Documents for Seamless International Freight Shipping

"Overseas warehouses are the product of cross-border e-commerce. More and more cross-border logistics have overseas warehouses. Overseas warehouses not only provide strong logistics support for cross-border sellers, but also provide certain conveniences for overseas buyers. Therefore, in the current logistics industry, the important role of overseas warehouses is becoming more and more prominent.1. There are Three Types of Overseas Warehouse Models, Namely Third-party Overseas Warehouses, Amazon FBA Warehouses and Self-Operated Overseas Warehouses:(1) Third-party Overseas WarehousesThe third-party overseas warehouse model refers to an overseas warehouse established and operated by a third-party enterprise (mostly logistics service providers), and can provide customs clearance, warehousing quality inspection, order acceptance, product sorting, delivery and other services for multiple cross-border e-commerce companies. Our overseas warehouses are The warehouse can also provide FBA return and exchange, transfer, re-printing or labeling, product testing, customs duty payment and other services. In other words, the third-party overseas warehouse model means that the entire cross-border logistics system is controlled by a third-party enterprise.(2) Amazon FBA warehouseFBA warehouse is a one-stop logistics service provided by Amazon, including warehousing, picking and packaging, delivery, collection, customer service and return processing. The logistics level of FBA warehouse is the benchmark in the overseas warehouse industry. The daily shipment volume, product variety and number of consumers of FBA warehouse far exceed those of third-party overseas warehouses. It is conceivable that FBA faces huge management difficulties. However, except for the high shipping cost and the trouble of return, FBA's logistics are almost impeccable for sellers.(3) Self-operated overseas warehousesAt present, the service level of third-party overseas warehouses is still relatively basic and cannot meet the personalized needs of customers. Many e-commerce companies choose to build their own overseas warehouses. In addition, FBA is not perfect, so many cross-border merchants choose to build and operate their own overseas warehouses, which only provide warehousing, distribution and other services for their own products. In other words, the entire cross-border logistics process is controlled by the cross-border merchants themselves.Although overseas warehouses can improve many problems in cross-border logistics, they are not perfect. Cross-border e-commerce logistics is in the choice.2. Overseas Warehouses also Face the Following Challenges:(1) High requirements for information technologyThe core problem of overseas warehouse operations is the high requirements for information technology. Merchants place goods in overseas warehouses. When overseas customers place orders, they need to issue operation instructions remotely, and at the same time To implement and monitor inventory, it requires extremely advanced information technology. Auto Shipping Overseas Warehouse has an experienced professional operation team and its information technology is well protected.(2) Requirements for the nature of goodsMerchants will store goods in batches in overseas warehouses in advance, which poses a certain inventory risk. This requires that the goods themselves are best-selling products with a high turnover rate, otherwise it may lead to warehouse explosion.(3) Difficulties in multi-cultural managementThe situation of overseas warehouses abroad is actually an "awkward" existence. For foreign countries, overseas warehouses should be regarded as a company with actual transactions, rather than a simple "warehouse", and they need to pay various taxes. In addition, the localization management of overseas warehouses also requires local operations and local employees. People who are consistent with local consumers in terms of language, culture, and beliefs need to participate in the marketing, management, and operation of the entire enterprise.3. Why do We Need Overseas Warehouses?For those cross-border e-commerce sellers who have not yet used overseas warehouses, there are some data from the platform that can tell us, such as the eBay platform. Overall, 40% of the transaction volume on the eBay platform already comes from overseas warehouses. This proportion may be higher on the Amazon platform, and may be lower on the AliExpress and Wish platforms. This is the trend. In the future, if many products want to go deep into the local area to do some work other than sales, to expand more business, or even to establish their own brands, they need to conduct local research.Nearly 80% of sellers are very satisfied with the performance of overseas warehouses in helping them improve their accounts. At the same time, 80% of sales of many large sellers come from overseas warehouses or third-party overseas warehouses. So from the perspective of the entire market environment, overseas warehouses have become a standard.The reason why overseas warehouses are chosen as the standard for their own logistics delivery is that they have been practiced and measured in terms of timeliness and cost.4. How to Choose an Overseas Warehouse?If your goods really enter the US market and start to do it, but the United States is so big, how to distribute your goods is a very interesting thing.If you are doing overseas warehouses or using overseas warehouses now, most