I have been getting parts (and whole cars) shipped from the U.S. for many years, always having to do a bit of homework and getting them sent here (Australia) at a reasonable cost and time. A lot of parts went through a package forwarding company, and all went well for a few years, even with their handling fees, etc added to the bill. Then they got more expensive than having the parts sent directly to me from the seller, so I stopped using them. So I was getting together a list of parts needed for my next project ('53 Chevy pick-up), and I found a load of U.S. companies that sell the bits I need, most at very good prices - until I ask for a shipping quote. What I do is pick something that is a standard item they all stock and get a quote, so I can compare the costs. I started a couple of weeks ago, and the first quote I got was over U.S.$400 to have a 1 pound parcel sent here (with a value of $65 of parts). I thought that it was very rich, so kept getting more quotes, and I have got the freight down to $185, still nothing like it was a few years ago when something of that size would have cost around $50. I notice that the companies quoted are always UPS or Fedex, never USPS. I know that prices of everything have gone up, but I can't figure out if the sellers are making up for their cheap prices by slugging overseas buyers what they like, or is that what they are getting charged? Is the USPS still handling parcels or are they just as expensive as the rest? It's getting to the stage now, it's about the same price for me to get on a plane and fly there, then pick the stuff up myself!
There are a lot of options here: https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm You need to choose delivery speed and weight, it looks like. Are you thinking of having stuff shipped from US vendor to HAMBer in the US and then repackaged and shipped to Aus. via USPS? Or direct from vendor via USPS?
We're getting financially ****d here in the States on shipping for decades. It's insane, when **** from China can be shipped from there & then across the US(subsidized heavily *by* the US - since China is still a "developing" country), cheaper than I can send a 5lb pack across town. (<-- not just china-bashing, a few other countries get a similar deal, & tariffs don't help this out... More to it, but I'm not getting into all that. Amazon, Ebay, et-all, "free" shipping - *someones' " covering that other than those sending/receiving those packages.). Kinda difficult to avoid shipping, so's I just do without, sadly. <shrug>. & I'm sure some are well-padding the shipping, which, btw, I've found out, now is charged for *both* size-restrictions & weight. Seems not much care taken to minimize shipping costs & lack of proper-padding isn't awe-inspiring either. Oh, & then there's all the care that is taken during that shipping & delivery. Fun times... Marcus...
None of the vendors gave me the option of USPS, and after trying to navigate their site, I can see why. There are so many options they have which make you go round and round the website and get nowhere! I'm sure that if there was a retired or enterprising person here that could provide a combining/forwarding service, they could probably make a living out of it, based on how many Hamb'ers are overseas and needing the service. They would still be at the mercy of the freight companies, but at least they could still make a few bucks if it worked right. At my last job, I would order electrical and machinery parts (Mainly from the U.S.), and would think nothing of paying $75 freight for a 1 ounce cigarette pack sized item (which cost around $5), as I wasn't footing the bill. It still took a week to get here! I have bought and sent parts to the U.S. on behalf of some Hambers over the years, and all went well, but this is an on-going thing, so I wouldn't want anyone to run around wasting all their time and effort for free. And I couldn't even send them over some kangaroo steaks as I would have to get another job to pay for the postage! Our prices are pretty much up there as well.
Let's just say that shipping was thrown for a loop when everyone got sick a few years back and recent events here have made it much worse. <insert ten foot pole here> As has been discussed in the Rodder's Journal thread even today, logistics has increased and is rapidly changing, along with each set of hands wanted their cut. Free trade means you can, not that it's free. There was a guy who used to do just this, he would get a bunch of stuff together and ship. Even cut a few speed boats in half to fit the containers. It got to be too much effort. This was decades ago.
I can honestly say that SHIPPING costs in the U.S. have gotten”so out of hand” that I have literally quit buying and selling(particularly THE HAMB) by as much as 75%
From my experience over the last years I would strongly recommend to avoid using USPS for international shipping of parts (at least to Europe)... It might seem cheaper than FedEx or UPS at first but it takes forever (even the so called priority option) and what's worse, you have to do all the customs/import tax declaration and handling in the destination country yourself. The last USPS parts packages I got over here took between 4 and 6 weeks shipping time, just to sit in the customs office for another 10 days before I got the notification to prepare the import declarations and pick it up... The whole shipping costs thing has really become a major hurdle when searchign for parts from the US. On the other hand, I am always amazed how Rockauto manages to get my orders here every time in 4 days or less, customs and taxes already processed...they seem to have a very good agreement with FedEx...
USPS also loses tracking on stuff once overseas. Had a friend who shipped small expensive custom items. USPS could say it reached Europe, but after that, silence.
We have the same problem in Canada, I just bought a part here on the H.A.M.B., $300 US with shipping, cost me $450 Canadian. In no way am I complaining about the cost of the part, it’s just the cost of building cars here
1 US Dollar = 1.37 Canadian Dollar as of right now. $300 x 1.37 = $411. $450 - $411 = 39 Canadian bucks additional. EDIT less than ten percent which would be $41.10 The rest is in red tape over the border and other fees I would guess. This has been in place for at least a decade or more. https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/dte-acl/est-cal-eng.html Be glad auto parts aren't subject to your t-word. I did a Find for auto and did not see automotive. https://www.canada.ca/en/department...per-cent-tariffs-effective-march-13-2025.html Here's a bigger list I did not go through. This link was mentioned in the red tape link. https://www.canada.ca/en/department...t-us-products-subject-to-counter-tariffs.html
There are two rates. One for the big boys and one for the little guys. Daughter in law works for Southwest Airlines and she can send item thru fed Ex for half of what we pay. Amazon and Speedway, Summit have cheap rates because of the volume they ship.
I understand, it's tough to build here in the US and even tougher outside. I just wanted to show how the 300 to 450 jump happened. Doesn't make it any easier to pull out of the wallet. I read something a while back about our friends in the southern hemisphere. They could board a plane, fly to the US, buy a computer and fly it and themselves home for less than the cost of the same computer sold there. That's as far as I'll dive into global VS local pricing. If there was a strong enough market for locally produced hot rod parts, somebody would step up.
Australia had a booming local Hotrod parts industry. Our tightening emissions and tougher compliance rules all helped kill it off. Our domestic labour rate and Government interference didn't help at all. Now we pay through the neck like Canadain's and have 10 Tax dumped on top of the purchase price plus freight to add insult to injury. The Government also has plenty of little add on's such as quarantine that makes being a Rodder Down Under and expensive hobby. Women are far cheaper to run!
I bought pre-shaped fuel lines from northeastern Canada paid twenty dollars shipping got them in two days. If did the same from California would have been 40 in shipping and two weeks or I get them from Pennsylvania 20 shipping and wait for 4 days.
And the GST to boot. If the parts or vehicle is older than 25 years there should be no duty. Stay away from FedEx and UPS. Depending how far from the border you live it might be wise to get a USPS post office box. Even if your item is too big for a box you will still get it. There are also companies with American addresses that will receive your items from the States and then transport them across the border to the nearest major airport. Have the items shipped to the American address and when they come across you pick them up and clear customs yourself. Was reading about the TRJ and subscriptions. To Canada it is $85 us. That works out generally to over $25 a copy. At my local bookstore they were selling them with the price posted on the cover. That is why many do not subscribe. For a comparison I sold a Steinway Grand piano to a family in China. Crated up and put into a container the shipping cost was $800.
I’m 10 hours from the boarder again I’m not complaining it’s the cost of participating in a hobby by choice. No old car or part is a necessity
The Jalopy Journal
