ParcelPedia Podcast

Box Labels and Country Guides: Your Secret Weapons for International Shipping

• James Banks • Episode 43

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What Are Some Top Resources To Understand Shipping Requirements?

Sending packages internationally doesn't have to feel like navigating a minefield. In this eye-opening episode, James Banks, owner of ParcelPedia, walks us through the essential resources that can make or break your international shipping experience.

The conversation kicks off with the critical distinction between "restricted" and "prohibited" items – a difference that could save your package from destruction. James explains how country guides available from major carriers (USPS, FedEx, DHL, and UPS) serve as your first line of defense against shipping headaches. While these guides aren't updated monthly, they provide crucial baseline information about what can and cannot enter specific countries.

We dive deep into the world of shipping labels and documentation requirements, exploring how different types of shipments follow different processing paths. Did you know documents are considered "non-value" items and often move through customs more quickly than merchandise? Or that electronics with lithium-ion batteries require special handling and can only travel on cargo planes? These insights could save you significant time and frustration.

Perhaps the most valuable takeaway is James's simple yet powerful tip: creating a detailed list of your shipment contents, including values and quantities. This two-minute task can dramatically streamline the entire shipping process, helping everyone from the shipping attendant to the customs agent. For added protection, placing a copy inside your package ensures customs officials can still identify contents if external paperwork becomes detached.

With global shipping regulations constantly evolving in response to world events, James emphasizes the importance of consulting with shipping experts who receive the latest updates directly from carriers. Whether you're a seasoned international shipper or preparing your first overseas package, these resources and strategies will transform what might seem overwhelming into a manageable, almost domestic-like shipping experience.

Have questions about your specific international shipping needs? Contact ParcelPedia at 972-335-1450 or visit their store in Frisco, Texas. Mention this podcast for 10% off select shipping services!

To learn more about ParcelPedia visit:
https://www.ParcelPedia.com
ParcelPedia
8992 Preston Road, Suite 110
Frisco, Texas
972- 335-1450

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Parcelpedia podcast, the ultimate guide to all things shipping and business services in Frisco, texas, from US mail and FedEx to private mailboxes and packing supplies. We've got you covered. Stay tuned for a special discount code to save on your next order. And now delivering expert tips and insider insights with a smile, here's your host, james Banks. Owner of Parcelpedia.

Speaker 2:

Shipping internationally. Don't guess. James shares the top resources every shipper should use to avoid delays, rejections and costly mistakes. Welcome back everyone. I'm sophia yvette, co-host and producer. Back in the studio with owner of parcelpedia, james banks. James, how's it been going this week?

Speaker 3:

hey, sophie, it's been a good week, busy week, but very good. How about yourself?

Speaker 2:

great. Yes, I know it's been pretty busy on my side too. Now, james, today's is what are the top resources to understand international shipping requirements, especially the country guide and box labels?

Speaker 3:

So you named the top one right. There is the country guide. So what that is exactly is basically it's a listing of all the countries that the US is available or able to ship to, at least on the consumer side, and they just list what they have as their top restricted items and then their top prohibited items, and there is a difference between the two. I know it sounds similar but there is a difference. So restricted items are items that can be sent, but they take a lot of paperwork, a lot of prep. It's almost so much of a headache. A lot of times it's just not worth sending it. But they can be sent. Technically they can be sent. Prohibited items, like they sound, are not allowed whatsoever. If they're found in the box, you're more than likely your package will be destroyed Only would be returned to you. It'll just be disposed of. So that is obviously a great starting point to just eliminate any kind of items that may be in your box. That country just does not want to see and you'll be surprised. Sometimes it's fun just to go through that guide just to see what countries are allowing and don't allow in, and that guide can be found on all the carrier websites. It can be found on our website as links to those websites for you. Again, that's USML or, excuse me, usps, united States Postal Service, that is FedEx and that's DHL and UPS all of those different carriers that provide international shipping. So the guide is going to be your. It's like your. You know your main ingredients as far as what you need to get past some of the headaches of international shipping. But this guides they don't update them super frequently. I want to say dhl has the most up-to-date one and I think it was last updated in like 2021. I think I'll have to go back and look. So they're not. You know they don't update them like every month or anything like that, but they're again. They're good places to start, um, but however they don't, they're not your end all be, all cover everything, but it's a good place to start. Online tool is always good. You can just do a simple Google can blah, blah, blah be shipped to blank country. A lot of times, if it's something that's well known, it'll give you an answer. And then the box labeling. I wouldn't ever expect really a customer to know as far as what type of labels they need or what their label will say. A lot of times, the shipping systems, depending on where you go, it'll handle that for you. What it needs is just the information, and so what's important to know as a consumer is what information they're basically going to ask you to provide the correct labels. Typically it's like the top three things, which is aerosols, so hairsprays, spray, deodorants I don't know, I don't know why you would chip bug spray, but bug spray, you know things like that. Anything that's a compressed air aerosol, you know they're going to say no, you know you can't ship that. Flammable liquids obviously is in that list as well. Asthmats, like biologics, you know blood, sweat and tears, anything like that. Those are pretty much you know, across the board not allowed, but some things are you know across the board not allowed, but some things are, you know.

