1. How exactly are U.S. tariffs calculated, and where does that 104% number come from?

• General tariff (based on the HS code of your product)
• Section 301 tariffs (if your product is affected)
• New add-ons:
  • +10% (effective Feb 4, 2025)
  • +10% (again, Feb 4, 2025)
  • +34% (effective Apr 2, 2025)
  • +50% (effective Apr 9, 2025)

• Search general tariff rates here
• Check Section 301 tariffs here

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Breaking News: U.S. Ends $800 De Minimis Rule for China & Imposes Sweeping New Tariffs

What Are Tariffs, Exactly?

Tariffs are duties paid on goods imported into the U.S. The most common type of tariffs are ad valorem tariffs (Latin for “according to the value”), which represent a fixed percentage tax on the value of a product. The 25% auto tariffs are these types of tariffs.

There are also “specific” tariffs, which are levied as a fixed charge per unit, and “tariff-rate quotas,” which are taxes triggered by reaching a specific import threshold.

Why Do Tariffs Exist?

Governments use tariffs for a variety of reasons, often with the goal of:

• Protecting Domestic Industries: By making imported goods more expensive, tariffs can give locally produced items a competitive edge. This can help safeguard jobs and support national businesses.
• Generating Government Revenue: Tariffs provide a source of income for the government, similar to other taxes.
• Influencing Trade Policy: Tariffs can be used as a bargaining chip in international trade negotiations, or as a way to exert pressure on other countries

The U.S. “Reciprocal Tariff” List

Trump’s new “reciprocal tariff” system aims to match or in some cases, halve – the rates that other countries impose on U.S. exports. Below is a snapshot of the new rates set to take effect:

COUNTRY	TARIFF RATE FOR U.S.	U.S. RECIPROCAL TARIFF RATE
CHINA	67%	34%
EUROPEAN UNION	39%	20%
VIETNAM	90%	46%
JAPAN	46%	24%
INDIA	52%	26%
SOUTH KOREA	50%	25%
THAILAND	72%	36%
SWITZERLAND	61%	31%
INDONESIA	64%	32%
MALAYSIA	47%	24%
CAMBODIA	97%	49%
UK	10%	10%
SOUTH AFRICA	60%	30%
BRAZIL	10%	10%
BANGLADESH	74%	37%
SINGAPORE	10%	10%
ISRAEL	33%	17%
PHILIPPINES	34%	17%
CHILE	10%	10%
AUSTRALIA	10%	10%
PAKISTAN	58%	29%
TURKEY	10%	10%
SRI LANKA	88%	44%
COLOMBIA	10%	10%

While some nations (like the UK and Australia) face only the baseline 10% tariff, others, particularly China, Vietnam, and the EU will see much steeper costs.

View the full list here

Final Thoughts: Navigating the New Trade Landscape

The global supply chain is entering uncharted territory. While the long-term impact of these tariffs remains uncertain, businesses must act now to mitigate risks.

At NextSmartShip, we specialize in helping companies optimize their supply chains, analyze cost impacts, and develop tariff mitigation strategies. Whether you’re reassessing suppliers, exploring alternative markets, or adjusting pricing models, our team is here to support you.

Need help adapting to these changes? We’ve put together a free whitepaper on tariff mitigation strategies and a video breaking down the key differences between U.S. and China warehouses. Contact us today for a consultation.

The post Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs: What It Means for Global Trade appeared first on NextSmartShip: Global Order Fulfillment for DTC Brands.

However, this is not where this partnership limits itself. In fact, it represents another essential milestone. What is it? It helps to digitize and streamline the key steps in B2B global trade because there are dozens of companies globally that use the 40Seas AR platform, like Highway, Zim, etc.

NextSmartShip has its fulfillment centers spread across a vast area, scaling across countries like China, North America, Australia, and even Europe. Hence, there is no denying that the company has the responsibility to deliver over a million packages to destinations worldwide throughout the year. Given that the 40Seas AR solution has now partnered with NextSmartShip as well, they will also benefit from NextSmartShip’s delivery perks. The 40Seas AR Solution will be made available to over 2000+ Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands that are affiliated with NextSmartShip, ultimately ensuring a smooth trade internationally along with seamless product distribution.