people will choose Los Angeles as their first overseas warehouse. Why? The distance is short, on the west coast of the United States, so the transportation distance is also short, the time is fast, and the cost is low. The key is that there are many local Chinese people, and there may be many friends. Many large and small sellers who build warehouses or third parties will choose Los Angeles as their first warehouse. It is known that the distance from the west coast to the east coast of the United States is more than 4,500 kilometers. The land area of the United States is only slightly smaller than that of China, and more than 200 million people are distributed in such a large country.From the perspective of the entire population distribution of the United States, the population density in the western California and eastern regions, as well as the southern Florida region, and the Great Lakes, Michigan, is very high. As we all know, the timeliness and cost of logistics are proportional to the distance. The longer the distance, the longer the timeliness and the higher the cost. So if your warehouse is only in Los Angeles, and you want to send to the densely populated eastern regions such as New York, Chicago or Florida, how can you control your timeliness and delivery costs? Based on these situations, we built a warehouse in the east in 2015, and built another warehouse in southern Texas at the end of last year.Auto Shipping continues to set the standard for reliability and innovation in freight forwarding, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the expectations of our valued customers.5. How to do a Good Job in Overseas Warehouses?First, multiple warehouses in one country, reducing costs and speeding up deliveryIn terms of cost, we used the data of outbound delivery in 2016 to make a calculation, that is, these orders are sent to the West Coast of the United States or distributed to the West Coast and East Coast, or distributed to three warehouses, that is, according to the division just now, they are sent in a combined place. In terms of cost, we can see that the dark orange line at the top is sent alone, the yellow is sent from the East Coast warehouse alone, and the green is sent from the most advantageous warehouses of the West Coast warehouse and the East Coast warehouse. It can be seen that the overall cost reduction can reach nearly 30%, that is, using the optimal delivery range of two warehouses to deliver orders can also reduce the proportion of costs. The three warehouses can further increase by two points.Second, develop large and heavy goods and expand blue ocean categoriesIn terms of categories, we can see that more and more cross-border e-commerce companies are doing large and heavy goods. The entire market competition is very fierce. In terms of the entire category, if you have a good source of goods, the pressure of competition on the platform will still be much smaller. For example, furniture such as sofas, tables and chairs, lockers, generators, lawn mowers, and the engraving machine we just saw, all products of 15 kg, 30 kg or even heavier weight and larger volume need to have more suitable delivery methods. For example, DHL in the United States, delivery services in the United Kingdom, UPS services, or Toll services in Australia can all support the delivery of large products. In other words, we can further expand the product category through the last-mile service of large products. Third, use value-added services to enhance local advantagesAs we all know, overseas warehouses also receive some push services, etc. In fact, using value-added services well can give your buyers and customers a better shopping experience. "

For Amazon sellers using non-DDP (Delivery Duty Unpaid) ocean shipping, managing customs clearance and taxes can feel overwhelming. Unlike DDP (Delivery Duty Paid) services, non-DDP shifts compliance responsibilities to the seller, requiring meticulous preparation and knowledge of international trade rules. This guide breaks down the process into actionable steps, helping you avoid delays, fines, and unexpected costs while ensuring smooth delivery to FBA warehouses.Step 1: Document PreparationSuccessful customs clearance starts with accurate paperwork. Essential documents include:A commercial invoice detailing product descriptions, prices, and Incoterms (e.g., FOB).A packing list specifying box weights, dimensions, and contents.A bill of lading issued by the shipping carrier.Product-specific certifications (e.g., FDA for food or FCC for electronics).Verified HS codes (6–10 digits) to determine duty rates.In the U.S., submit an Importer Security Filing (ISF) 24 hours before shipment loading. Missing or incorrect documents can trigger customs holds or fines.Step 2: Duty and Tax CalculationsTax liabilities depend on two components:Customs duties: Calculated as (product value + shipping + insurance) × duty rate (based on HS codes). For example, plastic goods (HS 3926.90) face a 3.4% U.S. duty rate.Additional fees:In the U.S., pay a 0.3464% Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF).In Europe, Value-Added Tax (VAT) ranges from 15% to 27% of the CIF (cost, insurance, freight) value.Always verify duty rates using official customs databases before shipping.Step 3: Risk Mitigation StrategiesAvoid common pitfalls:HS code disputes: Provide product composition details or manufacturing processes to support classifications. Request a binding ruling from customs (e.g., CBP Ruling in the U.S.) for