One of the main reasons AliExpress is so popular is because product prices are very low. With 100 million-plus products and hundreds of thousands of suppliers available on AliExpress, dropshippers have a vast array of options when finding items and suppliers to work with.
However, you may be discouraged from dropshipping with AliExpress because of the high shipping fees. Some $2 products have shipping fees of $6.
This article will explain in-depth why AliExpress shipping is so expensive and how to slightly reduce the cost by using AliExpress standard shipping.
目录
1.International shipping
Most of the AliExpress warehouses are based in China, which means that AliExpress products are shipped from China to the buyers’ countries. Shipping internationally is more expensive than shipping locally.
Let’s say you’re a dropshipper who sells custom-designed t-shirts. You find this product on AliExpress that costs $3.47. When you add it to the cart, the shipping fee is $3.23, almost the same price as the shirt itself.
Another example is the following Korean sandals for sale on AliExpress. The price seems cheap, $2.91, until you find out that the shipping price is $10.26, almost five times the price of the product itself.
Shipping domestically is way cheaper than shipping overseas. Most domestic shipping is free or priced between $1 to $3. For instance, sending a 20kg item within China costs 100RMB ($15.73), while a 20kg dumbbell costs $152 to ship to the US.
International shipping costs are also affected by trade agreements the receiving country has with China, the shipping method, and the product size and weight.
There are different international shipping methods available for AliExpress customers. Apart from the platform-wide AliExpress standard shipping, other methods include the China Post, Singapore Post, FedEx, ePacket, EMS, and DHL.
Depending on how secure you want your item to be and how fast you want the shipping to be, the shipping costs greatly vary. For instance, those Korean sandals that cost $10.26 to ship with AliExpress Standard Shipping cost $57 to ship with DHL.
2.The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Since COVID-19 broke out in early 2020, shipping costs have significantly increased. According to a survey by Consultancy.eu, 78% of people polled confirm that product prices increased dramatically during the pandemic.
Many factors have contributed to this global rise in shopping fees. They include the rising raw material prices, increased labor costs, and international shipping container shortage.
In 2020, the raw material index rose more than 18% higher. Even after the economy has been reopened, freights are shipping at only half capacity, making shipping fees go up.
3.VAT regulations
VAT is a tax payable during the selling and purchasing of an item or service. When someone buys something, they have to pay VAT taxes. VAT rates differ among countries.
Standard VAT in the European Union is 21%, in the UK it’s 20%, and in the USA it’s 10%. For instance, if you order a $4 item from AliExpress to the USA, you have to pay a VAT of $0.4. The total cost of the product is $4.4.
Ultimately, it’s the customer who pays VAT. Either the seller adds VAT fees to the final price, or the customer pays before collecting the goods.
VAT became much more expensive in the European Union after July 1, 2021, when a new VAT regulation was implemented. Previously, EU customers paid VAT for items above 22 euros. With the new regulation in place, they now pay VAT for every item they purchase regardless of price.
Conclusion
AliExpress shipping costs are high for several reasons. These include shipping internationally, COVID-19 regulations, and high VAT rates.
As a dropshipper who buys in bulk and custom packages products for customers, you may be struggling to make a profit considering the high AliExpress shipping fees.
Reach out to BestFulfill to help you find high-quality products and reliable suppliers, store your products in their warehouse, fulfill orders as they come in, and even seek cheaper shipping methods for your customers.
FAQs:
1.What Are the Requirements to Use AliExpress Standard shipping?
The AliExpress standard shipping has the cheapest shipping fees of all the available methods. Here are the requirements that products must meet to be shipped with the AliExpress standard shipping.
a.Weight and Volume
AliExpress standard shipping will only move products within the weight limit. Most countries can accept packages that weigh up to 30kg, except Bangladesh, where containers cannot exceed 20kg, or countries like Libya, Afghanistan, and Senegal where the package weight cannot exceed 2kg. AliExpress will only ship to Australia from Hong Kong if the item is not more than 2kg.
The United States and the UK accept goods weighing up to 30kg. The length of one side of the package cannot exceed 150cm, and for three sides cannot be more than 200cm. Some countries like Algeria accept parcels up to 300cm in length. Make sure to confirm package dimensions for which country you’re shipping products to avoid customs seizing them.
b.Shipping Restrictions
Apart from the weight and volume of a package, some items are heavily regulated or outright banned. AliExpress Standard shipping does not deliver cosmetics or pure batteries. Lithium batteries are delivered if the main lithium content does not exceed two grams.
2.Which Countries Have AliExpress Standard Shipping?
AliExpress Standard shipping delivers to approximately 254 countries around the globe. This includes countries like the United States, UK, Australia, etc.
It takes between 11 to 45 days to get your package delivered via AliExpress standard shipping. From a country like Seychelles, it takes on average 11 days to get your product delivered. For the US, it’s 18 days and for South Africa, it’s 42 days.
