Cross-Border Shipping for Canadian Businesses – Tips to Save Money & Time!

Discover how to make cross-border shipping experience more manageable (and cheaper!) with these helpful tips that will save you time and money as you take your product to new heights.

Cross-Border Shipping for Canadian Businesses – Tips to Save Money & Time!

Posted by Tania

Congratulations! You’ve worked hard to perfect your product, digital presence, and marketing, and now you’re ready to expand your offering beyond the true north strong and free. It is an exciting growth phase in your business. But those feelings of joy may vanish when you start to think about navigating the new world of cross-border shipping.

You’re not alone in your worries; many small to medium-sized businesses don’t sell beyond their home country. Some are worried about the complexity, while others feel they don’t have the capacity. But, shipping within the diverse and dynamic U.S. market expands your customer base exponentially. In fact, our two countries boast the title of being one the leading trading partners in the world, with roughly $2 billion worth of traded goods and services flowing between borders each day! Ready to join the ranks of these cross-border shipping connoisseurs?

FlagShip is ready to help you get there! Discover how to make cross-border shipping experience more manageable (and cheaper!) with these helpful tips that will save you time and money as you take your product to new heights.

Align Yourself with a Trusted Shipping Partner

Partnering with a shipping partner is one of the smartest moves you can make as a business owner, helping to relieve some of the pressure of logistics, and leaving you more time to focus on other operational priorities. But not all shipping partners are created equal! Take the time to explore your options and find a reliable partner with the breadth of services to meet your business needs and budget.

At FlagShip, we are proud to offer Canadian businesses the best selection of courier rates no matter where you choose to ship domestically, cross-border or internationally. With years of experience in helping businesses safely and efficiently ship their goods to the U.S., we have the expertise to guide you through the regulations, procedures, and shipping nuances unique to this market. We’ll even keep you abreast of which items are restricted for shipping cross-border, such as ammunition, cigarettes, gasoline, marijuana, explosives, nail polish, and more.

Our strong partnerships with leading Canada-US couriers like DHL, FedEx and UPS ensure you get the best shipping rates, services, and support for your cross-border shipment destination. From your free FlagShip account, you can compare discounted cross-border shipping rates from leading couriers, all in one place.

Easily print labels and consolidate all your shipping activities into one invoice. From there, you can track parcels right to the destination. Cross-border shipping can be intimidating, but our simplified process makes it as easy and stress-free as possible.

Currency, Duties, and Taxes, Oh My!

As you tip your toe into the waters of cross-border shipping, you’ll want to take these key factors into consideration, as they will impact the price of your available product or service.

Currency: Note that products should be priced differently for your cross-border customers, taking fluctuating exchange rates into account. Localize the content on your website to align with your US consumers, automatically showing prices for products in USD. Make sure to include shipping costs in the final payment, or else your business will have to pay for these services.

TIP: Connect your eCommerce site with FlagShip’s eCommerce Integration Platform to provide instant, accurate shipping rates in your customer’s origin currency as they check out!

Duties & Taxes: When any goods move across borders, tariffs or duties and taxes are applied by the US Custom and Border Protection Agency to protect local goods and generate revenue. Since you’ll be paying these applicable duties and taxes on all cross-border shipments, this will be an additional cost to your customers. Ensure that you are being transparent about these charges, displaying the cost-breakdown clearly for the customer.

Develop a System for Customs and Documentation

You’ll need to get organized with the necessary documentation before bringing your products across US borders. Some of these documents include a Bill of Lading, a Proof of Delivery, a Commercial Invoice, and Certificate of Origin.

The red tape may seem daunting but don’t worry; FlagShip has years of experience to support you along the way. As your shipping partner, we’ll guide you through the documentation process for each shipment, assisting with customs procedures in compliance with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the US International Trade Commission.

Legal requirements are prone to tweaks and adjustments; FlagShip works hard to stay on top of these changes to customs procedures on behalf of our clients, ensuring that your packages consistently make it from point A to point B without any avoidable delays.

Smart Packing!

Considering that cross-border shipping comes with a higher price tag, being mindful of your packaging is not only good for the planet but will also help minimize shipping costs. Opt for lightweight but durable materials, and ensure your packaging is the right size for your product to eliminate space and filler material.

 

TIP: Check out some Packing Tips from the Experts!

Go Boldly Beyond Borders with FlagShip!

Whether you are exporting an envelope, a small parcel, or a multi-piece shipment, you’ll always benefit from discounted courier rates, a seamless online shipping experience, and superior service from origin to delivery. We make it easy for you to ship anywhere in the world.

Our simple and intuitive system provides a list of shipping rates and services from our list of brand-name couriers, making it easy to select the most cost-effective options. From there, necessary documentation and labels are simple to print. Your courier of choice will pick up your package and create a tracking number so that you and your customers know exactly where the package, is and when it will arrive.

Just as you want to give your national customers the best experience, you want to do the same for cross-border clients. If you want to ensure repeat business and positive word-of-mouth, we support you with a friendly, responsive customer service team that is always ready to assist with any issues along the way.

 

Ready to discover the FlagShip difference? Create an account today!