What is the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to Italy?

Shipping goods by sea remains the cheapest way to transport packages from Canada to Italy or indeed almost anywhere. But the cost is time, perhaps as long as a month’s journey. So, many people opt to pay more for air freight to ensure a far quicker delivery. However, the shipping rate is only one of a number of charges a parcel may incur, such as duties and taxes, Saturday and residential deliveries, and oversize fees. This blog will help illuminate some of those potential charges and introduce the reader to Secureship, a long-standing Canadian shipping broker who can find you incredible savings on shipments to Italy and elsewhere, not to mention domestically.

Table of Contents

• Sample Shipping Rates to Italy
• Other Shipping Fees
• Saving with Secureship
• Conclusion

Sample Shipping Rates to Italy

Say you need to send a modest parcel from Montreal to Rome, Italy. By using Secureship’s estimator, you would receive a bunch of options as shown below.

What quickly becomes clear is that shipping is expensive, even for a small parcel of five kilograms. But also note that the lower shipping price for each option is Secureship’s savings for you, which in one case is an amazing one-third of the carrier’s retail price. And if delivery time is of lesser importance, a simple way of saving money is to delay the arrival time (for instance, nine business days versus two, which is far more expensive).

Other Shipping Fees

It may come as a surprise to many that after paying for shipping a parcel, you may incur other fees. Some are unavoidable while others can be mitigated.

Duties and taxes

As part of the EU, Italy and Canada have low or zero duties on many goods traded between the two countries. However, when shipping from Canada to Italy, a 22% VAT will be applied to most items entering the country regardless of their value.

Saturday and residential deliveries

Most carriers add a fee for picking up or delivering a parcel on a Saturday as well as delivering to a residential address. So, by avoiding these situations, you could save some money. One way around the residential charge is to use the recipient’s office or the carrier’s local office as a destination.

Insurance

Insurance is another charge that may not be necessary though it should be seriously considered if the shipment contains valuable or breakable goods. However, be advised that if you insure the shipment, be sure to follow the ISTA 3A packaging standards or insurance could be voided in the event of damaged goods.

Oversize fee

Generally, the bigger or heavier the container, the more the shipment will cost; however, shipments over maximum limits (2.74 m in length or 68 kg in weight) will incur a surcharge. So if you ship with UPS, for instance, a $1315 CAD/package levy will be applied to these parcels.

Saving with Secureship

For many years, Secureship has provided Canadians with a more affordable option for their shipping options. As a result of its bulk buying agreements with UPS, FedEx, and Purolator, Secureship can offer reductions upwards of 50% off of a carrier’s retail price on international shipments.

And, Secureship’s online platform is easy to use and gives you results within minutes. As well, our time in the business has made us shipping experts, and we love sharing that knowledge. At Secureship’s learning center you will find a range of articles that cover topics like:

• Intro to shipping
• What can and cannot be shipped
• International commercial terms
• Importing shipments

Conclusion

The cheapest way to ship a parcel from Canada to Italy is via sea freight; however, that could be a four-week journey. Air transport as offered by private carriers provides time frames ranging from two to nine business days, but the quicker the package arrives, the more you will pay.

Added to a carrier’s basic rate could be other fees: Italian duties and taxes, charges for residential or Saturday deliveries, insurance, and oversized parcels. Yet, savings on shipping can be found with Secureship – a Canadian broker with service agreements with Purolator, UPS, and FedEx, which could potentially save you half or more off of a courier’s stated shipping charge.