Transport prices & other costs of international goods transportation
Taking your business global is the way to expand further, but after selling there is still delivery. Customer satisfaction is essential for your business, and achieving your financial objectives means getting your products to customers quickly and affordably. It is key to a cost-effective and efficient international arrangement to select the right mode of transportation.
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Check out the cost of the size and weight of your goods. Don't forget to consider the delivery time, distance, and destination of the goods. When it comes to small high-value items, a different approach may be necessary than with large low-value products.
Type of goods and international transport costs
Choosing a mode of transportation heavily depends on the type of goods and the venture's business requirements. Transporting goods in the right way will balance service, quality, cost, organization and time.
Transporting fresh goods (e.g. Fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables) will require speed and time. These products should also be refrigerated when being transported.
Animal transportation requires you to adhere to specific rules and regulations. Guidelines and clearances exist for safe and successful animal transport. When you move dangerous goods, you must follow the rigid procedures that come with them.
Modes of transport in international trade
International transportation involves four modes: road, rail, sea, and air.
خدمات النقل Each mode has its own advantages, disadvantages, and conditions pertaining to the type of goods exported or imported. It may be necessary to use more than one mode of transport, or you may need to contact freight forwarders to handle logistics.
Cost of road transport
In comparison with the other three modes, road transportation is more flexible. Tracking your goods, securing consignments, scheduling transit times, and paying the required fees can be done relatively easily. Long distances, however, are more time-consuming, especially if there is traffic involved. Toll fees may be high in some countries, and it's possible to have your goods damaged.
Transport by road costs around 3 to 7 cents per kilometer for large quantities. In the case of owning your own trucks, the cost of owning a truck may be in the range of 1300 to 1900 USD per day, excluding the driver. You may need to pay around 200 US dollars to send a package of 50 kg over a distance of 300 km in the US.
Cost of sea container transport
You can ship more volume by sea at a lower cost than with the other three modes. Containers may also be used for transporting goods by land. There may be delays to international transport, however, due to the slow pace, weather shifts, and rigid schedules and routes. Transport by sea container typically costs:
Route20 ft container40 ft container
USA-Canada600-800 USD900-1100 USD
USA-China1600-1800 USD2400-2700 USD
UK-Spain700-900 USD1100-1300 USD
UK-Australia2500-2800 USD4000-4500 USD
This is the cost of shipping from one port to another. It may be necessary to pay extra for land transportation. There may also be higher rates for destinations experiencing civil wars.
Cost of rail transport
The mode of transport is environment-friendly, which is why it is often used on prosperous continents like Europe. Nevertheless, rail transport has rigid schedules and may be delayed due to mechanical failures. Remote regions do not have a great rail network, which is a significant disadvantage.
Railroad transportation costs vary between 2 and 6 US dollarcents per ton per kilometer. Rail becomes the cheaper alternative for road transportation if a railway is available.
Cost of air transport
International trade is conducted by air transport, which is the most efficient method of distributing products. Moreover, it is the safest method of transportation, which allows exports and imports of all sorts of goods.
A large part of the air transportation cost is determined by the weight and a small part by distance. If you take carriers like Fedex and UPS into consideration, 1 kg will cost between 30 and 50 USD to ship, 10 kg may cost 70 to 90 USD and 100 kg may cost over 400 USD. Especially if a steady stream of packages is guaranteed to keep these airlines' aircraft occupied, prices can decline dramatically.
Customs regulations
Additionally, you need to ensure that your goods have the appropriate labeling and documentation for legal purposes. A crucial aspect of the export process is to identify the right HS code for your product, which will determine how customs handles it and also the import tariffs. You will need four documents to import goods into Singapore, but you will need ten documents to enter Thailand
It may be essential for smooth business operations to work with a local agent or distributor who also coordinates the importation.