How Does NextSmartShip Understand and Recognize the Complex Challenges?

There is no denying that expansion is a great process for any business, but it also comes with many problems. One major problem many companies face is that when their order volume increases, it becomes quite complex to navigate and keep track of their B2B settlements. This is because businesses have to manage multiple transactions in various currencies and payment terms, each of which comes with a diverse set of rules and regulations.

While this is one issue, geopolitical, environmental, and economic uncertainty is also another factor because companies have to deal with fluctuating order volumes and changes in vendor requirements while making sure payments are made on time and with accuracy. Businesses that deal with international customers and suppliers foresee the impact of these challenges even more.

Traditional manual processes that businesses use for managing invoices and payments can often create unnecessary hindrances in the workflow. This is because approving, verifying, and processing payments manually can be extremely time-consuming, which can ultimately slow down the supply chain. It can also not be denied that manual work patterns are far more susceptible to human error and, hence, can lead to incorrect payments and missed invoices, which can create problems with the vendors.

However, NextSmartShip understands and recognizes these challenges and, therefore, offers its partners a smooth and flexible payment process, which helps maintain a strong partnership with both partners and vendors. It further also helps manage the global B2B payments, providing them extra bandwidth, which helps improve cash flow and the overall core operations.

The Power of 40Seas AI-Powered, Data-Driven Technology

The AI-powered, data-driven invoice management platform helps address the complexity of B2B settlements. This is done by automating and optimizing the invoicing process. How so? Well, AI-driven technology streamlines this process by automating all routine tasks like verification, invoice approval, and payment scheduling, which helps reduce the risk of any human error and also reduces administrative burdens, making work more efficient and precise. It further ensures that all packages sent off through it reach their destinations safely and soundly.

NextSmartShip stores invoice data in a user-friendly dashboard, which lets companies track their payment statuses easily while managing due dates, expediting invoice approvals, and reducing the risks of payment delays.

This particular platform also helps companies extend payment terms of up to 90 days to their customers without any credit risk. Hence, companies can focus majorly on driving their sales volumes upward rather than worrying about debt collection and underwriting payments. The 40Seas works both as an API and a stand-alone platform, both of which can be smoothly embedded into the checkout portals, which helps improve business flow and provides more convenience to customers.

The partnership between NextSmartShip and 40Seas looks like a strong seal of approval for the AR platform from a global logistics juggernaut. Hence, it is evident that 40Seas is also looking forward to partnering with NextSmartShip and benefiting from the excellent services that NextSmartShip provides.

If users are interested in seeing what NextSmartShip can do for their business, we suggest they visit the website today. Not only will you get all your answers, but a member of the team will also be available to deal with your queries online.

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So, what has our company been up to in the last four years? To better understand our story, let’s take a look back together.

Our Brand Story

In 2019, our CEO, William Yu, identified a critical problem within the logistics landscape – the gap between suppliers and fulfillment. This insight sparked a revolutionary idea in William’s mind, as he boldly stated, “After witnessing the challenges customers faced in handling logistics, I realized the biggest issue: China held the best supply chain, but the top fulfillment companies were located in the US. Moreover, the existing service providers were too expensive for small businesses. In light of this realization, I had to come up with a solution.” Driven by his determination to find the answer to this problem, William embarked on a transformative journey, leading to the birth of NextSmartShip.

Since then we’ve been quite busy. We extended a network of over 100 shipping channels, shipped over 10 million packages per year, provided fulfillment for more than 2000+ DTC brands… To give you a better perspective, let’s take a moment to reflect on all our accomplishments over the past four years.

Our achievements may be too long to fit on a list, but even through all we’ve done, we stay true to ourselves and what we believe in.

Who We Are – Our Mission and Values

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to empower e-commerce owners to scale their businesses with confidence by offering technology-driven fulfillment solutions. We believe in helping you stress less and grow more, enabling you to pursue your dreams and achieve outstanding growth.

At NextSmartShip, we are driven forward by our core values and beliefs, which serve as the guiding principles that define who we are.

• Business Equality

We take pride in being more than just a shipping company. We are a partner that is fully dedicated to the success of your business. We treat every client with the same level of attention and support. Whether you’re a large corporation or a small startup, we’re here to help you reach your goals.

