Anyone here do export or ship internationally?
I'm working on a e-commerce business that only ships internationally, from the US. Eventually, I'd have enough volume to get a warehouse. I'm trying to figure out the logistics, as there seems to be so many regulations, laws, customs requirements, international laws.
Aside from knowing what is prohibited in the consignee country, as well as customs restrictions, how do I go about piecing everything together?
What shipping carrier do you use? Do you contract with multiple (DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS) and use their services on a case-by-case basis depending on cost?
Can you negotiate business partnerships to get preferred shipping rates? Do you compare each of the carriers and choose the cheapest one to save the buyer money?
Do you offer returns to overseas customers?
Are there any ancillary software or inventory or equipment specifically for sorting, repackaging, package fulfillment that would make life easier, and required to scale?
Am I missing anything? Seems like a steep learning curve.