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FAQs
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Volumetric Weight Explained
Volumetric weight is easier to understand that it might seem. For a lot of carriers, especially for international deliveries, it is important to understand the size of the parcel.
Volumetric weight is calculated as Height x Width x Depth (of the box in cm) and then this figure is divided by 5000 (some carriers use 4000 as their divider).
As an example, if your box measures 50 x 50 x 50 - the calculation goes as follows:
(50x50x50)/5000 and the volumetric weight works out to be 25kg.
When it comes to charging for your parcel, carriers will measure the box, figure out the volumetric weight and charge you based on that. In this example, let's say you are sedning something that is really light and the actual weight of your box is 10kg. Because the volumetric weight is higher (25kg), you will be charged for sending 25kg box. If you send let's say books and the actual weight is 28kg (whilst volumetric is still 25kg), carriers will charge you for 28kg box. Whichever is higher wins.
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What are HS codes?
HS codes or commodity codes are simply a way to unify classification of goods. This tells the customs anywhere in the world what is actually included in your shipment.
As an example, imagine you are selling paitings of flowers. You might be selling a product that's called for example 'Yellow Honeysuckle' and that's what shows on the paperwork. The HS code ensures that the Customs officials can identify this as a print on canvas rather a live flower.
This will also dictate what import fees and taxes will have to be paid in order for the parcel to be released. Different products have different tarrifs, some of them will not even have anything to pay against them.
There are number of tools to help you figure out what your HS code is, you can use UK government website which is quite handy. See below:
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How do I calculate duties and taxes to be paid when importing goods?
There is a great tool to use, when you're unsure how much your shipment will be liable for when arrvivng at customs, see below:
You get 3 calculations per day on the free version so use them wisely :)
Just fill out your HS codes, total value of goods, destination and departure country and the magic will happen on its own.