Check the customs requirements

This is especially important. At this time of year, lots of people will ship to countries they don’t usually ship to, and will most likely be sending goods they don’t normally send as well. Yummy Christmas treats such as foods, wines and other raw materials may actually not be accepted in the country you’re sending to.

Personal alcohol to the US is actually banned and customs and quarantine regulations will prevent the entry of most foodstuffs to the UK and Japan. The religious beliefs of the country you’re sending to may also mean certain gifts aren’t allowed. To avoid disappointment, the best thing to do is to check with your logistics provider about the customs requirements of the country before you seal the box.

Check the transit time

Transit times can vary between 24-72 hours, depending on the customs requirements of the country you’re sending to. The best thing to do is check with your shipper the transit time between your postcode and the postcode you are delivering to.

Never send a ‘gift’

Of course when we’re sending a Christmas gift, it is natural to want to keep the contents a surprise for the recipients. However, when you’re completing the airway bill, it isn’t acceptable to describe the contents as a ‘gift’. You do have to provide a full breakdown of what is being sent. If you’re sending a Christmas hamper and the full breakdown of goods won’t fit on the airway bill, you can put ‘Christmas hamper’ as the description and then state ‘see attached invoice’. On the proforma invoice, you must detail exactly what you are sending, for example; one cotton shirt, three DVD movies, five music CDs, two comic magazines, etc.

Consider duties and taxes

Countries around the world will charge differing duties and taxes depending on what is entering the country. As the shipper, it is imperative that you state on the airway bill whether you wish to send the shipment as ‘Deliveries Taxes Paid’ (DTP) or ‘Delivery Taxes Unpaid’ (DTU). If you send your gifts as DTU, the person you are sending to will have to pay duties and taxes on the shipment. In most cases, your logistics provider will be unable to advise on what the duties and taxes will be in differing countries.

Pack your gifts properly

Choose the size of the package according to its content. Under-filled boxes could collapse. Also, if the package is under-filled, your shipments may volume out and end up costing you more to send. Overloaded boxes may burst.

You should always use high quality materials to pack your shipments. Although the Christmas wrapping you had done in the store may look pretty, it may not be suitable for shipping. Your gift will go through auto-sort machines, re-weight machines and will be packed with other shipments in containers before it reaches your loved ones. You want to pack it in such a way (with cushioning material) to give it the best chance of reaching the recipient in perfect condition.

Write the address clearly

This may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how often this can be overlooked. The address must be written on the airway bill in English and in full. Include the street number, street name, suburb, province, state, country and postcode. When sending gifts, bulky items that need to be signed for, it is easier to send to a business address to ensure delivery.

Some Don’ts

When packing your gifts this year, please don’t:

• Use fabric bags or cloth to pack your gifts; use durable cushioning material durable.
• Over-seal your package. All packages can be opened by Customs, they are authorised to inspect if they see fit to do so.
• Use cellophane or rope to seal your shipment – it won’t hold in transit. Instead use industrial type tape
• Consider ‘fragile’ or ‘handle with care’ labels as substitutes for careful packing. Most automated machinery utilised to transport your gifts won’t pick this up. Instead, please ensure your gifts are appropriately packed to protect against damage.

By following these simple tips, you can ensure all of your family, wherever they are, have a very Merry Christmas.

—Gary Edstein is the  senior vice president of DHL Express

Yet while many businesses understand how to search the internet for products and have invested in a website with e-commerce facilities to enable online transactions, the actual delivery of the product remains a challenge.

The freight and logistics component of an overseas transaction doesn’t have to be daunting or time consuming.

In choosing a shipping partner, SMEs should consider those that can offer a wide range of services and access to a large number of markets. Most importantly, select a provider who is willing to assist them with smaller orders or one-off shipments.

The following are some tips to first time shippers.

Demand to know

Particularly if you’re a smaller company, you can save a lot of money by knowing your customer demand cycles and scheduling production to allow you to move freight in a consolidated manner. Shipping one larger box will always work out more cost effective than shipping numerous, smaller boxes.

Time is money

When choosing a shipping company, cheaper isn’t always better. If you want a faster delivery, you’ll pay a premium price for airfreight. However some companies offer a deferred airfreight service, this means that you receive the same level of service as an express delivery but at a reduced rate. The only real difference being that instead of arriving in 2-3 days, delivery will occur within 4-6 days.

Take time to review what benefits you’ll receive as part of the service. If you’re new to international trade it will be helpful to select a partner that can offer advice on how to complete air waybills and custom forms.

Ask for help

Take advantage of the many resources available. Austrade, the Commonwealth agency devoted to developing international trade – largely concentrating on expanding Australian export opportunities – also carries plenty of country-specific import advice on its website. Tapping into the valuable experience of other small companies who have been there and done that will ensure you save yourself time and avoid costly mistakes.

Create a niche

Don’t try to be all things to everyone. If there is an opportunity for you to service a niche market efficiently and cost effectively for your business, this is where you should concentrate your efforts.

Choose to network

If your provider doesn’t have a large domestic network in other countries, at least make sure they can control the movement of the shipment from pick up to destination with complete visibility. It is your reputation on the line if your customers are left waiting because the local freight company doesn’t maintain the same standards as your international freight provider. Proof of delivery is also a very important export feature for you and your customers especially for high value items.

Worldwide capacity

If you’re selling on the internet, you don’t always know where in the world your next customer will be. It’s extremely important you select a freight provider with the capacity to deliver to a large number of regions. A reliable delivery service is key to ensuring repeat customers.

—Gary Edstein is senior vice president of DHL Express, Oceania