What Do I Need To Do To Prepare My Product or Household Goods For Shipping?

By Ernest Hamilton

Apr 16, 2021 10:55 AM EDT

What Do I Need To Do To Prepare My Product or Household Goods For Shipping?(What Do I Need To Do To Prepare My Product or Household Goods For Shipping?) (Credit: Getty Image)

You have invented the perfect kitchen cleaner, and you finally got your patent after a year of trying. It is a hit in the states, and you have decided to share it with the world. You have gone to a great deal of expense to have your product patented overseas, and you want to make sure that it arrives in one piece and still works well when it gets there.

Before you begin making plans for shipment, you should hire a professional Air Freight Forwarder. Exporting a product is very complicated. A forwarder will help you with the logistics of getting your product from your warehouse to your distributor's warehouse. They will be well-versed in the laws pertaining to your particular kind of product. They will have a relationship with air cargo and ocean freight companies as well as trucking companies.

When you have a product to export, you will have to learn a bit about the import-export laws of the country in which you want to sell it. There are a few simple steps that you can follow to ensure your product arrives safely. 

Prepare Well in Advance If You are Shipping Hazardous Materials

Be sure to let your shipping forwarder know if your product contains any materials that may be considered hazardous. The Department of Transportation has recently adopted even stricter safety rules applying to imported and exported products.

You will have to mark your packages with safety hazard warnings. You must do this in English and in the official language of the country to which you are shipping your product.

Use Waterproof Packaging

Your goods are about to take a nautical adventure. If your wares arrive damaged from water, no one is going to want to buy them. Be sure to check your shipping container for leaks. Walk inside the crate and shut the door, and make sure you do not see any light at all. 

Use Generic Labeling

Are you exporting diamond necklaces with a unique design or an advanced technology that contains an expensive computer chip? If you are, you don't want to indicate the value of the product on the package. 

Many a nefarious character has worked on the high seas, and piracy is still common. It is better not to let everyone know the exact nature of what you are packing.

Use Sturdy Lightweight Containers

Longshoremen are not known for their delicate demeanor and dainty maneuvering of cranes. Your product will not only be splashed repeatedly with water; it will swing on a crane at some point. It will be tossed around when it is loaded and unloaded. The violent wind on the ocean will constantly batter the crate as it travels to its destination. It is important that the container is light enough to lift but strong enough to withstand the elements.

You have worked hard developing your product, and the world needs to know about it. Getting your product safely to its destination will help to ensure that it becomes the next big thing overseas.

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