• International Reach

Our ambitions have pushed up to extend our global presence, allowing us to extend our seamless services across four continents, ensuring that your shipments reach their destinations swiftly and securely.

• Trust

We believe that every good partnership starts with honesty. No one should pay more than they are told. With our transparent pricing structure, you can rest assured that there are no hidden fees or surprises.

• Futuristic vision

Our commitment to innovation means that we are always at the forefront of warehouse automation, utilizing the latest technology to streamline processes and ensure efficient operations.

• Service Excellence

Being service-oriented is at the heart of our company culture. We don’t just offer shipping solutions; we stand by your side as a dedicated partner, offering 24/7 live support and personalized assistance whenever you need it.

• Environmental Stewardship

Beyond our dedication to serving you, we also take our responsibility to the environment seriously. As an environmentally conscious company, we have implemented Green Packaging practices to minimize our impact on the planet.

Our Triumphs and Inspiring Customer Stories

Our success is best reflected in the stories of our satisfied customerss, and one such inspiring tale comes from Richard Lee, the founder of Hyprcarry, a dynamic streetwear brand with a focus on the gaming influencers’ space. This is how he tells our story: “Our journey with NextSmartShip began when we faced a significant challenge – the unpredictability of order quantities, which often peaked within short periods, making it difficult to plan and manage our logistics effectively. However, everything changed when we discovered NextSmartShip. They provided us with the perfect solution, meeting all our needs while alleviating our concerns about working with 3PL services from China. We got everything we required from their helpful customer support to their effective order management system, which seamlessly integrated with our various Shopify stores, and that was what we needed to thrive in our fast-paced industry. We now deliver excellent custom merchandise into the hands of our supporters with ease and confidence.”

Setting Ourselves Apart – What Makes Us Unique

We might have encountered numerous challenges, but each one of them has served as an opportunity to grow and innovate. What truly sets NextSmartShip apart is our dedication to excellence, reliability, and cutting-edge technology. We have improved efficiency and accuracy by investing in fine-tuning and expanding our fulfillment operations, including warehouse automation, AGVs, and robots. This scalability and flexibility allowed us to adapt quickly to changing demands, ensuring a seamless experience for businesses, regardless of their size. Our self-developed OMS simplifies logistics management, and our professional packaging solutions elevate product presentation and brand identity. Additionally, our exceptional bargaining power and extensive expertise in logistics allow us to deliver highly cost-effective and reliable services to our valued customers. Our extensive network of over 100 shipping channels gives us a unique advantage in negotiating favorable rates, which translates to significant cost savings for our clients. In fact, we offer 15% lower prices than the competition, making us a highly competitive option for companies trying to reduce their shipping costs. Additionally, we are able to optimize processes and guarantee timely and effective delivery thanks to our comprehensive expertise of logistics and supply chain management.

Celebrating Our 4th Anniversary – Unbeatable Deals and Offers!

In celebration of four years of innovation and success, we are delighted to offer our valued clients some incredible deals.

• Unbeatable savings, up to 15%
• Lower handling fee
• FREE two months storage, no minimum charges and no MOQ
• Customized packages and marketing inserts to enhance your brand visibility.
• 24/7 devoted customer care.

Contact us to take advantage of these time limited offers.

Conclusion:

On this 4th-year anniversary, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our trusted partners, our valued customers, and our wonderful team. It is through your unwavering support and dedication that we have reached this milestone of success. As we move forward, we eagerly look ahead to the future and hope to continue this remarkable journey together.

The post NextSmartShip: Celebrating 4 Years of Innovation and Success appeared first on NextSmartShip: Global Order Fulfillment for DTC Brands.

Although packaging ensures that your goods are safe, they are harmful to the environment. Many clients discard the packaging after unwrapping their items. And this means that packaging contributes to our landfills/waste.

Some of the non-eco-friendly (non-bio-degradable) packaging include packing materials like Styrofoam plastic and polythene. These, together with consumer packagings like plastic bottles and soda cans, add more waste to the environment.

Apart from being environmentally non-friendly, packaging contributes to the high cost of goods. So, the sustainable solution is to use recyclable packaging. Making your eCommerce eco-friendly will cut product costs and reduce pollution, increasing environmental sustainability.

