How to Ship Books Overseas

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Ship books from the United States to another country through the Airmail bag system.

   Using this option, you would be able to send printed matter overseas as long as they weighed between 11 and 66 lbs. (5 to 30 kg).
   
   The price would be significantly cheaper than standard overseas mail; however, the price does depend upon the country of receipt.
   
   Call your local post office to ensure that they carry M-bags.
   
   If not, you may be able to request an M-bag at another post office or through the USPS website.
2. 2

   Step 2: Wrap each book individually.

   Wrap it in a waterproof plastic sack, then in bubble wrap, and, finally, in an individual box.
   
   Extra care should be taken with hardcover books to ensure that they don't move around in the box.
   
   Each book that you send via the M-bag cannot be more than 4 lbs. (1.8 kg). , The M-bag can only be used to send books to 1 addressee.
   
   Make sure the address is clearly written.
   
   The post office will later mark "Postage Paid" on each individual box. , Weigh the bag to ensure they are no more than 66 lbs. (30 kg), including the weight of the sack.
   
   You can send more than 1 M-bag, and they will be marked as a fraction.
   
   For example, the first M-bag would be "1/2" and the second would be "2/2."
   
   Affix the M-bag tag to the sack.
   
   Bring your M-bag to a USPS office.
   
   It will be weighed and you will be given the option of International Priority Airmail or International Surface Air.
   
   Surface Air will be the slower and less expensive option.
   
   The price will depend upon the USPS zone number of the addressee's country.
   
   Delivery will take 4 to 6 weeks.
   
   The International priority Mail (IPA) M-bag and the International Surface Air Lift (ISAL) M-bags are commercial services, meaning individuals can't use those service.
   
   For an individual, Airmail M-bag is the only option and more expensive than IPA and ISAL M-bags. , A number of ships offer "Less than Container Loads" (LCL) inside cargo containers.
   
   Find companies in the phone book or online. , You will need these numbers in order to get accurate quotes from companies.
3. 3

   Step 3: Address each box to the single addressee and include a return address.

4. 4

   Step 4: Place all of your books inside the M-bag.

5. 5

   Step 5: Complete the M-bag tag and the customs form.

6. 6

   Step 6: Ship a large amount of books by crate or cargo.

7. 7

   Step 7: Weigh and measure your book boxes in advance

8. 8

   Step 8: in order to get an idea of the dimensions of the boxes.

Detailed Guide

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