I just shipped a 13 lb 10 oz care package to a friend in Japan, and the clerk told me that the system didn’t provide him with a delivery estimate.
For context, last year, during a much worst point of the pandemic, I shipped a box half this weight to the same address and I was quoted 6-10 business days, but it arrived 4 days later than the longest point of the projected delivery window.
Does anyone have any ideas if shipping has improved since last year?
TIA!
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/vnte6f/have_usps_priority_mail_international_shipping/
6 comments
What’s the shipping method? Sal / Small package or EMS?
Personally with EMS it takes 5 days if im lucky, if not, could be around 2 weeks.
Yes and no. The ripples of the pandemic have not subsided yet. Judging by it being priority and the price I think your box should fly to Japan. If it’s going through normal snail mail and not EMS or a similar carrier it will have to wait for available cargo space, most likely on a passenger flight. With Japan just easing ever so slowly into allowing people back into the country, the airlines fighting with staff shortages, there still aren’t the number of flights back in play as in the before times and that means logistics as we knew them aren’t back yet either. Japan Post alternated between warning of long delivery times and refusing to accept shipments across the Pacific all together, I don’t know where they’re at these days. Anyways, the ripples are still rippling and that’s probably why USPS would prefer not to forecast delivery times. Could be quick, could take ages, your roulette wheel is still spinning.
>I was quoted 6-10 business days
This is typically an average or a guesstimate; not a guarantee.
I shipped some late gifts in January, 14 days, 4 extra days than quote, and my friend got hit with a import bill lol. Once it arrived in Japan it was only 1 day total before delivery. I think there’s not enough airplanes honestly.
Shipping to and from Japan is still terrible. My home country still can’t use EMS, so that sucks. Sent some packages around May, nothing yet. Shipping via sea will probably still take like half a year.
My folks only ship care packages to me via USPS Priority International and even from late 2020 it’s never been longer than a couple weeks; last couple packages this year and last have generally been within one week.