Why is international express delivery so expensive?

The reason why the price of sending international express is expensive is due to a combination of factors. The following is an analysis of these factors:

1. High transportation costs

1. Long-distance transportation:

International express delivery usually needs to cross continents or oceans. Long-distance transportation consumes a lot of fuel, manpower and other resources. For example, the transportation distance of goods from China to the United States is nearly 10,000 kilometers, and the fuel cost alone is considerable.

2. Limited choice of transportation methods:

For goods with high timeliness requirements, usually only air transportation can be chosen. Although the speed is fast, the cost of air transportation is much higher than sea and land transportation. For example, some electronic products, high-end clothing, etc., in order to quickly go on the market for sale, often choose air transportation, which naturally pushes up the freight.

2. High labor and operating costs

1. High labor costs:

International express delivery is cross-border cargo transportation, involving multiple transportation nodes, and requires the participation of domestic and foreign employees. Foreign labor costs are usually high, which increases the operating costs of international express delivery.

2. High operating and maintenance costs:

In order to ensure the quality of service, international express delivery companies need to invest a lot of material and human resources, such as building and maintaining infrastructure such as ports, airports, warehouses, and transport vehicles, as well as providing professional customs declaration, sorting, and delivery services. These costs will eventually be distributed to the freight of each shipment.

III. Cargo characteristics and packaging requirements

1. Cargo weight and volume:

International express delivery costs are usually proportional to the weight and volume of the goods. For bulky but light-weight bulk goods, such as furniture, large toys, etc., or heavy metal products, mechanical equipment, etc., the freight will be relatively high.

2. Special packaging requirements:

For some special goods, such as fragile goods and dangerous goods, special packaging materials and methods are required to ensure the safety of the goods during transportation. These special packaging materials and methods will increase transportation costs.

IV. Tariffs and taxes

International express delivery may need to pay tariffs, value-added tax and other taxes when arriving at the destination country. These taxes are usually borne by the recipient, but may also be included in the freight quote. There are differences in tariff thresholds and tax rates in different countries and regions, which increases the uncertainty of international express delivery costs.

V. Market and policy factors

1. Market supply and demand relationship:

In the international express delivery market, when demand exceeds supply, freight rates tend to rise. For example, during specific periods such as e-commerce shopping festivals and traditional festivals, the demand for cargo transportation increases greatly, while logistics capacity is limited, and freight rates will rise significantly.

2. Trade policies and regulations:

The trade policies, tariffs and taxes of different countries will directly or indirectly affect international express delivery costs. For example, in order to protect their own industries, some countries will impose high tariffs on imported goods, and these costs will eventually be passed on to consumers, making logistics costs appear higher.

VI. Service and quality assurance

International express delivery companies usually provide high-quality services, such as fast and accurate delivery, complete tracking services, professional customer service, etc. These services require a lot of resources to ensure, so they will also be reflected in freight costs.

The high price of international express delivery is due to a combination of factors such as high long-distance transportation costs, high labor and operating costs, cargo characteristics and packaging requirements, tariffs and taxes, market and policy factors, and service and quality assurance. When sending international express delivery, it is recommended to choose the appropriate transportation method and service type according to actual needs, and understand the relevant fees and policy regulations in advance to avoid unnecessary trouble and losses.