1. Before shipping
1.1. It is necessary to check whether your goods are on the list of banned items or conditional shipments as per shipping regulations of Vietnam by referring to the List of prohibited export goods. In addition, you should also review thoroughly types of goods prohibited from being imported into the USA as your goods may be confiscated, you may be fined or detained if you violate this regulation.
1.2. Next, you should estimate shipping costs, unexpected fees, and delivery period when using an international shipping service. Instead of making a call to sales staff in logistics companies and waiting for a quotation after a few days, it is suggested to use myKN – an online quotation tool of Kuehne+Nagel. After entering parcel information and destination address, you will immediately receive a notification of estimated shipping charges and duration. myKN has a very user-friendly and easy-to-use interface comparing to other online quotation tools.
Shipping charges quoted by freight forwarders often exclude VAT of 10% and fuel sub-charge of 18%. Thus, as a customer, you should be clear about such charges and other possible ones thoroughly to avoid high shipping costs. However, if you check shipping costs on myKN, the displayed number is the sum of charges for one time of service use at Kuehne+Nagel, which makes it easier for you to select a suitable service provider. In addition, please should be noted that shipping duration is only counted by working days.
Take advantage of promotions offered by the freight forwarder. Such promotion will help you reduce expensive expenses of international shipping costs to some extent. Some large freight forwarders usually have promotion programs together with discount codes so your need is to thoroughly investigate or call the company directly for further advice. Kuehne+Nagel is currently offering a promotion for sea freight of LCL shipments, click here for details.
1.3. It is not cheap to send a parcel to the USA. Thus, you should choose a reputable freight forwarder that makes you feel secure when using their services and avoid late delivery, damaged or broken goods upon delivery, even failure of goods delivery to receivers. Most of high-ranked international freight forwarders have their own website where you can search for information about their services. To be sure, you should look into reviews from previous service users before making the decision.
Please make sure that you also look into the commitments of the freight forwarders before you use their service. Moreover, it is also important to clearly know the terms and conditions on indemnity; however, this is often ignored by service users.
1.4. Freight forwarders always try to handle every shipment with the utmost care and focus. However, risks always exist and sometimes force majeure events occur, making goods damaged or lost as a consequence. For this reason, you are advised to use shipment insurance to minimise loss to the maximum extent. Our considerate and highly capable experts at Kuehne+Nagel have been able to provide KN Sure insurance solutions to protect your valuable shipment throughout the forwarding process and make you feel absolutely secure.
- KN Sure SPOT insurance package is simple but comprehensive for one-time shipments.
- KN Sure FLEX covers the whole consignment processed by Kuehne+Nagel.
- KN Sure FIX covers the whole consignment not limited to those processed by Kuehne+Nagel.
Depending on each case, you can select the optimal and most suitable insurance package for your shipment.
2. Processing
2.1. Indicate fully the information of the receiver for more convenient delivery. You need to provide the following information:
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Name of receiver: Provide the exact name on the passport or other identity papers of the receiver
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Receiver’s address: room number, house number, street name, city, state. Update immediately in case of any change in the address while the shipment is being forwarded
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ZIP code: each state of the US has a ZIP code, you need to find and provide the correct one
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Phone number: Provide both the cell phone and landline numbers of the receiver for contact when the shipment is delivered. If the delivery person cannot contact the receiver or the receiver is not home many times, the shipment will be returned or not be refunded. One tip for this case is that the receiver should inform the shipper the exact time to receive the shipment
There are many cases when the shipment is delivered to the wrong address due to the shipping company’s fault or because the sender provides a wrong/inadequate address. To avoid unwanted consequences in this situation, you need to provide an accurate clear address and check multiple times to ensure the correct information.
2.2. Packaging specification shall comply with the shipping regulations to the USA
- Goods must be packed in rectangular or cube-shaped boxes;
- Each parcel must not exceed 30 kg;
- The maximum length of the longest edge is 152 cm; the other edges must not exceed 76 cm;
- Fragile items should be wrapped with polystyrene foam or packed in wooden boxes.
2.3. To help the delivery company conduct customs procedures conveniently, you need to honestly declare the components and value of your shipment. This is the basis for choosing the right shipping service and for the company to compensate you an amount equal to the shipment value that you declared if any problem occurs.
2.4. Regarding foods, it is easier to import dried foods into the US market rather than regular fresh foods. These items will be easier to process than ordinary fresh food. However, meat and processed products from land animals (pigs, cows, chickens, etc.), and sprouting seeds are prohibited from importing into the USA due to the concern of pathogenic plants; Different types of fruits will be considered whether to be clear through customs based on where you buy and where you deliver to.
3. After shipping
After sending the parcel, you need to ask the shipping company for bill number (tracking code) to track the progress of your parcel. Most of the delivery companies have software or website to help customers track or update the status of your shipment. myKN with Tracking function is a useful tool for customers to track the shipment anytime and anywhere. myKN application is already available on both iOS and Android platforms. It is easier for you to directly monitor your parcel, check and manage information, keep track of all important steps with push notifications.
