How to Ship to Japan from the USA
Shipping to Japan from the USA doesn’t have to be a hassle. Leading carriers offer different services and packages, and there is no clear ‘best’ out of the lot. You should vet each carrier and find one that’s best suited for your specific shipping needs.
When choosing a shipment carrier, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ option out there; carriers have several similar services but they also have distinguished offerings. If you’re looking to ship to Japan, it’s important to vet each carrier’s cost structure, policies, and services offering to choose the right one for your needs.
To help you choose the best shipping carrier, we’ve compared leading carriers’ offers for shipping from the US to Japan.
Shipping to Japan: USPS vs. UPS. vs. FedEx vs. DHL
When evaluating the different carriers, keep in mind that the cheaper option might not always be the best option; if your budget has room to maneuver, then you should take the quality and stability of the service into account as well as the speed.
You should also check what special services the courier has to offer and the impact that it could have on both your company and your clients.
Every one of the couriers will try to make sure that your packages make it to the destination within the shortest time frame possible. But the pricing differs depending on the size, weight, time of day, and even destination of the packages.
Before we move on, it might interest you to note that the USPS offer flat rates to ship from the US to Japan. The other prices have been calculated using the respective carrier’s pricing calculators for a 3kg package in March 2022.
These prices are subject to change, so don’t focus on the number and whether it fits into your budget just yet.
To get an exact quote, it’s best if you contact the courier of your choice within the next few business days.
| Service | Cost | Delivery Time | |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | $40.95 | 3-5 business days |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | $32.60 | 6-10 business days |
| USPS | First-Class International Service | $44.95 | 11-20 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Expedited | $39 | 2-5 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Saver | $33 | 6-10 business days |
| FedEx | International Priority | $45.47 | 3-5 business days |
| FedEx | International Economy | $40.23 | 6-10 business days |
| DHL | International Express | $38.94 | 3-6 business days |
Shipping to Japan with USPS
Postal service in the United States is run by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Even though this government agency is independent, it also has options for international shipping. When the package gets to Japan and has been checked by customs, the Japanese Postal Service will get it. They will send your package wherever it needs to go in Japan.
USPS pros
USPS is a well-known courier service in the US, so it has a large network of offices and places to drop off packages all over the country. This makes it a good choice for online stores that want to reach customers in different places. They also have a service called “Click-N-Ship,” which will speed up the process, especially if your business is just getting started and needs to get used to shipping.
It has pretty good prices for its services, and you can choose between free packaging and flat-rate shipping. This makes it a good choice for a business that wants to keep the cost of shipping its products low. For certain delivery dates, some of their shipping options also come with a money-back guarantee. The Priority Mail Express International service can use this option.
USPS cons
Even though USPS is known for being reliable, clients worry that its tracking information isn’t always correct. This could make your customers unhappy with the delivery process, which could hurt your business. When the package is given to the Japanese Postal Service, the tracking information is no longer updated.
So, if you want to ship packages from the United States to Japan with USPS, you will need to think about your clients and what they expect.
Shipping to Japan with FedEx
FedEx is a US-based multinational company that focuses on shipping, e-commerce, and services.
FedEx pros
They focus on international air express freight, and depending on the options you choose, FedEx is usually cheaper than UPS.
The company has handled many different kinds of goods, even fragile ones, for international shipments before. They also have a premium service where they will handle and ship controlled or dangerous goods. They will also make sure that items that spoil quickly or need to be kept at a certain temperature are sent to the destination country in a climate-controlled way.
If speed is important, your customers can use FedEx International Next Flight, FedEx International Priority Freight, or FedEx International Economy Freight to get their packages in 1–5 days.
Their International Shipping Assist tool helps you with international shipping in a number of ways, such as letting you save the Harmonized System codes to use again in the future and giving you access to all important shipping-related information.
FedEx cons
FedEx has a fee for picking up packages. They also only offer flat-rate service for domestic shipping, while the USPS has this option for people who want to send packages to a different country.
FedEx’s high-end services will, as you might expect, cost extra. So you need to think about whether or not the price is worth it. When you do this, think about what kinds of goods and items your customers order and how quickly they want their packages to arrive from the US.
