How to package a shirt for shipping?

Before mailing your shirt, following the correct and proper packing process will not only ensure its safety but also minimize shipping costs:

1. Neatly fold the Shirt

Lay the shirt flat on a clean, dry surface, fold it neatly with the right side down, fold both sides towards the center, and then fold the shirt lengthwise three times so that the right side is facing up. Alternatively, you can tightly roll the shirt up, which effectively saves packaging space.

2. Choose appropriate packaging

For new shirts, you can put them in a plastic bag and then place the plastic bag inside a polyethylene mailing bag. This is a safe and convenient option for small clothing packaging. Of course, if you are sending a delicate, high-value, or easily deformed shirt, you can also use a cardboard box. Cardboard boxes can protect the shirt from deformation to the greatest extent. However, to reduce shipping costs, please ensure that the size of the cardboard box is not much larger than the shirt. We also recommend that you wrap the shirt in bubble wrap before putting it in the cardboard box to prevent it from slipping during transportation. Here's another tip—choose eco-friendly products whenever possible. Compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable materials will help your brand position itself as an advocate for sustainability—a key focus for consumers today.

3. Weighing

Before printing labels, always weigh and measure the package. Even small errors can result in higher shipping costs, so using the right scale is crucial. For lightweight items like a shirt, a postal scale or a simple kitchen scale is ideal.

4. Choosing a Carrier

In this step, you can search for shipping costs from different carriers on websites and compare them to choose the most economical and suitable one. If you find comparing websites one by one tedious, you can also choose a logistics agent like ChinaDivision. Just enter your mailing information on their website, and they will provide shipping costs from all carriers for you to choose from.

5. Print and Affix Shipping Labels

After the package is packed and sealed, please ensure it is correctly labeled to guarantee accurate delivery to your desired destination. Securely affix the shipping label to the top surface of the shipping box, ensuring the label is fully visible on one surface and does not cover any seams. Do not allow other labels, tape, or documents to obscure the shipping label. If you need to affix other labels to the goods, avoid affixing them to the same surface as the shipping label. As a precaution, you can also include spare labels inside the package to ensure accurate delivery by the carrier if the original labels are lost or illegible.

6. Include necessary customs documents

Since we are shipping a shirt from China to the United States, which is international shipping, customs clearance is required. Therefore, please ensure that your basic customs documents are complete and accurate, such as a commercial invoice with a detailed description of the goods, a clothing-specific HS (Harmonized System) code, and an air waybill with a description of the contents of the goods.

How much does it cost to ship a shirt, DHL vs FedEx?

We now know all the steps to mailing a shirt. Next, we'll compare the shipping costs of DHL and FedEx in detail. Properly packaging the shirt and choosing the right carrier significantly impacts the final shipping cost. We'll use a 300 g, 30 cm x 35 cm shirt package as an example to compare the shipping costs offered by DHL and FedEx through ChinaDivision’s calculator:

What factors affect shipping costs?

Besides the carrier affecting the final shipping cost, there are other factors that also influence shipping costs. Before we officially ship the shirts, it's essential to understand these factors carefully. Of course, you can also visit our previously uploaded blog about shipping cost calculations, which introduces the factors that affect shipping costs for all items.

• Weight and Size: Shipping costs increase with weight. For lighter packages, such as a shirt, carriers typically use volumetric weight to calculate shipping costs. This means that large but lightweight packages may incur higher costs due to the extra space they take up. Oversized packages usually incur additional handling fees.

• Distance (Area): The greater the distance between the origin and destination, the higher the shipping cost. Courier companies divide locations into different areas. The farther the clothing is shipped, the more areas it crosses, and the higher the price. Sending a package nationwide is much more expensive than sending it to a neighboring state.

• Delivery Speed: Faster delivery methods, such as two-day delivery, overnight delivery, or same-day delivery, are usually more expensive. Standard ground shipping is slower, but it is often the most economical option if time is not an issue.

• Packaging (cardboard boxes vs. bags): Cardboard boxes offer better protection for shirts but also add weight, increasing costs. Polyethylene mailing bags and bubble envelopes are lighter and cheaper but offer less protection than cardboard boxes for heavy or fragile garments.

FAQs

1.  What are the tax and import duties for shipping clothes to the US?

Clothing imports into the US valued under $200 incur no customs duty. All regular clothing products over $200 incur a duty tax of 16.5%, though this may be higher for clothing made from animal products such as fur, leather, and wool.

2.  What is the best way to ship clothes?

The best way to ship clothing depends on the quantity, type, and urgency of the items. For single items, plastic mailing bags or envelopes are ideal. For small or medium-sized boxes, ordering a flat rate from USPS, UPS, FedEx, or ChinaDivision is the cheapest option. For larger shipments, such as entire wardrobes or closet boxes, LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping from ChinaDivision is the most economical choice.

Reference:

1. How to Ship Clothes

https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/shipping-special-care-regulated-items/prohibited-items/clothes

2、HOW TO SHIP CLOTHES: A QUICK GUIDE

https://www.dhl.com/discover/en-global/logistics-advice/import-export-advice/how-to-ship-clothes