Make Ship Happen: A Blog for Shipping Professionals

Enterprise Shipping and the Pain of International Paperwork

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It's no secret that international paperwork is one of the most painful parts of enterprise shipping today. With more and more companies shipping internationally, the frustration and potential pitfalls are increasing exponentially as the rules and regulations change from location to location.

Did you know that:

• Failing to use the Automated Export System (AES) correctly comes with fines ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 per occurrence? Beyond fines, jail terms can be imposed for not using AES properly. Ouch!
• Manually completing export documentation is one of the greatest opportunities for shipping error with the greatest penalties for mistakes? Incomplete, incorrectly completed, or missing international paperwork increases the overall cost of shipping and/or causes ill will with the customer whose shipment is late. 
• Export documentation is most often completed by someone outside of the shipping department? This increases the chance of a delay or fine due to miscommunication between disparate groups.
• Incorrectly completed export documentation can cause a shipment to be held up or delayed in Customs? This often results in fees and fines from Customs in order to get the shipment cleared as well as customer frustration over the late shipment.
• Freight forwarders can add value to the shipping process, but at a significant cost? You may be able to avoid these costs on simpler shipments that don't require a freight forwarder as long as someone in your organization knows how to process the international paperwork properly.

While the harsh reality around international shipping can be sobering, the good news is that all of these pitfalls can be avoided by implementing an enterprise shipping platform that handles the nuances of international shipping for you. If your current system does not automatically populate export documents, harness the power of the AES system automatically, or forces you to manually complete documentation, it's time for a new system. Chances are good that the money you are wasting on fees, fines, and manual entry will quickly pay for a new system and save you money in the long run.

To learn more about how to revolutionize your shipping function, watch the on-demand webinar, Seeing (Shipping) is Believing!