How Does the International Shipping Process Work?

aboutshipping

Hi,
I'm looking to understand how the international shipping process works from start to finish. Could you explain what steps are involved when shipping goods overseas?

For example:

• What happens after I hand over the goods?

• Who handles things like customs, loading, and documentation?

• How long does shipping usually take, and what affects the timeline?

• What’s the difference between port-to-port and door-to-door shipping?

I'm new to this, so a simple explanation or example would really help. Thanks in advance!

SiliconChip

This isn't the right board for your questions, so I've reported it to be moved although I'm not sure that there's really anwhere on here that's appropriate, I suspect a different forum may get you the answers that you want. I'd also suggest that you include the type of goods you're planning to export and if this is a business activity or one-off personal shipping.

martindow

Maybe this board?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/ebay-auctions-car-boot-jumble-sales

There are often discusssions there on parcels and deliveries including international shipments.

MyRealNameToo

aboutshipping said:

I'm looking to understand how the international shipping process works from start to finish. Could you explain what steps are involved when shipping goods overseas?

For example:

1. What happens after I hand over the goods?

2. Who handles things like customs, loading, and documentation?

3. How long does shipping usually take, and what affects the timeline?

4. What’s the difference between port-to-port and door-to-door shipping?

I'm new to this, so a simple explanation or example would really help. Thanks in advance!

Maybe better if you explain your motivation for the questions as this isnt the typical questions of someone selling stuff on eBay who'd typically just hand it over to the courier and allow them to deal with everything else. 

1) They are taking to a regional centre, scanned, and their route planned depending on destination, service paid for and which countries the operators works in 

2) Typically the courier, though there are services where you can deal with it and it's clearly complicated if you are using a service that doesnt operate in certain countries. Each country will have its own rules too especially if the goods are just passing through

3) Anywhere from 24 hours to months depending on what's being sent by which mechanism.

4) P2P is just doing the international movement where as D2D is getting it to the port first and then onward delivery to the recipient too. There is an intermediary option too of you delivering to the depot and the recipient collecting it from the depot rather than it going to their address. 

soolin

I have moved this to a hopefully more suitable board, but depending on additional information it might need moving to the small biz board later. 

However as above more info is needed for any meaningful advice and to find a suitable board.

1 business or private sales 
2 regular or one off
3 sizes weights etc of goods
4 rough idea of goods.