How to ship a package from Canada to Japan?

Japan seems so far away and so different from Canada one might wonder how to ship a package there and ensure it arrives. However, the process essentially follows the same steps as for anywhere else – pack the goods, find a carrier, prepare the paperwork. But there are nuances and steps required depending on the nature of the goods, which if you lack experience, could take more time than you expected or wish to devote to. So, this blog outlines the basics you need to know to successfully ship a package to Japan, and presents you to Secureship, a Canadian shipping broker with years of helping people send goods of all kinds across the globe.

Table of Contents

• Packing the Goods
• Finding a Carrier
• Preparing the Paperwork
• Conclusion

Packing the Goods

The basics of packing goods are the same whether they are going across town or across the world.

1. Find a sturdy cardboard box, preferably new because a previously used box could have lost 50% of its strength in a single shipment. And by using cardboard you will avoid an additional handling fee that is applied when a container is made from plastic, metal, or wood.
2. Avoid using a grossly oversized box. Carriers calculate rates based on dimensional weight; which in simple terms means if two packages of the same weight are shipped in different sized boxes, the bigger one is charged more.
3. For breakable or valuable goods:
   • Use bubble wrap or packing peanuts to envelope individual items
   • Arrange each item at least five centimetres from each side of the box, and each other
   • Ensure the box is well sealed with proper packing tape

Finding a Carrier

There are numerous shipping options available to Canadians like Canada Post and a slew of private carriers. Want a better way than simply picking one at random?

Have Secureship as your shipping broker and you could save a lot of time and heaps of money.

Saving time

Secureship’s intuitive online estimator can find you at least half-a-dozen shipping options with several noted carriers in a minute or so. Once you’ve selected the one best suited to your budget and timelines, our system will prompt you through the required paperwork and then the parcel pick-up details. From start to finish, ten minutes maximum.

Saving money

Secureship has negotiated bulk purchase agreements with Purolator, UPS, and FedEx that enable major savings for their clients. And depending on the carrier and delivery time, that could typically be 50% off the retail price, and potentially more.

And in today’s world of inflation and economic instability, those savings go a long way to helping your pocketbook – whether you are shipping for personal reasons or for your business.

Preparing the Paperwork

Paperwork may be the bane of business and life itself, but once again Secureship’s system helps you complete the necessary paperwork an international destination demands.

Depending on what you are shipping and how long it will remain in Japan, one or more of the following will need to be included with the parcel.

• Commercial Invoice
• Certificate of Origin
• Personal Effects Forms
• ATA Carnet
• Export Declaration Forms
• TSCA (used when shipping toxic substances)

Of all the aforementioned forms, the commercial invoice (CI) is universal and obligatory. Without a CI, the parcel cannot enter Japan, or any foreign country because it describes the goods entering and allows customs to correctly assess the requisite duties and taxes.

Conclusion

The process to ship a package to Japan differs little from any other country. So, there are three main steps: securely packing the goods, finding a carrier within your budget, and completing the paperwork.

When packing the goods, ensure to use a new box; protect valuable items with bubble wrap or package peanuts; seal the box with certified packing tape (not duct or masking tape). The next step is to ask Secureship to find you a carrier so you can take advantage of this broker’s shipping deals with FedEx, UPS, and Purolator, which could lead to savings of half of your shipping costs. And when you have Secureship helping you, its automated system will lead you through the parcel’s necessary paperwork.