Speaker 3:

I know we've had talked about before on this podcast about lithium ion batteries. That's a huge thing. Almost every electronic these days has lithium ion batteries. So it's like how, how do we ship them? You know we have to. We have to send them. They just need correct labeling. They cannot go on passenger cart or cargo or, excuse me, they cannot go on passenger planes, they can go on cargo planes only, and so that box has to be labeled for that. Um and again, that's something that's going to be handled. When you ship, you know, when you go to parcelpedia, when you go to a FedEx and go to UPS store, you know any place like that they'll ship bill, take care of that for you. Um, one thing that you can do on your side as far as labeling the box um, labeling the box is when you're shipping documents.

Speaker 3:

So, when you're shipping documents, one thing that a lot of people may know, may not know, is that they take a different path when shipping versus, say, a pair of shoes or a dress. So they're considered just a what's the word? A non-value item, and so because of that, they go a a lot quicker. There's a lot less headache and there's a lot less red tape or paperwork to deal with it, and so what you may see sometimes on a document shipment international is called plt or paperless transit. Now I know what you're gonna say, what you just said. You're seeing documents. How can it be paperless? So, not the shipment itself, but the actual like paperwork that goes with the shipment is paperless. So you don't have to have the accompanying paperwork, which is commercial invoices, yay, we all love hearing those two words, because that's more paperwork.

Speaker 3:

Commercial invoices are what is necessary to go with your shipping and this is where you, as a consumer, can help. You know the shipping station you're going to, the UPS store, the parcel PD you're going to. No one is going to ask you to. You know, fill out a fully described shipping invoice with weights, with volumes, with you know country of origin, with the name of the employee that put it together. You know you don't have to do all that. If you simply write out the items that you're sending, the value and the quantity, you will oh my, I mean it's like. It's like having an assistant help you throughout the whole day.

Speaker 3:

As far as how much you will help with this shipment, it just speeds up so much. It helps with the attendant that's going to take your box. It helps with the actual driver that's going to hold your box. It helps with the customs agent that receives your box at the actual receiving point. It's just one of those things that takes two minutes. I mean you're going to be packing the box anyways. May as well note down what you're putting in there, and it's just going to help your shipment. Another cool tip is to put one inside the box. That helps you as well, because in case that box gets so you know, tossed around that your invoice that goes with it gets lost or detached, having one inside helps too.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, I want to say that guideline is huge. Having these little small things on top, having your notes of what you have, keeping those hazmat stuff out of your box or those things that are restricted out of your box, those are just going to help. I mean just so much and so that it will feel like you're shipping almost domestically, because all those steps that are extra steps for international shipping will already be taken care of. So, uh, use those guides, use that guideline once you start shipping to a different country. If you ship regularly, after a while you're gonna, you'll know it, you know, you'll know what they can take, what they cannot take. Um, but the guidelines, it's a huge help. You know parcelpedia. Any employee there can help you with your international needs. But yeah, do you have any questions? I know I just keep talking, talking, but do you have any follow-up questions or anything that I maybe said that you're interested in?

Speaker 2:

I would like to ask you how often do these resources get updated and how can shippers stay current?

Speaker 3:

Yes, so yeah, like I was mentioning the shipping guides, they're not super current. They don't get updated like every year. I want to say that you could like sign up for notification as far as when they'd be, but that it's almost like going out of the way. It's not really necessary Asking a shipping place or shipping service point like Parcelpedia. If you are listening to this podcast from California and I'm not in your local area. Call your local shipper, your small business, call your UPS store, call your FedEx office. I don't mind even mentioning those guys. I know, technically they're competition, but we're all in the shipping game together. Call them. They're always going to have the most up-to-date information because they're the ones that are going to get those emails from the head offices, from FedEx, from DHL, from you can send. Hey, new guidelines just came down. This is what you got to know. Blah, blah, blah, blah. So they're good to use. They're there to help Use that.

Speaker 3:

You know, if you need to know what's the latest thing, a lot of times things change because of current events. We see when there's conflicts in other countries, that's going to affect not only the country that the conflict is in but neighboring countries as well. So when there's conflict with Russia and Ukraine. Neighboring European countries have shipping issues that come up, so it is things that can fluctuate day to day. So definitely calling ahead, asking anyone with the knowledge ahead of time is going to help you. Parcelpedia, I don't care if you're in Alaska, I don't care if you're in Florida, I don't care if I don't see a single cent of whatever you're shipping, I am still here to help. Call me 972-335-1450.

Speaker 2:

Anytime, we're here to help you. Well, thanks again, James. That was incredibly helpful.

Speaker 3:

We'll catch you next time. All right, we'll see you next time, thanks.

Speaker 1:

Sophia, thanks for joining us on the Parcelpedia podcast. Don't forget mention podcast at our store. To snag 10% off select shipping services, stop by at 8992 Preston Road, suite 110, frisco, texas, or give us a ring at 972-335-1450. We're here to make your shipping a breeze. Until next time, keep shipping and smiling.