International Shipping
Whether you're importing products from overseas or exporting to international customers, your carrier contract has room to move. Our founder spent 15+ years on the carrier side — including international account pricing. We audit both sides of the border.
Get Your Free International Shipping AuditMajor carriers apply separate international fuel surcharges on top of domestic fuel fees. These are recalculated weekly and can represent 20–30% of your total international shipping cost — and they are negotiable.
Parcel carriers charge Clearance Entry Fees on every inbound import shipment — recently restructured into tiered pricing based on declared customs value. Most importers accept the standard fee without knowing it's negotiable.
Major carriers apply international demand surcharges during peak periods, charged per pound based on origin and destination zones. These stack on top of base rates and change each season.
International exports trigger a separate set of charges — documentation fees, international additional handling surcharges, and origin fees that most exporters never separately scrutinize. These are in your carrier agreement and negotiable.
Parcel carriers charge an inbound processing fee on all U.S. import shipments for customs clearance. This fee has increased in recent years and is applied per shipment. High-volume importers can negotiate it.
Packages over a certain weight threshold on international routes trigger additional handling charges. For companies importing or exporting heavy or bulky products, this stacks on every qualifying shipment.
Most of this is negotiable. International contracts are often the last thing companies review — and the first place carriers protect their margins. 10–20% typical savings
If your business imports products via major parcel carriers — whether from manufacturing partners overseas or cross-border suppliers — your inbound shipping contract has negotiable line items most importers have never reviewed. Clearance entry fees, inbound processing fees, and international fuel surcharges are all in play. We audit your inbound data with the same rigor as domestic.
If you sell internationally and ship to customers overseas, your export contract is likely the least-scrutinized part of your carrier agreement. International export rates, zone-based surcharges, and export documentation fees are negotiable — particularly for businesses with consistent outbound international volume. We identify what you're overpaying and show you the numbers before you commit to anything.
| Annual Int'l Carrier Spend | Estimated Annual Recovery |
|---|---|
| $50K | $5K–$10K/year |
| $100K | $10K–$20K/year |
| $200K | $20K–$40K/year |
| $350K | $35K–$70K/year |
| $500K | $50K–$100K/year |
Estimates based on 10–20% recovery rate. Actual savings depend on current contract terms and shipping profile.
No upfront cost. We show you the numbers first. You decide when to move forward.
Tell us your international shipping volume and whether you're primarily importing, exporting, or both. We give you a savings estimate based on your carrier spend, volume, and product category — 15 minutes, no data submission required.
You provide a CSV or PDF export from your carrier account portal. Our founder personally reviews every line item — domestic and international together. International is often where the biggest overlooked savings live.
Before you commit to anything, we present a specific dollar estimate of what's recoverable on your international shipping. No pressure, no commitment. If the numbers make sense, we move to implementation at your pace.
Once savings are in place, we stay on — monitoring your international invoices for overcharges and managing any carrier claims on your behalf. You pay a percentage of what we recover, billed weekly. No savings that week, no invoice.
Yes. Smart LGSTX audits both inbound import and outbound export carrier contracts. International shipping is one of the highest-margin areas for major carriers and one of the least-reviewed by shippers. Whether you're receiving goods from overseas suppliers or shipping to international customers, we identify what's recoverable and show you the numbers before you commit to anything.
Several categories have meaningful room to move — international fuel surcharges, clearance entry fees on imports, inbound processing fees, international additional handling charges, and peak demand surcharges. The specific opportunity depends on your shipping volume, lanes, and current contract terms, which is exactly what our free audit identifies.
Yes — and most shipping consultants focus primarily on domestic. International contracts have their own rate structures, zone pricing, customs-related fees, and fuel surcharge tables that are negotiated separately. Our founder's experience includes international account pricing on the carrier side, which means we know which line items move and which ones carriers protect.
It depends on volume. If your international carrier spend is $50K or more per year, there's likely meaningful savings available. The free estimate call takes 15 minutes — we'll tell you honestly whether the numbers suggest a real opportunity before you submit any data.
Yes. Most clients already have a carrier contract in place when they come to us — domestic and international. We review the existing terms as part of the audit. If the contract was negotiated without specific international line item review, there are almost always overlooked categories.
No commitment. Our founder reviews every account personally — domestic and international together.
Request Your Free Audit