Customs Clearance Meaning in Getting Your Shipment to Your Missionary

If you have ever shipped and tracked a package internationally, then you have most likely waited 'patiently' for this shipment to clear customs.  The customs clearance meaning in getting your shipment to your missionary is critical and you can aid in the process.  The actual definition of customs clearance is:

The documented permission to pass that a national customs authority grants to imported goods so that they can enter the country or to exported goods so that they can leave the country. The custom clearance is typically given to a shipping agent to prove that all applicable customs duties have been paid and the shipment has been approved.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/custom-clearance.html#ixzz3FI6y8Okg

Understanding and abiding by the rules and regulations of each country when shipping commodities into their country is paramount in the customs clearance process.  We must know their rules and work with the country and not try to be sneaky.  Global Mission Shipping has a page dedicated to the rules and regulations of most countries in which missionaries are serving.  Simply click here and scroll down to the country in which your missionary is serving to learn what items are restricted and what items require additional paperwork.  This knowledge will assist in making the customs clearance process much easier and ensure delivery to your missionary.  

Please feel free to call (702)720-1515, email (info@globalmissionshipping), or go to our website here for further assistance.

Answers To the Question: What Is Declaration Form

When shipping internationally many people ask us what is declaration form? A declaration form is a commercial invoice that must be accompanied with the air waybill for all outbound and inbound international small package shipments. Both of these together is what we call the shipping documents. The air waybill has the to and from information as well as the bar codes and the DHL account information. The commercial invoice should be an itemized, detailed description of everything that is inside the package along with their respective quantities and values.  Why is it necessary to itemize everything that is inside the package? There are two major reasons why:

1. First of all, DHL wants to know what they are going to be transporting in their trucks and planes. They want to make sure that nothing is in there that is against the law or dangerous. If you simply state something vague such as "toiletry supplies" or "missionary supplies" then it is an invitation for trouble! Not only will DHL most surely open up the package to see what is inside, if anything is in there that should not be shipped, they will refuse to ship it.
2. Secondly, the Customs departments of the destination country also want to know what is in the package. If the contents are not listed, the package will again be opened and inspected to see exactly what is inside. If there are any contents that are restricted or banned to import into the respective country, the package will be put on the shelf and will ultimately be either destroyed or returned to the shipper. It has been our experience that many if not most countries demand an itemized, detailed description of the contents, the quantity, and values of each item along with the HTS (harmonized tariff) code associated with each item. The HTS code is simply a number that is assigned to every possible commodity in the world. This is necessary because what one person in one country calls an item could mean a very different thing to the customs department in another country. Here's an example: A purse in the U.S. is typically associated to a bag that a woman carries holding various personal items. A purse in the United Kingdom however means a man's wallet. The HTS codes clarify exactly what each item is. In our Global Mission Shipping system, we show you how to obtain these codes.

In summary, the custom declare form is necessary for a successful international shipment.  If this form is too vague or misleading, DHL or the Customs departments of the importing countries will reject the package from clearance which could lead to either having the package sent back or destroyed.

Global Mission Shipping is committed to making the process of filling out all the shipping documents to an easy one. Give us a call (702)720-1515, send an email (info@globalmissionshipping.com), or click here to check out our website  if you have any questions.

Christmas Gifts for LDS Missionaries

Ever wonder what's the best Christmas gifts for LDS missionaries? There are some excellent sites that can give you options for creating fun and inventive Christmas gifts for your missionary. We have created a board on Pinterest dedicated to this very topic: http://www.pinterest.com/global1449/missionary-christmas-ideas/.  There are also many talented bloggers who have generously shared their ideas, these blogs can be accessed via a simple internet search. 

Once you have found and created a Christmas gift for your missionary you need to get it to him/her. Now what to do?!?  We have some good news, Global Mission Shipping can assist you in shipping those items to any missionaries you have serving overseas. Simply go to our site www.globalmissionshipping.com and get a free quote on how much it will cost to ship that item to any missionary serving in a foreign country. Just pick the country and insert the size dimensions of the box (length, width, and height) as well as the weight. If you are unsure of the weight, then simply go to your bathroom scales and weight yourself first without the package in hand, and then weight yourself with the package in hand.  The difference is the weight of the package. Once you have this information entered, then click on get a quote and you will get an instant quote. To get an idea of how to cut down on the cost, then get a smaller box and take some items out.

If you are shipping food, please remember that other countries have restrictions on what can be imported into their country. Please check out our site by clicking on this link: http://www.globalmissionshipping.com/BannedItems.php and it will tell you what is banned from each country. We want to avoid the heartbreak of shipping a package and having it get stuck in customs or returned. If you are all clear in shipping something that is allowed then proceed to obtain a free membership and then start processing the shipment documents. We have easy to use online tutorials to help you through this. International shipping is a little more difficult than shipping inside the U.S. but we will help in ensuring you have everything filled out correctly. You can pay for the shipment online. All shipments are shipped with DHL Express which is the largest and most respected carrier in the world. All shipments come with track and trace and have a signature upon delivery so you will know when it got to the mission office and who signed for it.

Give us a call if you have any questions at 702-720-1515

LDS Missionary Package Ideas - Global Mission Shipping

Finding clever LDS missionary package ideas has become easier with some help from several fun websites.  One of the best places to get ideas is on Pinterest.  We have created a board that will help inspire you: http://www.pinterest.com/global1449/missionary-gifts/ 

Once you have created your missionary package, you will need to ship it and that is where we come in!  Global Mission Shipping has helped thousands of families successfully send shipments to their Elders and Sisters over seas.  To do so, go to our website www.globalmissionshipping.com and click on the "get a free quote". Simply select the country that you are shipping to and enter the dimensions of the package as well as the weight. After submitting it, you will get an extreme discount with DHL.

Remember, that this service is only for the missionary serving in a foreign country. All shipments within the U.S. we recommend using FedEx, UPS, or USPS services. For international shipments, we have and recommend using DHL Express as it is the largest Express carrier in the world.. more than twice as big and FedEx and UPS combined!

The cool thing is that you can see how the price is effected by inserting different box dimensions and weights. We are part of a buying group that gets massive discounts from DHL due to its sheer buying power. They are DHL's 5th largest global customer.

Our service is such that you can get a free account and then process your shipment online. We have easy to use tutorials. You will be able to pay for the shipment online and have the documents printed up on your own computer. You will also be given instructions on how to find the closest DHL shipping location. Chances are, there is one close to you! You will then simply take your package and shipping documents and drop them off at that shipping location. They will take it from there. Our site will allow you to track and trace you shipment all the way to delivery. You will know exactly when it was delivered and who signed for it. The best thing is that most packages are delivered in only 2 to 4 days! Let us know if we can assist you.