Shipping to Japan with UPS
The United Parcel Service (UPS), which is based in the United States, is one of the biggest international shipping companies.
UPS pros
UPS services are usually faster than USPS for sending smaller packages. They are known for the quality of the services they offer, and their international network is bigger than FedEx’s. UPS also has a number of services that add value to packages, but these services vary by country.
So if this sounds interesting to you, we’d suggest that you talk to them directly. In general, these services might include notifying you when your packages arrive or giving them special care.
UPS cons
If you want to send small packages, UPS will cost more than USPS. On the other hand, UPS’s shipping rates are lower than USPS’s if you are sending larger packages.
This may be in part because their flat-rate services are different. USPS offers smaller packaging options and bases their rates on the size of the package, while UPS offers flat rate shipping options for 10 KG and 25 KG boxes.
Shipping to Japan with DHL
DHL is a well-known company that sends packages and mail. It’s also the only courier on this list that’s not based in the US. The company is based in Germany and is a division of Deutsche Post, which is a German logistics company. They offer both land and sea delivery for international shipping.
DHL pros
DHL has a good international customer support service. This service offers a wide range of international shipping services across borders, door-to-door delivery, flexible pick-up times with options for electronic billing, and a number of online shipping tools. DHL also gives customers an online portal and a way to get help in real time, which makes it easy for them to manage their shipments.
What may be interesting to e-commerce companies is that DHL designs their surfaces with both the companies and their customers in mind, especially for packages going to Europe. They have a delivery and return service called Parcel Connext, which will make it easier to send packages to Europe and avoid some of the problems that can arise.
This service gives you access to 28 countries with a single label and an IT system that keeps track of your customer data across the DHL network. They are also willing to make the service fit the needs of your business.
DHL cons
Some people might not like the fact that they will have a few extra fees. One example is the extra fee they will charge for delivery on Saturday.
Ship to Japan with ShippingTree
Looking to ship to Japan from the USA? ShippingTree can help you out.
Done for you fulfillment
ShippingTree offers fulfillment services – we’ll manage your entire fulfillment process from initially receiving inventory to shipping orders and managing reverse logistics.
Reduced shipping costs
ShippingTree has a network of strategically positioned distribution centers and a team of fulfillment experts. Thanks to our in-house experience and strategic infrastructure, we can help you scale your operations while reducing shipping costs. Thanks to our partnerships with carriers, we can ship your products at a discounted rate.
Ecommerce integrations
ShippingTree is a tech-enabled 3PL provider, so our systems integrate seamlessly with your ecommerce store and all major platforms. This helps us streamline your ecommerce fulfillment, optimizing key processes such as inventory management.
FAQs about shipping to Japan from the USA
We answered some of the most frequently asked questions to help you understand more about shipping from Japan to the US.
Is USPS the cheapest way to ship from the US to Japan?
The USPS flat rate shipping option could potentially be the cheapest way to ship your parcels from the United States to Japan. But the exact cost of the shipment depends on the size of the items as their rates differ depending on the size of the box that you choose (Small, Medium, Large).
How much does it cost to ship from the US to Japan?
The exact cost will vary on the parcel that you are shipping and the items that it contains. This is true no matter the carrier that you choose to use, as they will have a number of options with varying rates. For an exact quote, contact the carrier directly.
But as you consider the cost, keep in mind that the shipped parcels will be taxed and have duties levied against them.
What’s the cheapest way to send a parcel to Japan?
The answer isn’t a simple this or that. It depends on the speed of the shipment, as well as the parcel’s specifications (type, dimensions, size, weight, etc). Generally speaking, you could consider UPS and their flat-rate fee for larger parcels (10kg or 25kg). But if the package is smaller, then USPS and their flat-rate fee may work out better.
Does UPS ship to Japan?
Yes, it does. UPS actually has a number of Access Point locations across Japan, which makes it an attractive option for customers as they can pick up their goods from the drop-off location that’s closest to them. Just make sure that the items you are sending aren’t on the list of prohibited items.
Conclusion
We hope you now have a better understanding of the different types of carriers and their offerings for shipping from the US to Japan.
And if you need help with shipping internationally, you can always contact us.
