Did you know you can ship to Canada via FedEx International Ground^®? Some customers might assume that international shipping is always handled by air, so they may be pleasantly surprised to learn there’s a cost-effective yet timely way to get their packages to Canada with ground shipping.

We talked to two top FedEx Authorized ShipCenter^® (FASC) shippers of FedEx International Ground to Canada to get their insights about what it’s like to ship internationally and what you should know.

Terry Edwards, who’s owned Pak Mail Martinez in California for 16 years, has grown his international business organically. “I tend to have a few specific customers who use ground shipping to Canada,” he says. “For example, there’s an artist who’s started to sell his art on a social media site, and he’s getting a lot of exposure all over, particularly in Canada.”

Venera Allen has run Pak Mail Lapeer in Michigan for about 15 years, and the store’s been around longer than that. She says part of the customer draw is being very well-established in her small town, but she also advertises her international capabilities with posters from the Marketing Toolbox on FASCnet. “Lots of the international ground shipments we handle are commercial samples,” she says. “We have manufacturers in town who like to use us for shipping to Canada so they don’t have to figure it out themselves.”

These longtime pack-and-ship owners have seen a lot of change in shipping over the years. Venera remembers when all the customs paperwork had to be handled manually, so she appreciates how much more streamlined the process is now. “When you start a shipment to Canada with FedEx, it generates customs forms automatically,” she says.

Terry agrees. “When I first started, the extra paperwork for international shipping was intimidating,” he says, “but now it’s practically routine. The way our system is set up, we ask what’s in the package and what its value is, put that info into our system, and it automatically creates a Commercial Invoice. It’s pretty seamless!”

Although they find the documentation and shipping to be easy, they both mentioned that having a shipment go through customs creates a layer of complexity for an international shipment. From experience, they had three key pieces of advice for FASCs looking to ship international.

1. Know what you can — and can’t — ship
   
   “There’s good money to make on international shipping, but it’s a little more complicated. Customs is the main problem,” Venera says. She notes that sometimes customers have tried to ship items that aren’t allowed, only to have them turned away at the border. “I wish it was easy to know what can and can’t be shipped, but different countries have different requirements.”
   
   To confirm whether your customer’s item can be shipped to Canada, check the Global Shipping Restrictions & Prohibited Items page on fedex.com. Select any country from the drop-down to see a list of items specific to that destination. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with prohibited items listed in the FedEx Express Terms and Conditions for international shipments and the FedEx Ground Tariff. If a customer’s shipment contains an item you’re not sure is allowed and you can’t find it in the above resources, you can also call FedEx at 1.800.463.3339 and say “international services” for assistance.
   
   
2. Collect all the info you need
   
   Besides an item being rejected at customs because it was prohibited, another issue arises if customers don’t provide complete or accurate information. “Understand all of the things you need when you take in information,” Terry advises. “Have the email and phone number of the consignee for facilitating the delivery. Get as much info as you can — that way, you help make the delivery seamless.”
   
   Including an accurate description of your shipment’s contents is also essential for timely customs clearance. Inaccurate or vague shipment descriptions are one of the most common reasons for customs delays. You can learn what information is required and get other helpful guidance on the International Shipping section of fedex.com, especially the Customs Documents section.
   
   Being thorough can create loyal customers, Terry adds: “By doing little things like that, people come to rely on you.”
   
   
3. Help customers understand costs
   
   Another thing that’s different about international shipping: There are additional costs besides the price you quote for shipping. “We’re a third party when it comes to international shipments, so we don’t deal with duties and taxes,” Venera notes. “We collect only shipping charges.” Making sure customers understand that they’ll have to handle other fees and charges themselves will prevent confusion down the road.
   
   FedEx International Ground offers flexible billing options, so you can pass duties, taxes and brokerage on to customers like Venera does or pay them and build the cost into your product price to provide customers with a seamless experience.

Terry encourages FASCs to promote international shipping as a way to build their business. “Shipping to any international point is more profitable,” he notes, “but the fact that you can go ground to Canada is an added selling point because most places you’d have to ship by air. It’s a little more economical for customers. Shipping with FedEx Ground to Canada would be a good way to differentiate your business.”