What is green packaging?

Green packaging is the use of reusable, sustainable, biodegradable, compostable, or environmentally friendly materials to wrap, pack, and ship products.

Green packaging is a way of making eCommerce sustainable. Green packaging also has to do with the recycling and manufacturing techniques that reduce pollution.

Green packaging has become an essential factor in achieving business success. You can trace its roots to the circular economy/business model.

Instead of products being made, used and dumped, or discarded, the circular economy reduces pollution by utilizing recycling. Recycling occurs in different forms, say, through harvesting, reusing, and refurbishing parts, allowing you to use resources for a more extended time without discarding them in the environment.

How NextSmartShip supports green packaging.

There has been a widespread increase in environmental awareness from consumers and brand owners. And this has led to consumers globally shifting their purchase behavior towards being more sustainable. And at the same time, the supply chain sector is adopting green packaging to meet consumer expectations and increase supply chain sustainability and resilience.

To further encourage the conservation of planet earth, in September 2021, NextSmartShip started offering its clients one of the best sustainable packaging solutions known as PackGreen.

PackGreen is a range of sustainably sourced packaging that a business can use to package its products.

These green packaging solutions:

• Are made of green (eco-friendly) materials.
• Have practical designs
• Are affordable. And this has led to more businesses using sustainable packaging as more DTC brands can acquire and use eco-friendly materials for packaging their products.

The PackGreen packaging includes:

• Compostable Express bag: This is a 100% compostable express bag that secures non-fragile products.
• The compostable Bubble Mailer: This is a unique biodegradable and compostable green bubble mailer.
• Shipping box: NextSmartShip supports green packaging by using shipping boxes made of certified recycled paper.
• Compostable zip lock bags: NextSmartShip makes and uses eco-friendly zip lock bags made of corn starch.
• Compostable bubble wrap: This excellent 100% compostable bubble wrap is a good moisture-proof material for home storage.
• Corn starch foam is a material that you put inside (fill) your shipping boxes with. This green material is 100% full burn and full water-soluble and has no harmful pollutants. You can also use it to stuff toys and furniture.

Read more about PackGreen

How NextSmartShip supports green logistics

Apart from our PackGreen packaging solution, NextSmartShip has a Carbon offset program.

It is NextSmartShip’s goal to reduce the global carbon footprints. NextSmartShip is using two strategies to achieve its goal of contributing to a carbon-neutral future.

By partnering with EcoCart

In February 2022, NextSmartShip partnered with EcoCart, a global leader in carbon-neutral (sustainable) solutions, to reduce the global carbon footprint of eCommerce businesses. NextSmartShip is taking the responsibility of offsetting on behalf of its customers.

Under this cooperation, NextSmartShip is funding several forestation and preservation projects. It commenced with two rainforests in Sierra Leone and Brazil.

By giving its customers a unique offer

If you use NextSmartShip’s fulfillment services, it will help you fund rainforest conservation projects that counteract your business’ negative environmental impact.

NextSmartShip also has a Green Guardian Badge that you can share to spread awareness for a greener planet. Its Go Green Awareness campaign encourages its clients to build a green image for their staff and pay attention to the environment.

How NextSmartShip helps you to be sustainable

As a direct-to-consumer brand, you can reduce your business’s carbon footprint and build an eco-friendly brand using sustainable ways like green packaging. You can achieve both goals by taking part in both our PackGreen and Carbon Offset programs.

This will enable you to run a successful business while ensuring the continuity of resources for the future generation to use. Joining our programs will not only shade you in a positive light as an eco-friendly brand, but it will also increase brand value as customers are more willing to pay a higher price for sustainable products and services.

Below are other benefits of partnering with NextSmartShip:

• You contribute to the reduction in the global carbon footprint
• You enjoy more storage and space that comes with green packaging
• You provide your customers with allergy and toxin-free packaging
• You register increased sales
• You reduce solid waste, emissions, water, and power wastage.
• Your products become more affordable because of the lightweight packaging that saves on shipping costs.

Our green packing solutions and carbon offset program help DTC brands achieve a higher level of business success and ensure overall success for all the different stakeholders.

Join the green side.

Green Packaging FAQs

What is a biodegradable packaging material?

This is a material that microorganisms can break down.

