How Long Does Shipping from Australia to USA Take?
You might be asking yourself that question if you’re considering sending something from the Land Down Under to Uncle Sam.
The answer to the question is not that straightforward. There are different factors that decide how long it takes to ship from AUS to USA, such as the method of delivery selected, the weight and size of the shipment as well as the total distance it has to travel.
In this post, we will answer this question in detail and look at the various factors that play a role in the total shipping time from Australia to the USA.
What is the Main Factor That Decides How Long to Ship from Australia to USA?
Although, as we’ve mentioned above, there are several factors that decide the shipping duration, there is one in particular that holds the most weight: method of shipping.
There are two main methods of shipping that you can choose from when sending cargo from Australia to the USA.
- Air freight
- Sea freight
Air freight refers to transporting the shipment via airplane. Sea freight refers to transporting the shipment via a cargo ship.
Let’s take a look at how long both of these methods take when used to send shipments from Australia to the USA.
How Long Does Air Freight Take to Deliver Shipments from AUS to the USA?
The exact time taken by air freight can vary depending on a few factors (that we will explain further in this post). However, the general time taken to send packages from Australia to the USA using this method of shipping is around 1 to 7 days.
We have acquired this information by creating a quote using some sample data on the official DHL website. DHL is one of the popular shipping companies used to send packages internationally. It offers both air freight services and sea freight services.
If you send a standard moving box from Australia to the USA, it can take around 1 week for the transportation to complete. However, after that, the customs processing and other procedures can create more delays before the package is actually received by the party on the other end. These processes and procedures depend largely on the type of item that you’re shipping as well as the place that you’re shipping it to. But more on that later.
How Long Does Sea Freight Take to Deliver Shipments from AUS to the USA?
Moving on, let’s answer the question of “how long to ship from Australia to USA using sea freight?”
Sea freight is considerably slower than air freight. Since the mode of transportation in this case involves cargo ships rather than speedy airplanes, it takes more time.
Using the same information that we did for the air freight time calculation, we found that sending a standard shipping pallet via sea freight from Australia to the US can take up to 12 to 15 weeks. That is around 40 to 60 days.
Given this information, we can understand that air freight is 8 to 10 times faster than sea freight.
Is Air Freight Better than Sea Freight for Sending Packages from Australia to the USA?
Seeing just how quicker air freight is as compared to sea freight, you may think that it is unequivocally the better choice to pick when sending packages overseas.
But, that is not the case.
Is air freight quicker? Yes, it is.
But, there are many other things that you have to think about before you select it as your preferred mode of transportation.
Although air freight is faster than sea freight, it is much more expensive. It is the better and more economical option for sending small packages and parcels, such as the sort that can fit in envelopes and moving boxes. However, when it comes to sending pallets and containers, air freight costs can increase exponentially and become unaffordable.
It cannot be said that air freight is better than sea freight, just because the former is quicker. For bigger and regular shipments, sea freight is ultimately the better option.
What Other Factors Decide the Shipping Time from Australia to the USA?
Moving on, let’s talk about some of the other factors that decide the shipping time from AUS to the USA.
Weight: Heavier Shipments Take Longer to Move
The weight of the shipment can impact the delivery time. Lighter packages can be delivered much more quickly as compared to heavier packages.
Courier companies often use weight (or size, in many cases) as the main metric to calculate costs and delivery time. Heavier packages are categorized together and move slowly compared to lighter packages. The latter can be bundled together and moved quickly without any complications.
Size: Larger Packages Take More Time to Transport
In many cases, courier companies use the size of the shipment (the box measures, for example) to determine its cost and shipping time. Larger shipments cost more to move and are also transported slowly as compared to smaller shipments.
Small boxes and envelopes can be transported in bulk without posing a lot of problems (or costs) for the courier company. The same thing applies to lighter packages, as explained in the point above.
Distance: The Total Distance Traveled Decides Total Time
The longer the distance, the more time it takes to cover.
You may be wondering; we’re talking about two countries here, i.e., the USA and Australia. How can the distance matter if it is between two countries? Wouldn’t the distance remain the same?
Both the USA and Australia are large countries. Depending on the city that you’re sending the package from (in Australia) to the city that the package has to be received (in the USA), there can be a difference in the shipping distance of up to 5000+ miles.
Consider, for example, that you’re sending a package from the east end of Australia, such as from Sydney, to a city on the west end of the USA, such as Los Angeles. The distance between these two cities is around 12,000 miles. On the other hand, if you are sending a shipment from Sydney to Florida, the distance increases by almost 3000 miles.
Hence, it is important to understand that the duration of the shipment from Australia to the USA depends on the exact distance, which can be quite varied depending on the origin and destination.
Customs Clearance
There are trade agreements between Australia and the USA, due to which many items and products are free from duties and taxes, etc. Said items also don’t have to take long at customs to go over the border.
However, this does not apply to everything. Certain types of products and items have to be declared and checked, and duties have to be paid on them. If you’re shipping an item of this sort, the checking/customs processing can add some duration to the overall shipping times.
How to Reduce Shipping Time from Australia to the USA?
When it comes to sending smaller packages from Australia to the USA, the time taken is not typically a cause for concern. A couple of days (one week at max) is not something most people would worry over, especially when they’re shipping something overseas.
However, problems can arise when you’re shipping by sea. The time taken is quite significant, and there are various logistical risks involved that can add a few more days of delay to the equation.
But, there are some tips that you can follow to reduce the shipping time when sending something to the United States from the Land Down Under. Below, we will discuss those.
- Tip number # 1: Use air freight whenever possible. If you have the means to afford it, you can even send bigger shipments using the “shipping pallet” option provided by various courier companies. The costs can be high, but the process is very quick.
- Tip number # 2: Reduce the weight and size of your shipments the best you can. The smaller/lighter your shipments are, the quicker they will be to move.
- Tip number # 3: For bigger shipments, opt for FCL shipping. FCL stands for Full Container Load. Moving full container loads is easier for shipping companies because of the processes already set in place. If you pick this type of shipping, you can save a few days, or even weeks, in the process.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it. That is where we’re going to give this post a wrap.
When sending cargo between Australia and the USA, the shipping times depend on a number of factors, the most important of which is the method of transportation. Air freight is quicker than sea freight, and is the ideal option for smaller packages and consignments.
However, there are a range of other factors involved as well, such as the weight and size of the shipment as well as the total distance that it has to travel. In the post above, we’ve looked at all of them in detail.