Before you ship internationally, here are 4 mistakes to avoid

“Exporting is a must for small businesses,” said Shaquana Teasley, Founder and CEO of Agate Solutions, an international trade consulting agency. “Your competition is global ... so you must be prepared to compete and win globally. Don’t count yourself out!”

It doesn’t have to be complicated. Avoid these mistakes when shipping internationally:

• Missing forms: Don’t forget the invoice. Your package might get held at the border without complete and accurate paperwork. Make sure to include all the right documents to avoid delays.
• Vague descriptions: Include a detailed description of your shipment. Stay away from general terms like “watch” or “medicine” or “electronics”. Instead, describe what the product is made of, how it was made and what it was made to do. Check out the Dictionary of International Trade for pro-tips.
• Incorrect value: Be sure to declare the actual value of the merchandise you’re shipping and match that to your documents ... or you guessed it – a customs hold.

“A lot of small businesses hesitate to export because generally, they want to keep overhead costs down,” said Shaquana. “There’s a misconception that exporting requires expensive international trade attorneys – that’s a big myth.”

Choose the easy way: The fourth, and biggest mistake, is not shipping through UPS. We’ve made importing and exporting as simple as shipping domestically. We offer several tools that make it easy:

• UPS Global Checkout simplifies cross-border e-commerce. It offers a guaranteed landed cost – covering all duties, taxes and fees – right at checkout. This transparency allows online shoppers to shop confidently, free from unexpected delivery charges.  
• UPS Export Assure offers AI-powered assistance to create accurate export documentation.
• Paperless Invoice helps our customers save time, reduce errors and enhance sustainability by eliminating paper forms.