While the ripple effect of massive supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic continues to affect imports and transit times across industries, a massive reshoring of production and distribution to North America is not likely, according to a recent report from The Economist’s intelligence unit.
With a showdown looming over international postal rates at a Sept. 24 congress of the Universal Postal Union, uncertainty reigns in terms of the United States’ continued participation in the organization, leaving merchants wondering about parcel shipping rates heading into peak season. Consolidators are making contingency plans.
The Postal Regulatory Commission has approved a range of postal rates for smaller packages originating from overseas to the United States, part of an effort to level the playing field for U.S. merchants and manufacturers disadvantaged by international postage rules.
UPS has opened a new 323,000-square-foot high-tech package sorting and delivery hub outside Paris, part of an ongoing $2 billion investment in European facilities to expand its network capacity there and facilitate cross-border trade.
ShipStation has announced new carrier integrations in Canada and Australia, as well as expanding into the UK.
Pitney Bowes formed a Global Ecommerce business unit, combining the recently acquired assets of Borderfree with Pitney Bowes’ existing ecommerce business.
Shipping matters big time to online consumers. And it matters even more to cross-border customers, because, most likely, shipping cost is a higher percentage of product cost for them than for domestic shoppers. For those that can provide superior customer experiences in this area, however, shipping and delivery can be a key differentiator.