A combination of living organisms like bacteria and fungi and heat and oxygen in the soil break down and disintegrate these materials into their natural elements.

Is the ink in packaging sustainable?

Not all kinds are sustainable. The type of ink you use in labeling your packaging material determines whether the packaging is sustainable. For this reason, many manufacturers have stopped the excessive use of heavy metals like lead that endanger human health and the environment.

Sustainable inks include soy-based and water-based inks.

Why isn’t compostable packaging used for everything?

Although compostable packaging is eco-friendly, it has its limitations. It can face degradation by light and is susceptible to microbial attack. This weakness makes compostable packaging unsafe for food storage/packaging.

It is also sometimes more costly than non-green packaging. Some compostable packaging materials have lower material strength than original polymers. So this means that you have to use more material and resources to achieve the same functionality as conventional polymers.

Get Custom Solutions

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Considering the current exponential growth of Omnichannel retail and increasing consumer demand, it is now more crucial than ever before to deliver products as quickly as possible.  3-day delivery isn’t fast enough for consumers who’re used to buying from Argos, Amazon, and similar brands.

Having a reliable fulfillment center in the UK ensures that you can access most of the country’s population within a few hours. It guarantees a flawless order fulfillment experience for your customers. This is a tremendous advantage for companies who need to ship or distribute products and remain competitive in the current economic landscape.

A fulfillment center may look similar to a warehouse and store goods for multiple brands, but that’s where the similarity ends. While warehouses store merchandise for extended periods, fulfillment centers usually store fast-moving products and get them to customers as fast as possible.

People work, often non-stop, processing, picking, packing, labeling, and shipping orders to customers. They also manage incoming inventory and customer returns. Our fulfillment center works with retailers, corporations, eCommerce companies, and others to fulfill business-to-business and business-to-consumer orders.

What to expect

Partnering with us guarantees all the benefits that come with adding a fulfillment center to your supply chain and much more.

Warehouse space

Our fulfillment center spares you the trouble of having to find space for your inventory. This is particularly useful if you’re running a small or medium-sized eCommerce business. We provide 30 days of free warehousing in all fulfillment centers, including the UK.

Third-party inventory management and shipping

We handle your inventory, so you don’t need to pack boxes or hire extra staff to handle packaging.

Discounted shipping rates

We negotiate with shipping agents to get you the best rates. This means you can save money and reinvest it into other parts of your business.

Customized fulfillment solutions

Whether your inventory is manufactured in Europe, the USA, China, or elsewhere, we will design and execute an ideal and affordable fulfillment strategy for you. Our expert team will provide relevant guidance for your business type and size.

Stock monitoring

Our user-friendly inventory management system allows you to monitor all inventory and SKUs in a centralized dashboard. The data is constantly updated and synchronized to your online store in real-time.

Unparalleled accuracy

We guarantee 99.9% accuracy. All automated operations will be double-checked through our warehouse management system. The manual processes are handled and checked by a highly skilled team, ensuring nearly 100% accuracy.

The best value-added services

Our fulfillment centers also offer value-added services to help our clients provide customers the best experience possible. They include;

Fragile item protection: we provide specialized packaging services to ensure fragile items are delivered intact

Custom packaging: Your orders will be packed in self-branded polybags or boxes

Kitting and Assembly: we’ll help you insert samples or gifts into your orders. You can also use this service to send holiday gift kits and similar promotional items.

Nextsmartship global warehousing

Besides our UK warehouse and fulfillment center, we have facilitates in Hong Kong, Mainland China, the United States, the European Union, and Australia. This means your customers can enjoy 2-day shipping and easy returns while you benefit from a reliable inventory management system that provides real-time stock updates and near-perfect accuracy.

Our global fulfillment service is ideal for delivering small parcels that include crowdfunding rewards, promotional shipments, catalog and eCommerce purchases, business to consumer, and business to business orders.

Why choose us

Seamless integrations

Nextsmartship’s inventory management system will automatically synchronize with your eCommerce platform. After a brief installation process, you’ll have the freedom to sync orders and follow up on their fulfillment status. The software also auto-syncs with your store to provide real-time updates.

Our systems enable you to send tracking numbers and shipping updates to customers.  You’ll also get to choose between several fulfillment options to find one best suited to your business structure.

