Int shipping rates

[ValeBliz]

Does anybody know why shipping rates went up like 50% in the last few months? I live in europe and on a about 1000$ order we went from 100$ to 140-150. What's worse, i paid 100$ shipping on a 350$ order. It becomes really hard to justify ordering a single neck or something like it.

 

[Rick]

I agree, if you're shipping something overseas from the usa it costs a bomb.  Why? I'd only be speculating.  Do we have any finance guys from Fed-Ex, UPS or the USPS here?

 

[ValeBliz]

It was always a bit expensive, what surprised me is how much it went up in the last few months.

 

[stratamania]

I have not been keeping track of it but I suspect that freight overall is more expensive due to the global pandemic and the effect it has had on many things in terms of logistics.

 

[braziers]

I noticed the same thing.

Last year (June 2020) when I placed a Body order, it cost around $90 for shipping to the UK.
If I placed the same order now, using the same UPS Worldwide 'Saver' method, it would cost $112 to ship to the same destination.

While that's not the biggest jump, it's still practically a 25% increase, which isn't just inflation.

 

[Rick]

I don't know if quora is a valid source, but it seems to be the confluence of two things:

1) Shipping, employment and supply chain disruptions and

2) WTO rules where wealthy countries have to subsidize the shipping in poorer countries.

I guess that's why when I get something shipped to me from Thailand it is remarkably cheap, but if I want to ship something to Japan it costs a bomb.  The USA being the biggest economy (still, at least 4 times larger than Japan) is helping the rest of the world.  As such, probably has to pay a lot more than middle income countries.  Of course, that doesn't help USA citizens or people who want products shipped from USA.

[size=18pt]Does anyone know if the WTO thing is not true?[/size]  Any logistic international lawyers here? 

 

[Re-Pete]

I can only guess.
I reside in Australia. I have purchased online locally (inside my State), Interstate & International throughout 2020 & 2021. 
There's probably limited airfreight services being allowed into and out of countries along the route. Those freighters that do fly would charge those packing their parcels onboard, a bit more to pay for the expediency.
Also, I did notice one parcel went through USA & over the Pacific to get to me from EU. Usually that box would've gone in the other direction, through Singapore & then down here to Australia.
I think we have to assume that all the international Freighters have to weave their way through a myriad of COVID restrictions which inevitably brings on delays and probably increases cost. Crews may have to be quarantined upon arriving at terminus destination, at operators expense, for example. If crews are being quarantined that means they are out of action for the return flight, so another crew has to be engaged to do that the next day? That sort of logistical nightmare must drive costs up.