As you expand your business, you may prefer starting international shipping too. International shipping can be one of the most common ways to ensure your product is reaching the right target market. There are various methods of international shipping, such as air and ship. 

The method you adopt for international shipping completely depends on your business model and the products you’re selling. When selling internationally from India, it is essential to understand the challenges involved in it. It is highly crucial to become familiar with the mistakes that can happen and how to overcome them.  

No Familiarity with Customs and Regulations

Understanding the customs and regulations for international shipping from India is extremely important. Irrespective of the country you’re shipping the products to, you must be familiar with the generic customs and regulations.  

Every country has a different set of rules for international shipping. Therefore, you must understand these for the country you’re shipping to. Partnering with expert international shipping services can help your business as they will manage the customs and regulations on your business’s behalf. 

Always Insure Goods

Cross-border shipping from India requires you to insure the goods. Irrespective of the type of method you’re using for shipping, there’s a considerable risk that the products will get damaged. Now, it will lead to dissatisfied customers, and you won’t get the value of the products either. 

In order to avoid issues like shipment delays, extra costs or customer service, you must insure the goods. Get a suitable type of insurance that offers maximum coverage and beliefs. Furthermore, look into any special provisions that the policy may have for extra protection. 

Pack the Products Properly

Incorrect packaging can be one of the biggest mistakes to make. If you’re shipping the products in big shipping containers, you must ensure that the packaging is done right.

For proper packaging, it is crucial to label them correctly and use the correct size boxes. If the item is heavy, it is advisable to opt for a sturdy material so as to offer an extra layer of protection. 

Incorrect Value of Items

Never undermine the value of items that are being shipped to save on import duty. This can backfire, leading you to pay higher charges, especially during customs clearance. 

Whenever you’re packaging the items to be shipped, you must declare the correct value of the products. If required, for customs clearance purposes, keep an original invoice for the product costs, too. 

Shipping Document Error

International shipping from India has stringent and severe rules. So, if you want your business to be successful, you must not cause any shipping document error. This can cause problems in customs clearance. 

Before initiating the delivery, it is crucial to check all the paperwork and documents for shipping thoroughly. The papers must be aligned in order to ensure faster customs clearance. Furthermore, also mentioned the detailed goods instructions clearly so as to prevent any discrepancies that may lead to the item being held up. 

Using the Cheapest Shipment

Cheap isn’t always the best- remember that. When you’re selling from India, you have a reputation to maintain. If you want your business to grow further and expand, you need to use the highest quality standard products. Therefore, you must never settle for using the cheapest shipping method. 

If the shipment is not done accurately, you will face problems to sell internationally. Not only will your business reputation be harmed, but you’ll experience significant loss as well. Moreover, a cheap shipment may have terrible service, which can make it difficult for your business to keep up. 

Mess Up with Timeline

When you are shipping from India to the global level, you have to be extremely mindful about the timelines. Timing is one of the key factors for success in the online area. If you are not particular about the timing of customs and imports, the customers will experience delays. 

If you are to ship internationally, stay prepared with all the timelines from the initial stages. Time your documents in such a way that you get the quotes at least one month before the shipment date. Staying prepared can be extremely crucial to avoid unforeseen delays. 

Choosing the Wrong Mode of Transport

Businesses often end up choosing the wrong mode of transport for shipment, which eventually leads to losses. While ocean freight can be more affordable than air, the former doesn’t really mean it’s the best. If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive items, they may not last in the ocean. 

You need to partner with a reliable company and ensure that the right products are being shipped using the proper method of transport. Never compromise the quality of service that you’re offering. The experts will also help in route optimization, ensuring that the products are shipped within a timeline without any damage. 

Not Tracking Shipments

Your business is experiencing a massive blunder if it’s not tracking shipments. You must monitor the freight movements so that you can prepare if any delay is likely to happen. Anything can go wrong along the way, leading to delays. 

Request that your carrier provide you with the necessary details so that you can track the shipments. Moreover, you must stay prepared with a backup plan in case any shipment delays happen. 

Overlooking Additional Costs

Always be mindful of the extra costs that your business might have, especially while selling internationally. You need to partner with shipping providers who are very transparent with their cost structure and have nothing to hide. 

The additional accessory fees and surcharges can eventually increase the amount. You need to familiarize your business with all the potential surcharges and discuss them with the shipping carriers you’re partnering with. Use a calculator, too, to calculate the charges. 

Conclusion

Shipping internationally from India can come with its own set of challenges, leading to some businesses making mistakes. However, these mistakes aren’t unavoidable. As long as you’re mindful and take the proper steps, you should observe significant growth in your business. Partner with expert logistics companies like QuickShift, who can simplify the entire process while adding maximum value and on-time delivery of your products. Contact us today to know more!