Automated order fulfillment

Our automated order fulfillment process enhances your logistics operations, enabling you to scale in a fast, efficient manner. It allows you to optimize your supply chain process, increase customer satisfaction, generate more sales, and reduce labor and order fulfillment expenses.

Our facilities boast the latest automated guided vehicles to further enhance efficiency.

This helps us:

• Enhance safety

AGVs are designed to maximize safety. They’re fitted with sensors that enable them to safely function around people and building structures. In contrast, human-operated machinery does not have as many built-in safety features, so it is more likely to cause accidents and damaged inventory.

• limit errors

People make mistakes. By replacing human labor with automation, we eliminate the possibility of workflow inaccuracy, ultimately limiting wastage and increasing productivity. While human teams are limited by exhaustion, Our AGVs work 24/7 to ensure you meet your order fulfillment timelines. This will ensure your operations are productive and accurate.

Contact us today

Our UK fulfillment center gives eCommerce business owners the freedom to take advantage of the region’s growing eCommerce market. We enable guarantee order fulfillment to anywhere in the UK or EU within 2 days. If you want to know more about our unique services and rates, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team will gladly help you with anything you need.

Get Custom Solutions

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We all are in a very rare and special period, facing challenges that have never been before.

In this article, we will list some features of the new shipping options and explain why they will benefit your eCommerce business. I hope it can help you choose a wiser shipping strategy.

Keep Updating During The Turbulent Time

NextSmartShip never stops trying to expand your shipping options, which is the only way to keep up with the time (all of us have been through the awful time when the air shipping price kept rising because of the decreasing number of flights) and deliver what we promised: make fulfillment simple and affordable.

Let me list some of our daily routines to help you understand better

• Collect and summarize the actual shipping time and packet loss rate of existing shipping methods
• Collect the tracking number of the orders with problems, analyze the reason
• Compare the data of several shipping methods and delete the ones with poor performance
• Seek and develop alternative shipping methods which are fast and affordable
• Place test orders to know the actual shipping routes and transfer time of newly added shipping methods
• List the recommended shipping options for customers with different needs

And more…

To keep the fulfillment simple and easy to understand, although we keep updating the shipping methods, our quotation stays simple.

Along with the shipping options, your fulfillment adviser will summarize everything you will need to know to make the best choice for your business.

Delight Your Customers and Keep Profits

eCommerce buyers LOVE free shipping and overnight delivery, but we all know that there is no such thing as the fastest and most affordable shipping method. Both the 3PL and customers have to compromise. Being a professional order fulfillment in China, NextSmartShip knows what’s best for different customers. There is a balance between efficiency and price. To tailor the best fulfillment solution that applies to every customer, we provide a breakdown for different shipping options and expert opinions.

For example, NextSmartShip has fulfillment centers in Shenzhen, HK, US, Europe, and Australia. If an eCommerce business’s supply chain is in China, there are 2 options:

• Ship directly from China
• Fulfill orders in local fulfillment centers

Both of the options have unique shipping methods to choose from and combine, that’s why we need every customer to provide as detailed information as possible. You can fulfill orders in China or other places, ship by air or by sea, choose an express carrier or a special line, etc. We have sorted out and optimized many shipping methods in this update, which will delight your customers definitely.

More than that, by keeping years of in-depth cooperation with multiple logistics suppliers, the price of our new shipping options are over 15% lower than similar shipping options of other order fulfillment companies in China (data from the analysis report of NextSmartShip’s fulfillment department, 5.31.2020), and the timeliness is more stable.

Special Line Shipping: Fewer Transfers

A special line is a fast shipping method other than courier and express. During the coronavirus pandemic, good special lines can be faster than express, even DHL, because most of the express contribution centers are overwhelmed, causing handling delays, and special line shipping needs fewer transfers.

To understand this, let’s explain how a special line works.

Unlike express services(e.g. DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc) which provide standardized services and rates, special lines are more flexible: Because many packages are to be delivered from China to some popular countries and regions, such as the United States, Europe, Oceania, some logistics service providers set up special freight routes based on these specific locations. They collect packages with the destination of the same country (or region), send them to the country (or region) in cargo, do the custom clearance after arriving, then unpack the cargo, entrust local express carriers deliver parcels to the eventual destinations.

