OptimalShip's Helpful Shipping Tips

If you ship to China regularly, you know well that the Chinese New Year impacts international shipping during the holiday. If you plan on shipping to China or Southeast Asia soon, here's what you need to know about the Chinese New Year, closures, and DHL's hours during the holiday. If you are new to shipping to China, here's some important information for you. And, whether or not you ship to China, I'll share a checklist for shipping during any holidays that impact countries you export from and to that you can keep on file.

Unfortunately, India's Customs will no longer accept revised shipping documents. All documents must be correct and included with each shipment. Furthermore, India's Customs will not allow that shipments be returned to the origin location. This certainly raises the bar on accuracy for shipments to India (and stress levels). This new change has already taken effect, so please read below so that you can avoid any problems with future shipments to India.

So, you ask, why should I use OptimalShip for my international shipping?

Are you confused by some of the lingo in international shipping? Abbreviations, acronyms, words that look different but mean the same thing…international shipping is tricky business, and the extensive vocabulary one must develop takes time and patience. Don’t worry, everyone must start somewhere, and we’re here to show you where.

All of these abbreviations can be downright confusing in the shipping world, especially when it comes to codes that define your products at the customs borders. Here, we talk a little about the most commonly confused codes and when they're used.

If your company is thinking about shipping internationally, you’re probably already shipping domestically. That makes sense; it’s much easier, in almost every country, to start shipping to places within your borders. The rules are consistent within a country and packages get to where they need to go without the hassle of customs and other delays.