|
international shipping tipssample disclaimer (.doc) disclaimer: trade at your own risk. if you follow any of the suggestions below and they don't work or you get into trouble, you're on your own. sorry if this is a bit scattered. i add a little whenever i get more info, which can be helpful but also a little disorganized. i'm also in the process of adding info on some of the new fedex forms, which i've not yet used. let me know if you have any questions. pack as you normally would, maybe just a touch of extra care since it'll go through an extra few sets of hands, and we really don't want those customs folks to hear any liquid inside. i always include a note inside the box and on top that says "collectible glassware - contents not for human consumption". i've seen other people do something a little fancier, including a blurb about how the value of the bottles outweighs the contents. when you fill out the customs forms, never list it as beer or food of any kind. it doesn't seem to be a big deal coming in to canada as i've received boxes labeled as "non-perishable jam/preserves". the first box i ever sent to the US got stopped at the border when i listed it as "infused olive oil", saying that the FDA needed to approve anything like that. i always list it as "collectible glassware", which matches the note in the box. this has worked out well for me. there's a lot of people into breweriana, which is what i always say i'm sending. shipping usually comes down to personal preference, but here's a bit of info:
no matter how you ship, some kind of shipping documentation will be necessary. sometimes the staff at your shipping location are less-than-helpful and may tell you that you don't need any documentation. that is absolutely 100% incorrect. press them for info, make them ask other staff if necessary. customs will definitely not allow a package to cross the border without info about what is inside. for USPS/canadapost it's usually just a little slip that sticks on the front of the package. for fedex international ground you need to include 4 copies (yes four) of their "commercial invoice". the other shippers likely have similar policies. should be pretty straightforward, but if you have any questions with it, let me know. if you are EXPORTING from canada to the US you might need a "H.S. Commodity Code" (fedex asks for this on its forms). 70131000 is the code for "Glassware of a kind used for table kitchen, etc of glass-ceramics", which is about the closest thing i could find to collectible glassware. if you are exporting FROM the US to canada, they ask for a "Harmonized Code". "701310 - Of glass-ceramics" seems to be the closest match, and is pretty similar to the canadian version. you need to include either the commercial invoice or the pro forma invoice (i've always used the commercial version, the pro forma version seems new). you'll need 5 copies of this (one for you, 4 to include with the package). you can process these online when you print your shipping label and it'll tell you to print 4 copies. if you have any questions/corrections/comments, just let me know. |
© 2004-2011 Biergötter Homebrew Club. Disclaimer.
Last Modified:
Monday, 31-Mar-2008 20:33:10 MST