Can I ship to Japan with FedEx?

Even today, Japan evokes an exotic mystery, but it is a G7 country, an industrial and cultural powerhouse, and boasts the world’s fourth largest economy. So, you can definitively ship parcels to Japan from Canada with FedEx. But isn’t Japan really far away? And shipping there is super expensive? Yes and yes, but you have a Canadian ally - Secureship, whose buying agreements with FedEx and others, typically allows you to save at least half off of the carrier’s stated shipping rate.

But doesn’t Japan have special importation rules? No more, no less than any other country, but again, with Secureship’s resources, you will have what you need to know to successfully get your parcel to its Japanese destination. That includes packing advice for valuable or breakable goods or more general information about the ‘how-tos of shipping’.

Table of Contents

• Secureship’s Services
• Shipping from Canada to Japan
• Prepping a Package
• Conclusion

Secureship’s Services

Modern aircraft have not shrunk the world, but they have made it far more accessible, though pricey; however, Secureship has made shipping far more affordable for Canadians.

In its bulk buying agreement with FedEx, and other carriers, Secureship lowers your shipping costs by at least one-half off the carrier’s standard rate, which for a country that is 10,000 kilometres away from Japan, can mean huge savings for you and your business.

Secureship also offers freely available shipping information for Japan and 140 other countries and territories. Answers to many questions like what can and cannot be shipped to Japan and duty rates on a wide range of goods will be found on Secureship’s website.

Shipping from Canada to Japan

While Japan’s culture and history is very different from Canada’s, when it comes to the business of trade and imports, Japan is little different than any other developed nation.

So, when shipping from Canada to Japan individuals and businesses need to be aware of the standard required documents, restricted and prohibited goods, and duties and taxes.

Required documents

Required documents may vary based on the nature of the shipped goods; however, all parcels must have a commercial invoice (CI).

The CI functions as a passport, i.e. no CI, no entry to Japan, or any country for that matter. The CI describes the nature and quantity of the goods and allows customs officials to accurately assess the duties and taxes owed.

Restricted and prohibited goods

Countries have similar goods that they restrict or prohibit, but they sometimes have some unique rules.

For instance, medications are restricted to a two-month supply and goods made from rice straw (for e.g., bags and mats) are prohibited - i.e. not allowed in the country.

Duties and taxes

As Canada and Japan are members of the CPTPP agreement, duties on many traded goods are 0% or quite low. An expected exception to this includes goods like alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and goods like clothing.

Japan applies a value added tax (VAT) of 10% to incoming goods regardless of their value.

Prepping a Package

Getting a parcel ready for shipment to Japan is little different than sending one across town - both situations require a shipping label and adequate packing to ensure the goods’ safe arrival.

Shipping label

A shipping label with illegible or missing information stands a good chance of being delayed, set aside, or perhaps returned to the sender.

To mitigate those situations:

• Double-check the recipient’s address
• Provide a return address
• Add a telephone number in the event of a customs or delivery issue

Packing

Shipping can be a rugged affair for a parcel - rough handling, being jostled, and piled upon - so to ensure no broken items or a split box, the following advice will help a parcel arrive safely with contents intact:

• Use a sturdy, new box
• Wrap breakables with bubblewrap and place items at least 5 cm apart, and 5 cm minimum from all sides of the box
• Seal the box with proper packing tape in the shape of an ‘H’ as shown in the diagram below

Conclusion

As a country with a huge economy and worldwide trade links, Japan receives regular parcel delivery services from Canada with FedEx. And though Japan’s distance makes for expensive shipping, Canadian-bred Secureship will find you a number of shipping options that will surely cut in half FedEx’s, or other carriers’, prices on a shipment. Beyond that, Secureship can also help you navigate Japanese customs regulations and import taxes, and provide shipping advice in the form of packing tips, ‘how-to-ship’ articles, and specific country shipping guides for a nation’s importation rules and taxes.