Postal rates to Canada from US

Richard G. · Jul 9, 2013

Want to ship a mower manual from SC to ON, Canada. Just need an envelope about 8 x 10. Post office says cost is $35. Is there a cheaper way to go?
Richard

dr sportster · Jul 9, 2013

That is the cheapest flat rate envelope to Canada. There is no better rate USPS .Customs form free. Maybe another carrier?

johndeerefan · Jul 9, 2013

It will ship 1st class mail for about $6. If you get a tracking number it is only good inside the US.

I think you might be able to ship it media mail for less than $6 since it is a book.

Nancy Howell · Jul 9, 2013

US Post office has flat rate shipping boxes as low as $10.95 and I think lower. I don"t know if that applies to items going to Canada, but when I was shipping to my "adopted" serviceman serving in Iraq, they would ship there for the $10.95 rate.

Zachary Hoyt · Jul 9, 2013

+1 for first class, depending on the weight it can be very cheap. Once you have put in the weight under the Large Envelope class it will take you to the options window and down at the bottom is a tab marked First Class Mail Options that will show the price.
Zach

Zachary Hoyt · Jul 9, 2013

Canada is a lot more than domestic US and APO/FPO is a bit less than domestic rates for flat rate boxes, in my experience.
Zach

farmer boy · Jul 9, 2013

0.75 lbs 15"x12"x.75" $4.35----1.50 lbs same size $7.05 using First Class Mail International Large Envelope

JD Seller · Jul 9, 2013

The Postal service's computers pops up the highest cost rate on top when they enter the information. The Post office person has to look down the list for the cheaper rates.

I shipped some chain links here a while ago. One of the addresses was just 60 miles away. The top rate was air freight and was $35. The final regular rate was $4.35.

I know international rates are higher but not that much higher. Also you just want it to be a letter rate. You call it something else and there is Canadian custom duties that have to be paid.

Years ago I ordered the wrong valve out of Welland Loader works. The freight to me was $25 on UPS. Shipping it back would have cost $230. There was a import duty. JD kept a warehouse in the US right across the border. I shipped the valve to there for the same cost as what it took me to get it. Then JD had a truck that ran to the plant everyday for the warehouse.

So I bet that you where quoted a Air freight and custom duty charge.

farmer boy · Jul 9, 2013

There's no customs charges for anything valued at $20 and under(shipping cost does not matter) shipped between US and Canada. The receiver pays it anyways for amounts above that. They do occasionally miss $20+ shipments and they're delivered duty free anyways.

TO the OP--First class mail can take a LONG time, could be 2 weeks, could be as long as 2 months. If you want it there quickly, use UPS or Fedex, and make the declared value less than $20. Even Fedex Ground only takes 2-3 days from Ohio to Ontario. Not sure on the cost for that, but it should be simliar to the USPS parcel rate, but between USPS and Canada Post handling it, they have the ability to make the shipment a real fluster cluck.

Tony in Mass. · Jul 9, 2013

Unless the guy needs it yesterday, tell them to put it on a scale and buy some stamps. Maybe $3.50, certainly not 35! Cripes you can send half an engine to Canada for 50! My bet the $7 is max first class, maybe 3 days?

RodinNS · Jul 9, 2013

USPS is generally the cheapest carrier. The thing you really need to watch with shipping across the border is the brokerage fee... FedEx and others will give you a great rate on shipping and then when it gets up here the receiver gets whacked for 40-60 bucks in brokerage on top of the shipping fees... and I'm not talking about duty. I'm talking brokerage fee. I've found USPS global to be the cheapest route although I thought they could do a bit better than that on an envelope/bag.

Rod

PJH · Jul 9, 2013

"Is there a cheaper way to go?"

Is there any way you could scan it and send it as an e-mail attachment? My field mower manual is not many pages, but yours might be too many to mess with.

Postal rates to Canada from US

Richard G.

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dr sportster

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johndeerefan

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Nancy Howell

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Zachary Hoyt

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Zachary Hoyt

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farmer boy

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JD Seller

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farmer boy

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Tony in Mass.

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RodinNS

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PJH

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