In normal times, when the volume of packages is not large enough, service providers will wait several days to collect enough packages to ensure profits, so special lines are slower than some express delivery with strict time limit requirements (e.g.DHL). But during the pandemic, many parcels are sent from China every day, special lines can quickly ship goods to destination countries and regions. A lot of express contribution centers like HK DHL warehouses are suffering from overload. Sometimes it takes 15 days for a package to scan into the system. More than that, when every warehouse is become overloaded, shipping directly to the destination seems to be a better idea.

If express service is like taking taxis, then using special lines is carpooling. You will find it cost-effective and fast during peak time.

After understanding the differences between special line shipping and express service, you can see how important to diversify the shipping options. Based on the data analysis of various shipping modes during the COVID-19 pandemic, we selected the best special lines and added them as new shipping options, to meet the needs of different customers for shipping efficiency and price.

7-12 Working Days from China to the US and Europe

Let’s take the US and Europe special lines as an example.

We can divide global shipping into three phrases

First leg: From the parcel being picked up to it arrives destination country or region

Customs clearance

Last delivery: From the parcel being collected by the local carrier to it arrives the buyer’s doorstep

The first leg of the new US special lines only takes 1-2 days, parcels need 1-2 days for customs clearance, which UPS will collect. Because of the different processing capacity and local conditions of UPS warehouses around the United States, the final delivery takes another 5-7 days.

And for the Europe special line, the first leg is from Shenzhen or HK(depends on the product attribute) to the UK, which takes 1-3 days, parcels need 2-3 days for customs clearance, which Yodel, Hermes, DHL or FedEx will collect later on. Because of the different processing capacity and local conditions of different destination countries and express carriers, the final delivery takes another 4-7 days.

Full Track: Control Your Shipments

When choosing the shipping options and making fulfillment plans, your account manager will inform you which one can be fully tracked and how to track them. Some eCommerce sellers who sell low-value items prefer low-cost shipping options, so we’ve got some untraceable shipping options. But in most cases, NextSmartShip doesn’t recommend eCommerce business owners to choose these shipping methods. We prefer to get lower prices through in-depth cooperation with logistics service providers. That’s why in this update, all the newly added shipping options are fully traceable, and most of the time, customers can track the packages all the way to “Delivered” with only one tracking number.

Covering 99% Countries and Regions

Besides price and time, another important factor in global shipping is the countries and regions cover rate. Especially for eCommerce business owners who run crowdfunding campaigns, the backers can come from any corner of the world. To meet the needs of crowdfunding customers, in this update of shipping options, we have focused on improving the diversity of shipping methods and the coverage of destination countries. 99% of countries and regions, as long as your backer is not in a floating boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

NextSmartShip will keep updating shipping options and improve the service experience, ensuring each of our customers has one less thing to worry about during this uncertain time. If you want to boost your business by providing better shipment, please contact us.

The post NextSmartShip New Shipping Options: Make Fulfillment Easier During the COVID-19 Disruption appeared first on NextSmartShip: Global Order Fulfillment for DTC Brands.

The Growing Business

The business of NextSmartShip has expanded by 200% since January 2020. Also expanding is the NextSmartShip team. Each department has added many excellent employees. Usually, everyone is busy in their own posts, so an opportunity for communication like this one is very valuable.

Marketing and Sales

We understand that customers’ preferences vary with time and price. Hence, marketing and sales will work together to help our customers get more orders and expand their business. Their intermediary intrusion between supply and demand will be made much more flexible and firm too.

 While we have always been on the lookout for the impact of products on customers, we will strengthen this aspect to enhance our decision making.

Fulfillment Centers

We understand that due to high orders, our customers and the potential ones may think that overselling might be an issue for us in a period like this. However, we will get more fulfillment centers and make all the warehouses more tech-oriented and organized. This is because we also want to strengthen our returns by outsourcing fulfillment and put smiles on the faces of our customers.

Customer Support

NextSmartShip understands the value of customers and how their orders are of utmost importance. We have employed remarkable approaches to attain customer satisfaction, and we will seek better options also.

