Why is international express delivery expensive?

The price of sending international express is generally more expensive than domestic express, which is mainly determined by the following aspects:

1. High air costs

International express mainly relies on air transport, which is due to its fast and efficient characteristics that can meet the needs of cross-border transportation. However, the cost of air transport is much higher than domestic land or sea transport. First, the cost of aviation fuel is high and constantly changes with the fluctuation of international oil prices. Secondly, the operating and maintenance costs of international flights are also relatively high, including aircraft leasing, crew salaries, airport take-off and landing fees, etc. These factors together lead to the high air costs of international express.

2. Complex logistics chain and transfer storage costs

International express involves multiple transportation nodes and transit stations, and goods may need to pass through customs and warehousing facilities in multiple countries. This not only increases transportation time and risks, but also brings additional transfer storage costs. These costs include customs clearance fees, warehousing fees, transit fees, etc. In addition, due to the complexity of the international logistics chain, there may be situations such as loss, damage or delay of goods, which require express companies to bear corresponding compensation liability, thereby further increasing costs.

3. Market competition and pricing strategy

The international express delivery market is dominated by a few large express delivery companies, such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc. These companies have extensive networks, advanced logistics technology and high service quality around the world, so the prices may be slightly higher. At the same time, in order to maintain the brand image and service quality, these companies may invest more resources in customer service, after-sales service and compensation mechanism, which also increases their operating costs. In addition, some small or emerging express delivery companies may offer relatively low prices in order to attract customers, but there may be a certain gap in service coverage, transportation speed and reliability.

4. Impact of tariffs and taxes

For international express delivery of commercial nature, the recipient usually needs to pay tariffs and taxes. These fees vary depending on the policies of the destination country, the type and value of goods, etc., and will indirectly affect the total cost of international express delivery. In some cases, the sender may also need to pay or bear part of the fees in advance.

5. Other additional fees

In addition to the basic fees mentioned above, international express delivery may also charge some additional fees, such as fuel surcharges, remote area surcharges, overweight and oversize surcharges, etc. These fees are determined based on market conditions, cargo characteristics, and transportation distance, further increasing the total cost of international express delivery.

The high cost of international express delivery is the result of the combined effect of multiple factors. In order to reduce transportation costs, customers can consider strategies such as choosing economical international express services, negotiating discounts with express companies, or using forwarding companies. At the same time, when choosing an express company, it is also necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as its service quality, transportation speed, reliability, and price.