United States of America; 50 states, 3.8 million square miles, and a population of more than 331 million- that's a lot of potential parcel destinations! USA is home to many fantastic destinations and celebrates some unique public holidays such as Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.
At Interparcel, we can help you send international parcels quickly and for less! Our partnerships with specialist international couriers allow us to offer some of the best rates for both Next Day and Economy shipping services. So, if you're looking to send to the Big Apple and beyond, we've got you covered.
Labor Day is the next public holiday to be celebrated as it falls on the first Monday of September. The day recognises the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers to the achievements of the United States. Labor Day is celebrated in cities across the country with picnics, parades and other public gatherings.
Exclusive discount on FedEx deliveries
To celebrate Labor Day, we are offering £1 off any FedEx international service.
Simply enter the code 'LABORDAY' at the checkout!
With 671 planes, 43,000 vehicles, and 3.1 million deliveries made daily, FedEx are one of the most reliable and cost-effective international couriers. Booking your FedEx service through Interparcel includes full online tracking from collection right through to delivery. Offer is available from 6th September- 13th September (inclusive).
Why send to the USA?
As one of the largest consumer markets in the world, many businesses decide to take a leap of faith across the pond. With a GDP of approximately $20.93 trillion (2020) , the United States is an undoubtedly profitable market to be in. UK businesses have long known the potential of the US for export revenue. In 2020, we exported $57.72 billion across!
The United States is undoubtedly a popular destination to send to. Over the years, we have helped many businesses succeed in finding the cheapest way to send parcels to the USA.
Senders of all kinds choose to ship to the USA because it offers more opportunities to sell, an expansive customer pool and a broader chance of improving revenue. Plus, with courier comparison helpers like Interparcel, customers who send a parcel to America can do so affordably and quickly.
What to know when sending to the USA
Shipping to the USA is simple when you're in the know - so we're going to walk you through some of the necessary steps to ensure your parcel(s) are good to go!
Customs, Customs, Customs
When sending a parcel to the USA, an essential rule is that your customs document is filled out accurately. All items received over in the US must be cleared through Customs. Your customs documents will determine how much tax/duties will need to be paid, so it is essential that is filled in correctly to avoid delays.
Not to worry! When you book with Interparcel, we provide you with all the customs documents you will need to successfully clear Customs. When completing the form(s), you must:
- Accurately describe each item you are sending: rather than saying 'shoes', write 'black leather trainers for a child aged 3-4.'
- State the value of the item: how much it was bought/sold for
- The material the item is made from
- The country of origin: where you are sending from
Gift value threshold
If you're sending a gift under the value of $200 or £155, no duties or tax will be applied to your total parcel value. In this instance, you should declare your package as an unsolicited gift on your customs forms.
Formal clearance threshold
If your parcel contents are worth over $2,500 (roughly £1,949), it must go through Formal Clearance, which can mean packages are subject to delays.
If your parcel does incur customs taxes or duties, the receiver will be contacted to confirm their Tax ID and will be asked to cover the cost of the charges. It's up to you and your recipient to decide who pays for these additional costs.
After you've filled in your customs documents, you'll need to attach three copies to the outside of your parcel in waterproof plastic wallets - sandwich bags can work great for this purpose!
Restricted and prohibited items
Much like us at Interparcel, the US customs process operates from a list of prohibited and restricted items. They have an official page which lists these items so remember to check their list AND our list to ensure your goods can be imported and won't incur any additional fees or delays.
It's better to be safe than sorry, so do your research! Our prohibited and restricted items list can be filtered by country, so be sure to have a look at our specific guidelines to send a parcel to America.
Package for protection
When packaging goods to send to the USA, keep in mind that your parcel will be handled multiple times when loaded on and off vehicles and aircraft. They may be placed on top of other boxes and/or have boxes placed on top of them - so durability is critical.
Make sure to:
- Use a strong and rigid outer box (preferably double-lined, particularly if the packages' weight exceeds 10kg)
- Individually wrap loose items to protect from movement/vibrations
- Fill the space in the box with cushioning materials such as packing peanuts, tissue paper or bubble-wrap
- Invest in strong packing tape designed to withstand all temperatures
Ensure that address labels are visible after packaging so that couriers know where your goods need to go!
Why use Interparcel to send to the USA?
With over 15 years of industry experience, Interparcel sends thousands of parcels to the USA year-on-year. Our partnerships with globally recognised couriers mean we can offer customers a range of exceptional services to send overseas.
For the fastest delivery estimates and courier services to the USA, customers may opt for one of our Priority or Express options that can deliver parcels within as little as two days from collection. If your package doesn't need to be sent urgently, our Economy services are ideal and one of the cheapest ways to send a parcel to the USA.
All you need to do is pop your parcel details into our Quote Tool and compare prices between our wide range of services.
Are you sending to the USA for business?
If you are a business looking to start sending parcels to the USA, we can make sending even more straightforward. Our Shipping Manager can help you to help organise, fulfil and ship orders from multiple marketplaces in just a few clicks!
Our shipping services integrate with all of the big names in eCommerce to support international selling. Interparcel users that integrated their online stores also benefit from:
- Advanced shipping manager: collate orders from multiple eCommerce platforms into one place
- Multi-channel fulfilment: collates orders from multiple e-marketplaces into one place
- Simple customs forms: streamlined customs invoices to speed up the process
- In-built address verification and correction, no more manual errors or unprofessional mistakes
- Parcel Presets to save parcel details for faster sending
- 'Send Again' and 'Return Parcel' actions to streamline repeat and return orders
- Branded tracking to customise the logo and colour of your tracking portal and create a unique URL
- Cheap shipping to the USA!
We're confident you'll find a shipping service you'll love when you book with us. With just the click of a button, you can have your parcels collected straight from your door.
Contact our parcel experts if you're interested in sending a package to the USA but need a question or two answered. They are available via a call, email, or live chat message between 8 am - 8 pm Monday to Friday, or 9 am - 1 pm on weekends.
Start sending to the USA today and see how easy it can be with Interparcel!
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