How to ship a package from Canada to Mexico

Shipping is a relatively straightforward process: find a box, fill it with the goods, seal it, and send it off. But like many things in life, attention to details go a long way to ensure that the goods arrive in good shape. And shipping packages to Mexico is no different. This blog provides a quick reminder to neophyte and veteran shippers of some key important points when preparing a package for shipment. But between preparing the shipment and shipping it, you need to find a courier, of which there are plenty, so how to decide which one? That’s where Canadian broker Secureship can help, and save you loads of money in the process. Finally, Secureship has advice and answers to your queries about required documents and Mexican customs regulations.

Table of Contents

• Important Points to Remember
• Choosing a Courier
• Shipping to Mexico
• Conclusion

Important Points to Remember

Three important points make a big difference in the safety of a package’s shipment - the box, its size, and how it is sealed.

The box

A box is a box, right? Well, if it’s old or used, it may have lost a lot of its original strength, and if you are shipping breakables in particular, it is best to use a new box.

Size matters

There is no point in shipping extra weight, obviously, but that also applies to shipping a bigger than necessary box. And that’s because carriers determine shipping rates based on the box’s dimensions and weight.

Without going into the calculations, say you ship a 1 kg pillow, that takes up a lot of ship. Now think about shipping 1 kg of lead shot, that requires a much smaller box. In the shipping business, the lead shot’s dimensional weight is much less so it’s cheaper to ship than the pillow.

Sealing the box

The ordeals packages endure en route to their destination can be challenging to the goods’ safety. So sealing them properly goes a long way to ensure the box doesn’t split open.

Two key practices: use proper packaging tape (not duct, Scotch, or masking tape); and seal it as shown in the diagram below:

Choosing a Courier

Couriers are easy to find; choosing one can be more challenging as it takes time. But if you live in Canada, then your shipping life is much easier because of Secureship.

Secureship

Secureship has simplified selecting a courier, but better than that, you will save a lot of money when Secureship is your broker - typically 50% off a courier's retail price.

And Secureship has made the process quick and easy with its intuitive on-line estimator tool.

Shipping to Mexico

While Mexico shares a continent with Canada and both are parties to CUSMA, shipping outside of Canada has different obligations compared to domestic shipping.

Foreign regulations

When shipping from Canada to Mexico, it is important to abide by Mexican customs and importation regulations, which can be quite long; however, a sample is shown below:

• Gifts will incur duties and taxes (VAT rate of 16%)
• Commercial and advertising samples may enter duty free for up to six months
• Food like honey, spices, roasted coffee must be packaged and labelled

Documents

Two documents all international packages require are the commercial invoice and shipping label, which Secureship helps you complete.

Beyond that, depending on the nature of the shipped goods, anyone of the following may also be required:

• B13a
• Certificate of Origin
• Certificate of Insurance
• ATA Carnet
• Household Goods Inventory

Conclusion

The basic steps to ship a package from Canada to Mexico are quite easy, but if certain details are missed, the package may end up damaged or lost. So, if you are in doubt of those details, contact Secureship for a quick review. Arguably though, Secureship has an equally important role in your shipping by helping you arrange a courier quickly for far less - typically 50% of a courier’s walk-in price. And further, Secureship maintains a vast stock of information on how to ship goods to Mexico.