate of inception
Dock and warehouse receipts
Insurance certificate
Airway bills
Mate receipts
This list does not end here as these are only the basic documents. There can be other documents depending on the type of products and the point of destination. Documentation must be authentic and genuine because even a slight discrepancy can result in non payment and seizure of goods.

Shipping restrictions

Not every country allows entry to every item from foreign countries. Illegal and weapons are a common example. It’s your responsibility to know what can or cannot be shipped to what country as ignorance is no excuse. For instance, weapons, drugs, obscene material, meat, dairy products, and radio transmitters are not allowed to be imported in the UK.

Before shipping any apparently objectionable item to another country, make sure you study the rules, polices, laws and regulations of the recipient country before deciding to book the freight.

Packing requirements

During international shipping, a cargo is loaded and unloaded many times so it’s extremely important to pay due consideration to its packaging. Cargo should be loaded in strong containers, properly sealed and closed with the help of shipping tape. All empty spaces should be filled up and weight should be distributed evenly within the container.

Packing fillers should be moisture resistant and fixed in the containers according to the volume of the cargo. Life of the product is an important factor and containers should be picked accordingly. Light weight yet durable packing materials should be used since shipping fee is charged on the basis of weight and volume.

After packing, cartons should be labelled according to the shipping regulations, which are meant for identification. Markings such as: handling marks, port of entry, ingredients, country of origin, weight marking, number of packages, sizes, cautionary markings like “Use No Hooks” and labels of hazardous materials should be marked clearly to avoid any type of confusion.

Risks involved and their management

The most important thing in international shipping is to identify what type of goods you are transport and what are the potential risks involved in its transportation. Some are controllable risks which can be avoided through proper packaging by using bubble wraps and seal packaging. But management of some risks like weather conditions, rough handling, theft, wear and tear and loss by fire are not under your control.

For these risks, insurance companies are there with a promise to indemnify the loss in transit against fixed financial amounts. However, the buyer is responsible to pay the amount charged by insurance companies, but if he does not bother about covering the damage done to the cargo, it can convert into a major financial loss.

For international shipping, marine insurance is another safety tool. The arrangements for marine insurance can be made by the buyers or the seller, as per the contract. Though it adds to the cost yet the amount paid for transfer of the goods is worth the investment.

Conclusion
I hope the information given in this guide will benefit and provide you with a better understanding of how International shipping works. Though the subject of international shipping is somehow quite vast and complex as you have to take care of many formalities and abide by the rules and regulations imposed by the laws of the UK along with the particular countries you are shipping to, yet with little research and effort, you can make the most of it.

With the local markets becoming more saturated, exploring international markets has become a common trend. Do a little research and study the points mentioned in this article and hopefully you would be in a position to ship your products globally.