However, we would like to let it be known that NextSmartShip customers’ quantity has tripled since the beginning of the year. So, the workload of customer service is growing larger and larger; everyone has worked overtime every day in the last two months. Therefore, in the next six months, NextSmartShip will gradually expand the customer service team and automate the whole customer service experience to achieve a 24/7 intimate service.

NextSmartShip believes happy employees make happy customers. We know that no business can stand without its customers, and regularly so. We also know the implication of making customers sad and how it can drown our goals. We understand that a significant factor that can cause this are employees.

At NextSmartShip, we invest in the happiness of our employees to ensure that the same translates into their relationship with our customers and the prospective ones. It has also caused them to be more creative in their discussions and decisions. And this has been one of the reasons behind our success.

The Goal of NextSmartShip

There are lots of freight forwarders and shipping agents in China, but NextSmartShip is never one of them. NextSmartShip’s goal is to make the complicated fulfillment process extremely easy. We make sure to provide several avenues for our clients’ businesses to launch into the global space with ease.

The industry of eCommerce is gradually growing beyond manual dealings. Therefore, NextSmartShip will keep optimizing services, updating the system, and reducing manual operations to make the whole process more effective and seamless. We can safely say that though times seem to be changing, our goal towards our customers and businesses that work with us remains the same.

Face Challenges with Customers

NextSmartShip relates mostly with major eCommerce platforms, shipping carts, and marketplaces to help customers supervise orders and manage inventory.  Also, people’s demand for online shopping is growing during this pandemic, but global shipping is the sore spot.

In a time like this and beyond, NextSmartShip’s purpose is to help customers solve various pain points. Some of these points have been before the pandemic. However, they are now more complex, expensive, slow, uncontrollable, and more prominent during the outbreak. We are ceaselessly streaming thoughts and assessing ideas to alleviate these issues as we all await a quick medically curable intervention.

NextSmartShip wants to make it known that it stands together with customers while we are constantly updating and optimizing the shipping methods. We are also keeping our customers in the know about what is happening per time, and making the whole fulfillment process easier.

It is vital that we point out that in this pandemic period, there are lots of challenges individuals and businesses are facing, and quite a few opportunities to be had. But we would never leverage this situation to take advantage of our customers. We remain transparent in our dealings, ingenious in our services and supportive in our engagement with all of our customers.

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According to the latest statistics, holiday spending in 2019 is expected to be 5% higher compared to that of 2018. Moreover, 53% of all holiday shopping is expected to be done digitally.  With more and more end-users paying closer attention to good shopping experiences than ever, order fulfillment will surely play a huge part in this year’s holiday shopping season. Being an important part of the shopping experience, the item return experience directly related to customer satisfaction and inventory management efficiency, especially for apparel and accessories eCommerce brands, who have big SKU quantity and high item return/exchange rates. If the item return policy shows the shopping is very risk-free, the shopping cart abandonment rate of the eCommerce website will reduce obviously, and the returned products can also be re-storage and sold again smoothly.   

“Ecommerce business owners need fast and more flexible shipping solutions in the holiday season.  Compared to marketing and other tasks, order fulfillment is often the hardest part while expanding any business,” said the CEO of NextSmartShip, William Yu. “We use these warehouses to facilitate item return and re-stock process, as a result, customers can provide fast shipping and transparent return policy during the holiday season.”

NextSmartShip provides simple and reliable order fulfillment service for e-commerce stores as well as crowdfunding campaigns. With a thorough understanding of small businesses and their specific needs, we serve the global small business community with fully flexible and scalable order fulfillment solutions.  Unlike many other similar services who normally pay more attention to the shipping aspect, NextSmartShip order fulfillment service is literally tailor-made, as long as the customers’ manufacturers are in China, no matter they are start-ups with small order quantity or entrepreneurs with the ambition to build a successful brand, NextSmartShip can come up with the most suitable solution.

At present, NextSmartShip’s shipping destination covers well over 200 countries and regions across the globe including Spain, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US. By putting these new warehouses into use, NextSmartShip is capable of handle full-service order fulfillment for global e-commerce business, despite the size and type. More than that, thanks to the customer service team which is comprised of knowledgeable, passionate and friendly fulfillment experts, NextSmartShip is dedicated to achieving the highest customer satisfaction standards in the industry.

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