eCommerce retailers in the UK often aim at a bigger customer base in the US. If you are also interested in shipping from the UK to the US, this guide is for you. How long does shipping from the UK to the US take? We have you covered if you think the same apart from costs, shipping methods, and partners.
UK merchants can access fast and reasonable ways to ship their products to the US. This includes ocean freight, air freight, and courier gainst like FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. How long it takes to ship from the UK to the US might depend on several factors.
This guide lets you check out the shipping timeline, cost, methods, and more.
How Can You Ship from the UK to the US?
Before calculating how long shipping from the UK to the US takes, you must learn how to ship between these two countries. UK shippers consider air freight, sea freight, and express shipping services from courier companies to cross the Atlantic. However, what should you choose among these 3 options?
If you own a small business and need to ship small equipment overseas, then we think Express couriers will be the best option. Otherwise, you can consider sea or air freight. For instance, sea freight exports products in a high volume. Respective companies load cargo into shipping containers and ship them to America.
The problem with sea or ocean freight is a longer shipping time. To avoid unnecessary delays caused by sea freight, consider air freight. Merchants who prefer high-volume shipments faster use air freight.
So, your shipping volume mainly decides which method you should grab. After all, you won’t pay a hefty amount to export a small product overseas to a customer in the US.
Hence, reconsider the following points to make an informed decision about which shipping method will be best for both you and your customer in the US:
- What and how big shipment is it
- You are shipping it to an end customer or a warehouse
- The shipment should reach by a specific timeline or not
Sea and air freight are useful for heavy and high-volume products for shipping. However, an express courier service will be satisfactory if you just ship a handful of products from the UK to the US. Additionally, a shipment through an express courier will cost you the least if you compare all 3 methods.
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How Long Does Shipping from the UK to the US Take?
For obvious reasons, you won’t choose a shipping partner that takes forever to ship and deliver your eCommerce product to your customer in the US. Well, how long does it take to ship from the UK to the US? Surprisingly, express courier services are the fastest in shipping and delivery of the shipped items.
The first runner-up is air freight. However, sea freight comes last regarding fast shipping from the UK to the US. Let’s see an estimated shipping timeline taken by different shipping methods available between the UK and the US:
Express Couriers
Are you looking for the fastest shipping from the UK to the USA? Then, you must rely on express courier companies like DHL, FedEx, UPS, etc. Such international couriers offer fast shipping methods.
The following shipping speeds are available for shipments from the UK to the US:
- Overnight shipping that facilitates delivery the very next business day
- Within 2 business days
- 3 to 5 business days
- 7 to 14 business days
Apart from handling your parcel, UK express couriers also tackle the process of clearing US customs. Thus, you can be confident about your shipment and expect a minimum delay. UK express couriers charge reasonably for shipping your parcel to the UK within 3 to 4 business days.
However, you can minimise the delivery timespan if you pay more. For example, you might have to pay around £90 if you want a 7kg parcel delivered within 3 to 4 business days. The parcel will cost around £60 if you ship it from the UK to the US within 4 to 7 days through express couriers.
Air Freight
This is the second-fastest option if you consider the UK to the US shipping time. After you arrange an air freight, your shipment goes into a pallet. Then, it’s dispatched to the designated US port city. How long does it take to ship from the UK to the US via air freight?
Generally, air freight takes 6 to 7 days to ship your parcel from the UK to the US. On the other hand, you might expect a bit of delay as your parcel needs to clear US customs. And, it can take an additional 1 to 2 days. Afterwards, you must track your parcel down until it reaches the port, followed by its destination.
Your warehousing partner will load the cargo in a truck to deliver it to its destination. Air freight can take up to 2 weeks at most because your shipment should arrive at the nearest port, clear customs, and reach the destination.
Sea Freight
Sea freight is the most sluggish among all 3 possible ways of shipping from the UK to the US. After departing, shipments get assembled at a seaport and go through customs. Once customs are cleared, the shipment might take 2 to 3 weeks to arrive at the destination port.
Next, customs agents assess all cargo items and transport them to a warehouse. How long does sea freight take to ship from the UK to the US? It can take about 6 to 7 weeks to reach the nearest warehouse from the destination in the US.
Which Carriers Ship from the UK to the US, and How Much Do They Cost?
Since air and sea freight can take considerable time to ship from the UK to the US, most eCommerce retailers rely on express couriers. The following shipping carriers are the most preferred choices for UK eCommerce retailers to ship parcels to the US:
- DHL
- Royal Mail
- UPS
- FedEx
- DPD
- Hermes
DHL offers multiple shipping ways to ship your parcel from the UK to the US. Opt for DHL Worldwide Air Delivery if you need to ship your parcel faster. However, DHL can charge you anywhere from £30 to £60 for delivery within 3 days, depending on the dimensions and weight of your parcel.
If you prioritise next-day delivery, Royal Mail’s Parcelforce Global Express delivery is the right deal. It starts from £43.50. However, you can try Parcelforce Global Priority and Parcelforce Global Value packages if you consider the shipping to be completed within 8 days.
Royal Mail offers Parcelforce Global Economy if you have heavier shipments of up to 30 kg. However, it takes up to 46 days to reach the destination. Similarly, UPS provides Worldwide Express, Express Saver, Expedited, and Standard shipping services from the UK to the US.
On average, shipping costs from the UK to the US via UPS might vary from £28 to £61. Contact any of the above-mentioned couriers to learn more about their shipping costs according to the shipment weight, dimensions and delivery timespan.
In Conclusion….
A few things you have to keep in mind while calculating the time required to ship from the UK to the US. first of all, the exported shipment must clear US customs. This may take more time than anticipated. On the other hand, the carrier will charge you for import duty and tax payments.
Moreover, the weight, dimensions, how quickly you require the shipment to reach its destination, type of tracking needs, insurance, etc., might decide the cost of shipping from the UK to the US. Hence, contact the carrier company to get all the estimated details.
