If your company is trying to branch out by shipping goods overseas, it might be wise to hire a shipping consultant for help. Shipping goods overseas can be a lot more challenging than shipping goods within this country, and one of the main challenges you will face is complying with international regulations, rules, and procedures. Each country you ship to may have different requirements you must meet, and failing to abide by these things can result in delays in your shipments. Here are three ways a shipping consultant can help you with this new venture.

Filling out the customs paperwork

For your shipments to pass customs in the countries they arrive in, your paperwork must be filled out accurately and completely. Even a minor mistake in the paperwork could result in a delay in the shipment. If your customers cannot receive the goods you sent, you will not receive the payment they owe you. This is why it is vital to fill out the paperwork properly, and a shipping consultant is fully experienced with this aspect of international shipping.

Properly labeling containers

The second challenge you might face on your own is knowing how to properly label your containers. When you ship goods to a different country, the country might require a variety of different information on the containers you ship. This can include the following details:

• Country of origin
• Weight (in a certain type of measurement)
• Ingredients or contents
• Number of packages in the entire shipment

Without the right labeling, your goods may end up stuck in customs, which means your customers will not receive them on time.

Understanding how to handle currency differences

In addition, a shipping consultant can also help you understand how to handle the differences in currencies from the U.S. to other countries. When you sell to a country that has a different currency, you will need to know how to convert the money in order to make sure you are receiving the correct amount of money for the transaction. You may also need to learn how to handle receiving different types of currency in order to trade it for U.S. dollars.

There are so many challenges of selling goods overseas, yet this can be a great way for a company to increase its sales and profits. If your company is getting ready to begin selling internationally, your first step should be to hire competent shipping consultants to help you with this task.