I agree, but I think every country has its own rules and better, I should=20 say its own costs. Fuel, delivery time and salary are the most daring variables, the latter = I=20 should mention in first place. Some countries have banned certain methods and punished sellers and buyers.= =20 For example, USA(USPS) has not sea method so, try to but a heavy device...= =20 you will pay up to 10 times or more than the price of the item itself.=20 Argentina has all methods but it is simply expensive by definition. Pre booked baggage rate is a great idea some others should put into=20 practice. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: "RussellMc" To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 1:43 AM Subject: Re: [OT] USB charger >> Just the question of postage has me beat, it must be so much cheaper >> for the supplier for shipping to me as opposed for me to ship to them. >> How does international postage work. I am sure the same carriers are >> used in both direction but one direction is so much cheaper (or at >> least thats how it appears). > > Not quite on the original subject, but related, and worthwhile. > > I don't know, but it is clear that people who send electronic goods > from Asia to Western countries (USA, UK, NZ, ...) have a special > arrangement. I have priced freight and postage and courier costs > NZ-China and China-NZ. There is no fast delivery rate available to me > for China-NZ that comes close to what they are being sent for. Even if > they combine multiple orders into a single unit the cost/kg is far > higher than they manage. Either there is a very special rate which is > inaccessible to mere mortals or they are doing something very clever. > It's possible that there is a "when there is spare room in the > aircraft" rate that may take a few days to send. > > The cheapest air-freight rate that I found was a new pre-booked > baggage rate just introduced by Air NZ a few eeeks before I used it. > If you phone in hours to days before the flight you can book excess > baggage at a arate far far below normal excess baggage rate. I bought > back 46 kg of goods and stuff as "pre-booked baggage" . First 23 kg > was AFAIR about $NZ100 $US80 or about $US3.50/kg =3D about 6 to 7 times > lower than courier rates. The second bag was about $NZ150 / $US120 or > ~=3D $US5.20 kg. > Average for the two was about $US200/46 kg =3D $4.35/kg or 5 to 6 times > lower than courier (or airmail). > > Sea freight is cheap. I think something like $80/m^2 China-NZ. That's > approximately free for small items. If you want less than a container > full it may cost you slightly more. > > EMS (China postal and courier service) are about the same cost as > Fedex / DHL / UPS for air freight small items and in fact were dearer > than eg UPS above a certain weight. (The two depots in SEG area in > Shenzhen were nearby(as you'd expect)) and I checked latest prices at > both. BUT EMS had a rate which I had to pry out of them as they seemed > t think that nobody would want to use it at far less than air freight > (10% or less?) with about 6 weeks sea freight delivery. That pricing > is consistent with what one sees on parcels from Asia - BUT they are > sent by air. Finding the answer would be worthwhile. > > > Russell > --=20 > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist >=20 --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .