How much does it cost to send a package to the USA?

How much does it cost to send a package to the USA?

Both the USA and Canada are very large countries, so depending on the locations of the sender and recipient, it could be a reasonable cost to send a package or rather expensive. But distance is only one factor of many that dictate shipping costs – weight and size, delivery time, and choice of carrier all contribute to the overall price.

To help untangle this mass of information, this blog introduces Secureship, a well-established Canadian shipping broker with an online platform that quickly enables you to find an economical shipping option. And in addition it also offers a lot of information that answers varied shipping questions and teaches you valuable lessons about shipping, whether you are a novice or experienced shipper of internationally-bound goods.

Table of Contents

• Secureship’s Services
• There’s More than Distance to Shipping Costs
• Shipping to the USA
• Conclusion

Secureship’s Services

To many Canadians, it may seem natural to visit Canada Post or a FedEx office with a parcel in tow and have it shipped off.

But by using Secureship, shipping can be arranged from your home or office computer in very little time, and not only will you save money, but you can arrange for parcel pick-up at the time and place of your choosing.

There’s More than Distance to Shipping Costs

The further your parcel travels to get to its destination, understandably, the more it will cost to get it there. And so it is with its weight – heavier parcels cost more, and usually that is an unchangeable factor. Larger parcels also cost more, but if the goods can be shipped in a smaller box, it will likely cost less due to the courier’s calculation of dimensional weight.

But there are other factors that dictate influence costs and for some of them you have some control. For instance, by selecting a slower delivery time, you very likely will pay less; also, some carriers simply charge more than others for the same service, so that too is under your control.

And when you have Secureship prepare a shipping estimate, these details are provided to you and allows you to decide which service that suits your budget and timelines.

Shipping to the USA

Due to the world’s longest undefended border, thousands of Canadians and Americans easily cross the frontier daily and thereby share a common lifestyle. Nevertheless, when sending goods from Canada to the USA, shippers must abide by US Customs rules and regulations.

And fortunately for you, Secureship has assembled a summary of those rules for the major categories of goods, which include:

• Documents Only
• Gifts
• Personal Belongings/Effects
• Food, Candies, and Chocolate
• Samples (Commercial)
• Advertising Material
• Repaired Equipment
• Temporary Imports
• Permanent/Sold Goods

In addition to the aforementioned list, you must be aware of prohibited and restricted goods, i.e. those that will not be admitted, and those that are allowed but have limits to quantity or require permits. Further, while many goods enter the USA duty-free as a result of the USMCA (the trade agreement between ourselves, Mexico, and the USA), some duties and taxes still exist for certain goods. All of this information is freely available for anyone to see on Secureship’s website (under the Support tab, Country Shipping Guides), and exists for 140 other countries that span the globe.

Conclusion

The cost of sending a parcel to the USA can be cheap or expensive depending on the distance the goods must travel, weight and size of the package, how quickly you want it to arrive at its destination, and which courier you select to deliver it. But no matter what number is quoted for your particulars, Secureship can find you the best deal from Canada, which could save you up to half of the retail shipping price with couriers like Purolator, FedEx, and UPS.

Finally, it is important to remember that any parcel sent to the USA requires customs inspection and approval to enter the country. And the goods may be dutiable and taxable, and again Secureship provides that information on its website for the USA and more than a hundred other countries worldwide.