Canada enjoys a robust trade relationship with the United States, and now, with the exchange rate being favorable for Americans is a great time to take advantage of this market. Businesses can send goods valued up to $800 free of tax and duties across the border. If you’re a small to medium-sized business in Canada, knowing the cheapest way to ship a package from Canada to USA could have a big impact on your bottom line.
Here at BorderBuddy, we focus on customs solutions for our customers, and we are happy to provide you with some tips on cheap international shipping, for shipments both large and small.
Close to the border options
Depending on how far you are from the US border, there are several services you can find online that will drive your package (under $800 value) down to a US border city and ship it using USPS, which is the best shipping method within the US. Usually, these companies charge a few dollars per package to perform a service like this. Some of these services give you access to a US address and you can sign up for a stamps.com account using that address so you can print labels for your packages.
Online businesses
A collaboration to benefit small businesses
According to Newswire.ca, PayPal has partnered with netParcel, a Toronto-based technology company that provides access to discounted shipping rates. As a result, more than 250,000 businesses that use PayPal can now take advantage of aggressive shipping discounts—whether they are shipping parcels within Canada, to the U.S., or anywhere overseas.
Paul Parisi, PayPal Canada president stated, “Small businesses need access to better shipping solutions that open them up to global customers. With this launch, we’re looking to enable more exports and help small businesses become far more competitive in today’s global economy.”
In addition to deep discounts, there are a number of beneficial features of this new service:
- Sellers conducting business on different platforms now only have to go to one web page to meet all their shipping needs. After importing their sales from Shopify, Etsy, eBay, or WooCommerce into the platform, sellers can easily pick and choose the quickest and most affordable way to send their parcels.
- Tracking links are available for every parcel, making it easy for packages to be traced until they reach their destination.
- One-day delivery to the United States, Canada’s leading export market.
- While most shipping solutions are subscription-based, this shipping tool is available to use at no extra charge.
This chart from Paypal’s site shows what actual shipping costs are.
Other shipping options: international couriers
UPS, FedEx, and DHL have decent express freight costs, and it’s attractive for small business owners to use a streamlined method where the shipment is completed by one company from pickup to drop off. These couriers are generally only cost-effective for small shipments. Each international courier has its own weight and size restrictions. Larger shipments will be cheaper to transport by air freight, and larger still by ocean carrier.
netParcel’s site has other shipping options listed, as well:
- LTL Carriers – Less-Than-Truckload shipping lets you combine your shipments with other SMEs in the same truck. Combining shipments saves you money and it’s one of the cheapest ways to ship from Canada to US addresses. Connect to trusted carriers with netParcel and instantly find great LTL shipping rates.
- Volume Consolidated Services – SMEs get easy access to netParcel’s tier 1 carrier network of consolidated shipping services. Consolidated shipping is convenient and another way to find the cheapest way to ship from Canada to US consumers.
If you go to netParcel’s site you can enter the origin and destination of your package and they will show you all of your options, including multiple carriers and lanes. Compare rates to find the cheapest shipping from Canada to USA and pick the services that best fit your business, whether that’s small parcel shipping, LTL shipping, or volume consolidated services. Pick your carrier, choose a pickup date, and print your shipping labels.
One way you can cut down on shipping costs on your end is to reduce, reuse, recycle. Save those boxes, puffy envelopes, and styrofoam peanuts for reuse. It’s good for the environment and it’s good for your bottom line.
If your business is going to make it, you need cheap shipping to USA from Canada. Discount international shipping rates can make the difference between making the sale and watching American customers go domestic instead. Canadian SMEs have a lot of advantages selling to the US, so be sure to make the most of it by using any of these cheap international shipping methods.
Remember that we are your buddy at the border, so don’t hesitate to call us today for customs solutions for any size business.