One reason US sellers are wary of cross border trade is the shipping hurdle and the risk of stolen packages, yet serving overseas customers can open the door to increased revenue. Endicia launched Global Services to help merchants overcome some of the hurdles in reaching the Latin American customer.
Endicia Global Service includes Mexico and Brazil, promising businesses quicker and more reliable customs clearance and package tracking at affordable rates. The shipping service provider partnered with SkyPostal, Inc., a parcel delivery company specializing in Latin American logistics, to create the new service.
One feature that is likely to allay some concerns is the end-to-end tracking. Another advantage – there are no customs forms to fill out.
Endicia explains that in June 2014, customs began physically checking all postal parcels entering Brazil to ensure proper duty and tax collection. “With this procedure, if duties and taxes are not pre-paid, addressees need to physically go to customs and pay the fees before receiving their packages. As a result, delivery speed has been impacted, and postal packages can take upwards of 20 days to reach their destination. The delays have forced many online businesses to stop shipping to Brazil.”
Endicia Global Service promises same-day customs clearance – “shipments clear customs in as little as six hours as opposed to an average of five days” – and shipments are delivered in eight to 10 days.
Endicia co-founder and General Manager Amine Khechfe said, “Brazil and Mexico account for more than 70 percent of the ecommerce market in Latin America – a tremendous opportunity for U.S.-based online sellers. Endicia Global Service makes shipping to Brazil and Mexico as easy as shipping in the United States.”
Endicia provides more information about the program on the Endicia website.
Update: Endicia’s Shea Felix said Endicia Global Service is helping keep shipments to Brazil on track during the current postal strike. “The strike by workers at the Brazilian Postal Service (Correios) adds to the challenges faced by U.S.-based businesses that ship packages to this booming ecommerce market. To avoid the extra delays caused by the strike our newly offered Endicia Global Service is a great alternative. Packages shipped via Endicia Global Service clear customs in one day and then our partner, SkyPostal, chooses the best delivery method available; whether Correios or another Brazilian delivery service. Given the current strike, SkyPostal is relying on other carriers to ensure that packages shipped with Endicia Global Service will not face any delays and will continue to arrive at their destination within eight to 10 days of the original ship date.”