high-value goods.Undervaluation audits: Declare at least 65–70% of the Amazon listing price. Customs may use platform prices to reassess undervalued shipments.Port delays: Schedule trucking and FBA appointments early. Most ports allow 5 free days for container pickup before charging demurrage fees (e.g., $150/day in Los Angeles).Step 4: Cost-Saving OpportunitiesOptimize expenses with these methods:Duty exemptions: Leverage trade agreements like USMCA for goods produced in Mexico or Canada.VAT deferral: In Europe, delay VAT payments by registering a local tax number.Bulk filings: Consolidate multiple shipments into one customs entry to reduce processing fees (e.g., U.S. MPF drops to $27.75 per filing).Step 5: Post-Clearance LogisticsAfter customs approval:Arrange drayage to Amazon warehouses within the free demurrage period.Secure FBA delivery appointments via Seller Central, especially during peak seasons.Verify FNSKU labels to prevent warehouse rejections. Mislabeled items incur $50+ remediation fees.FAQsHow long does customs clearance take?Simple declarations take 1–3 days. Complex items or inspections may extend this to 5–10 days.What if duties are overcharged?File an appeal within 90 days (use CBP Form 19 in the U.S.).How to handle rejected shipments?Choose between re-exporting (costly) or local destruction (requires environmental permits). Purchase abandonment insurance beforehand.ConclusionNon-DDP shipping offers cost savings but demands attention to detail. Start with small shipments and consider hybrid solutions like “customs-cleared non-DDP” services, where agents handle paperwork while you pay actual taxes. For high-volume sellers, transitioning to DDP can streamline operations as sales grow.Pro Tip: Regularly review customs updates and collaborate with China freight forwarders and local brokers who specialize in Amazon-bound cargo. By mastering these steps, you’ll minimize risks, reduce costs, and build a resilient supply chain for global expansion – from factory floors in Shenzhen to FBA warehouses worldwide.

What is CBM?CBM, an abbreviation for cubic meter (m³), serves as the standard unit of measurement for calculating the volume of cargo in logistics, specifically in cross-border air and sea transportation. Understanding and accurately calculating CBM is essential for efficient shipment planning, proper utilization of transport vehicles and storage facilities, and cost management.Significance of CBM in TransportationCBM plays a crucial role in both air and sea transportation by determining the space a shipment occupies. This volumetric measure is universally used for calculating storage and freight charges globally, and is equally significant for air freight, sea freight, and even truck and van transportation. In air transportation, airlines calculate freight costs based on the larger value between the volumetric weight and the actual weight of the goods. This system ensures that bulky yet lightweight shipments are charged fairly compared to dense items. Sea freight pricing primarily focuses on shipment size rather than weight, as sea vessels are equipped to handle large volumes of cargo.Calculating CBMThe calculation of CBM follows a straightforward formula. For regular-shaped cargo, measure the length, width, and height of the item in meters and multiply these dimensions:\[ \text{Length (m)} \times \text{Width (m)} \times \text{Height (m)} = \text{CBM (m³)} \]For multiple identical items, this formula can be multiplied by the total number of items. If the shipment includes items of various sizes, repeat the calculation for each item and sum the resulting volumes.Shipments with irregular shapes require a different approach. Measure the longest length, width, and height to account for the entire space occupied by the item. Use the following adjusted formula for irregular shapes:\[ \text{Longest Length (m)} \times \text{Longest Width (m)} \times \text{Longest Height (m)} = \text{CBM (m³)} \]For cylindrical items, calculate the CBM using the radius and height with the formula:\[ \pi \times \text{Height (m)} \times (\text{Radius (m)})^2 \]where \(\pi \approx 3.14\).Impact on Freight ChargesCarriers use CBM to determine the chargeable weight of a shipment. Different modes of transport convert 1 CBM into varying weight values:Air freight: 1 CBM = 167 kgRoad freight: 1 CBM = 333 kgSea freight: 1 CBM = 1,000 kgDimensional Weight (DIM Weight)**: This metric is essential for lightweight shipments that occupy significant space. For example, a pallet of cotton versus a pallet of metal would be billed differently despite their identical volume due to their weight difference. Carriers determine the chargeable weight based on the greater value between the DIM weight and the gross weight.CBM in Container ShippingChoosing the right container size based on CBM calculations optimizes freight costs and handling efficiency. The average CBM capacities for commonly used containers are:20' container: 26-28 CBM (maximum 33 CBM)40' container: 56-58 CBM (maximum 66 CBM)40' high cube: 60-68 CBM (maximum 72 CBM)45' high cube: 72-78 CBM (maximum 86 CBM)ConclusionUnderstanding CBM and how to calculate it is integral to the logistics and transportation industries. By making informed decisions based on CBM measurements, logistics professionals can optimize cargo loading, manage shipping costs, and ensure compliance with global standards. The proper calculation and application of CBM ensure efficient operation of cross-border air and sea transportation.