What's the most cost-effective way to ship a box toTaiwan from the U.S.?

Question

Let's say I want to ship a box of random items that weighs roughly 30 pounds to someone in Taiwan, and time isn't very important.

What are the least expensive ways to ship it, how much is it likely to cost, and how long will it take (ballpark)?

Thank you!

Answer 1

mail it using the postal service and use the ocean transport (container ship)

30 Lbs could be over 100$... but I could be wrong. (pure guesswork) Ask at your post office nearest to you to get the most accurate price

or check this website:

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculateposta...

it should take 2 weeks to 1 month to arrive. Dont send food inside!

__edit: I also find it spooky. but theres an ongoing debate on which of us came first. LOL ;)

Answer 2

I don't know what it is about this island, but it's expensive to send stuff here from the US.  Matt is right that the USPS tends to be the cheapest option.

If you are shipping new items, it is best to take them out of the packages, remove any stickers or tags, and put them down as used personal items.  This way, you'll be a lot less likely to get hit with taxes.

According to the USPS, you're looking about $155-$165, depending on whether you take it to the post office or print out postage online and have them pick it up.  Here's a link to that price guide:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/IntlMailServices....

Fed Ex will cost about $100 or so more.  (According to their web site, depending on how big the box actually is).

So the postal service is your best bet.  Shipping times are actually pretty decent.  It might take a few weeks if you're not paying for expediated shipping, but that's not too bad considering it's going around the world.