Shipping from Singapore to USA

If you’ve seen shipping costs from Singapore to USA, you know it’s pretty expensive. For some items, the shipping cost can far outweigh the price of the actual items themselves!

In this article, I will explain why it’s so expensive, and give you 3 tips to dramatically reduce your shipping costs.

Why is Shipping from Singapore to USA so expensive?

First, let’s consider three ways that things are usually delivered: air, land and sea. For the layman who only ships occasionally (e.g Sending 6kg worth of shipping items every few months), sea is usually out of the question. Most sea freighters require at least 10kgs worth of bulky items, and small shipments won’t cut it. Furthermore, shipping by sea is much more time-consuming.

This leaves us with two options: land and air. Obviously, you cannot send a parcel to the USA by car, thanks to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. That only leaves us with delivery by air.

Delivering anything through an airplane is bound to be expensive. Petrol costs, maintenance costs, pilot salaries… the list goes on. Either way, your shipping cost to the USA through any shipping company is going to involve you paying for some part of the aeroplane ride.

How to get the Cheapest Shipping from Singapore to USA – 3 Tips

1. Pack your items into smaller boxes.

You might be losing out on cheaper shipping prices thanks to volumetric weight. Unlike actual weight, volumetric weight is a different pricing technique that takes into account the size of your package.

It is standard practice to calculate both the volumetric weight and the actual weight, and charge you based on the weight that is higher. To find out more about volumetric weight, please read our article.

By shipping in a smaller box, you decrease the size of your package and the chargeable volumetric weight. This means: Cheaper Shipping Fees! Of course, please make sure that things are still packed properly. Paying a higher amount is always better than shipping broken glass.

JustShip offers packing & shipping services. For a few extra dollars, we will wrap your items with love and care, and ship it out for you. Contact Us or Get A Quote now for more information.

2. Know your taxes, tariffs and duties

Most countries have a tax exemption for items shipped as Gifts under a certain value. For the United States, this limit is 100 USD. So, make sure you do not miss out on any exemptions.

Similarly, make sure you are not paying hefty fees as a result of less-than-optimal production choices. For example, there are hefty tariffs on items manufactured in certain countries or using certain materials in your productions. These should be factored into your process at the production stage. Lying about these things at the shipping stage to get a discount is prohibited, and strongly discouraged.

3. Find the best rates

Some shippers have better rates depending on the destination country. Do your homework before committing to one shipper. For example, QExpress might have a great presence and great prices for shipping in Asia, but not for the USA.

Conclusions

It is expensive to ship to the US because of its distance and the need to ship via airplane. To minimise costs, pack your items into smaller boxes, know your shipping taxes, and find the best rates.

It can be as low as $29 SGD to ship a parcel to USA with JustShip, with a shipping time of 1 – 4 working days. This already makes us cheaper and more competitive than other couriers. See our Prices or Get a Quote Now.

Still not enough savings? Decrease your shipping fees with us today! JustShip offers a picking and packing service – we can pickup your items from your doorstep and pack them securely & efficiently so as to reduce volumetric weight – this means cheaper shipping fees! Contact Us or Get A Quote now for more information.