The first international shipment is where most small businesses discover that freight is not postage. There are more parties, more documents, and more ways for a cheap quote to become an expensive invoice. None of it is hard. It is just unfamiliar, and the unfamiliar parts are where the money leaks.
The short answer
For a US small business shipping internationally: use a courier under roughly 70 kg, a freight forwarder above it. Agree an Incoterm with your supplier before anything moves, budget landed cost rather than freight cost, and decide early who is importer of record, because that party is liable for the customs declaration and the duty, regardless of who paid the freight.
Step 1. Pick the right channel
| Shipment | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under ~70 kg, few boxes | Courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS) | All-in door-to-door, customs included, usually cheapest at this size |
| 1 pallet to ~15 CBM | Ocean LCL or air freight | Freight rates beat courier here; LCL is cheapest, air is fastest |
| Filling most of a container | Ocean FCL | Per-unit cost drops sharply; see FCL vs LCL |
| Urgent and high value | Air freight | Days not weeks. The trade-off is in sea vs air |
The crossover between courier and freight is where most first-timers overpay: couriers are excellent for small shipments and expensive for pallets.
Step 2, Agree the Incoterm before you order
The Incoterm decides who arranges and pays for each leg, and where risk transfers. Two practical notes for small businesses:
- Avoid EXW where you can. It looks cheap and makes you responsible for export clearance in a country where you have no standing.
- Be careful with DDP. Convenient, but your supplier becomes importer of record and prices the risk into your unit cost, usually generously.
- FCA or FOB are the common sensible defaults for a buyer who wants control of the freight. Full detail in Incoterms 2020 explained and DDP vs DAP vs FOB.
Step 3, The documents
- Commercial invoice: the basis for customs value and duty. Specific descriptions; "samples" invites inspection.
- Packing list: quantities, weights and dimensions, reconciling to the declaration.
- Bill of lading or air waybill: the transport document from the carrier.
- Certificate of origin: where a trade agreement gives a preferential rate.
- Any commodity-specific permits: FDA, USDA, FCC and similar, depending on what you import.
- ISF filing for US ocean imports, transmitted before the cargo is laden abroad.
The full checklist is in import documentation.
Step 4. Customs, and who is responsible
As importer of record you are liable for the accuracy of the declaration and for duties owed, even if a broker files it for you. That makes two things worth getting right early: the HS code, which drives the duty rate, and the customs value, which is generally the price actually paid. Getting classification wrong is expensive in both directions. Start with finding the right HS code and how customs clearance works.
Current US duty is more complicated than it was. The Section 301 and 232 landscape is summarised in US tariffs in 2026.
Step 5. Budget landed cost, not freight
Landed cost = goods + freight + insurance + duty + import taxes + customs brokerage + destination charges + final delivery. Small importers routinely budget the first two and get surprised by the rest. Work it through with landed cost forecast checks.
The five mistakes that cost the most
- Comparing a port-to-port quote against a door-to-door one. Normalise scope first, how to compare quotes.
- Ignoring free time. Three free days versus ten can cost more than the rate difference.
- Assuming freight charges include insurance. They do not. See cargo insurance.
- Vague commodity descriptions, which invite inspection and delay.
- No plan for the destination. Who unloads a 20ft container at your unit? A liftgate and a pallet jack are not assumptions to make on delivery day.
Where to start
Get your dimensions and weights straight with the CBM calculator, agree the Incoterm with your supplier, then get comparable quotes by posting a freight request, or find forwarders who cover your origin country first.
