What is the cheapest possible way to ship from the USA to Australia?

[nick8086]

Car parts and manuals..

What is the cheapest possible way to ship from the USA to Australia?

I got a quote from fed ex to ship 30lbs (599.00)

What about customs and quarantine laws???

[MCHinson]

I suggest you check with your local post office. They have lots of different international shipping services available.

[Bud Tierney]

USPS (Postoffice) website has an international calculator....US Book Rate/Media Mail isn't recognized by other countries, so has to go standard rate unles you want Express. $27+ to send 4 lbs to Canada, but you should do a lot better than $599...

[1939_Buick]

I have parts stored in USA waiting for my next Aust-USA trip. :cool: You can possibly get a one way airfare for $599 . Fedex will be the highest price. There are guys in LA who regularly ship out cars & parts. http://forums.aaca.org/f119/next-container-bound-sydney-363813.html also does regular shipments to Sydney. But from you to LA and from Sydney to the buyer can be as much as direct

The items I do get sent, I ask to be sent by US Post Office. Check if spiting into smaller packages helps [smaller separate packages sent a week apart]

The Australian receiver has to pay 10% GST if declared value is Au$1000. Do not falsify the value. The Australian customs guys have seen it all before. Items must be clean with no soil. No plant material used as packing: use plastic

Edited April 7, 2014 by 1939_buick (see edit history)

[nick8086]

Items must be clean with no soil??

Will this make it???

[1939_Buick]

Soil on parts is what they look for. Do not include any wood/timber with the parts - manuals

For the guys who import cars they have to be steam cleaned before being put in the container

[Beltfed]

No soil? Why, is theirs better than ours? They didn't mind when we pulled their butts out of the fire in WWII. This reminds me of a tale I heard about a WWII vet who went ashore on D-day in France. He flew into Paris many years later and when clearing customs had a problem finding his passport. The French custom officer said to the old fellow, "You knew you had to clear customs before being allowed in my country. Why didn't you have your passport on top of your luggage?" The old soldier said. "The last time I landed in France I couldn't find a damn Frenchman to show my passport to!"

[Guest 51c8Joe]

I hardly think we pulled the Ausies butts out of the fire in WWII. Or any other conflict for that matter. ANZACs and other Ausies stood side by side with us and our allies in WWI, WWII and Viet Nam. I thought they were damn good soldiers, every bit our equal. And they REALLY know how to drink beer!

Joe

[Beltfed]

I also served along side the Aussies. My time was served in a little conflict in South East Asia. But, ask them what they used for armor in North Africa, bet it had USA written all over it. How many squadrons of Aussie made aircraft did duty over Germany in WWII? My statement was not to downgrade the 'grunt' in the field but their lack of providing the guys doing the dirty work equipment that was not made some where else. When is the last time your heard of a new weapon system coming out of Australia?

[auburnseeker]

You can try IPS I think it's international parcel Service. I used them to ship a 69 Bonneville rear bumper with splash pan in a wooden crate from the US to Hungary I believe it was, and they were 300.00 as opposed to the Fed EX/ UPS quote that was nearly 1000.00 They use Fed Ex and UPS as a sub contractor and one of the two actually handles the pickup at your door and delivery, They just pay a discounted rate for the service and pass it on to you. kind of like ebay selling you discounted shipping that they buy for less, so they make a few bucks on every package shipped.

For smaller items the USPS is the best/ cheapest. Their flat rate boxes work well for heavier material. I've never had a problem shipping manuals and I use paper almost exclusively for packing. I've shipped to probably half the countries on the planet and I ship to Australia about once a week.