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

If you favour using air freight carriers like Purolator, FedEx, and UPS, then engaging Secureship as your broker is the absolute cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to Japan. Compared to those carriers’ retail rates, you could ship for at least half off. And the reason is that Secureship maintains bulk shipping agreements with those carriers, and the savings are passed on to you. And if you have sent a parcel recently, you know it has become very expensive, so anything to reduce costs is no doubt welcome. And that can include extending delivery times and avoiding high season (November to mid-January).

Table of Contents

• Why is Shipping So Expensive Today?
• What Else Affects Shipping Rates?
• How Can Secureship Cut Prices by So Much?
• Conclusion

Why is Shipping So Expensive Today?

For Canadians, shipping to Japan is particularly pricey because it is so far from us. But as we know from recent events, oil prices have soared, and with it carriers’ rates to transport goods.

However, one way to mitigate the high cost of fuel rates is to consider sea freight, always the cheapest option. But of course, for a destination like Japan, the cost is time – perhaps upwards of three months for delivery.

What Else Affects Shipping Rates?

Shipping rates fluctuate due to delivery times, the season, and if the recipient lives far from a major centre. For these situations carriers may apply an extended service area surcharge.

Delivery times

Shorter delivery times increase shipping costs, especially for the quickest service to Japan (typically two business days).

But surprisingly, delaying delivery by a couple of days will dramatically lower the cost.

Season

Shipping’s high season starts in early November and stretches till mid-January of the new year, and with that a bump in shipping prices. Christmas accounts for a lot of that increased traffic and with it longer transit times.

But it is also the start of winter storms in the northern hemisphere, which may cause transportation delays. Our advice: plan to ship before or after this very busy time or build in a few extra days to account for potential delays.

Extended area services

When parcel pick-ups and deliveries occur beyond a major metropolitan area, carriers often apply an extended area surcharge.

For instance, when shipping with UPS in 2026, international deliveries to an extended area will either cost $30 CAD/shipment or 73¢ CAD/kilogram, whichever is the greater amount.

How Can Secureship Cut Prices by So Much?

On most shipments, Secureship can promise a rate reduction from a carrier’s retail price of at least 50%. And depending on the circumstances, it could be as much as 70%!

This applies to three main couriers: Purolator, UPS, and FedEx, and it is because Secureship has bulk buying agreements with those companies.

Other advantages of Secureship as your broker

In addition to huge savings when shipping from Canada to Japan, Secureship has assembled a wide range of shipping information on its website.

Available to anyone, the learning centre includes topics such as:

• Intro to Shipping
• Tracking
• INCO Terms
• Duties and Taxes Explained

You will also find under the Support tab:

• Our chatbox called ShipGuru, with answers to 5,000-plus questions
• Country-specific shipping guides to Japan and more than 140 other countries
• Over 100 blogs like this one answering various questions to a dozen of Canada’s major trading partners – U.S.A., England, Australia, and many others in the EU

Conclusion

While the cheapest way to ship to Japan from Canada is by sea freight, most people prefer a far quicker service, and that can cost a lot today. So, when shipping with UPS, FedEx, and Purolator, using shipping broker Secureship will knock off a minimum of 50% of those carriers’ retail rates. Two other means of further reducing air freight rates are to allow more time for delivery (extending even a few days can have a noticeable impact) and not ship over the Christmas season (which in shipping starts in early November and stretches into the new year).