Four Practical Tips For Efficient and Cost-Effective UK to USA Exports

A world of opportunity awaits when considering exporting products from the UK to the USA. According to the stats from COMTRADE, the value of UK exports to the USA was US$57.72 billion in 2020.  Many UK manufacturers see the potential of the US market, and many have very successfully expanded their business. 

If you’re unfamiliar with shipping to the US and the options available to you, shipping from the United Kingdom to the United States of America has the potential to be expensive and time-consuming.

Whether you have an established customer base in the US or are looking to expand your reach into a new market, it's crucial to find ways to reduce costs and delivery times. 

This blog will focus primarily on Ocean freight, which is usually cheaper than Air Freight, although it does take longer. First, we’ll examine what Ocean Freight shipping options you have from the UK to the USA. Then, we’ll list four ways you can make exporting from the UK to the USA quicker and more cost-effective.

Shipping Ocean Freight From The UK to The USA

When shipping freight by sea, you'll need to decide whether you want to use Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL) shipping. This choice determines how your goods are stored.

FCL shipping means that your goods will occupy the entire space of the container. In comparison, LCL refers to when your goods are shipped inside the same container as other merchandise.

Determining which is better for your shipment from the UK to the USA depends on your cargo and priorities. In general, FCL shipments are the correct choice when you prioritise security or have many goods you need to ship. By contrast, LCL shipments would be the better choice when you want to save shipping costs for small to medium-sized shipments.

Learn More About Whether LCL or FCL is Right For Your Business

1. Prepare All The Correct Documents

Sorting out the required paperwork to clear customs can be time-consuming and complex. However, missing documents and errors can cause significant delays. Most of the time, when shipping from the UK to the USA, you'll need these documents:

Prepare All Current Documents (1) (1)

A trusted expert like WTA can help by highlighting the documents you'll need and ensuring everything is in order when your goods reach customs. Our team will also be there for you during every shipment process, so your goods arrive in the destination country as expected.

Discover Our Guide to Shipping Documents

2. Book Shipments In Advance

While making shipments by sea is the cheapest option, it also takes substantially longer than air or express shipments. One way to compromise is by booking in advance. By booking in advance, you can save money and plan ahead to get your shipment to the correct location as early as possible.

Booking your shipments ahead of time can help to reduce stress when delays occur. You’ll have plenty of time to adapt to any changes, and shippers can make you a priority more easily.

3. Ship Outside Of Peak Times

When carriers are busy, shipping prices go up, and transit takes more time. Whenever possible, you should avoid shipping during the peak season. For shipments from the UK to the USA, peak season occurs in the fall months when businesses prepare for holiday shopping.

Additionally, carriers will often lower their prices during the middle of the month as they try and fill the supply on their vessel. This means that booking during the last two weeks of the month has the opportunity to save you money on your shipping.

4. Work With Reliable Shipping Partners

When you're inexperienced with shipping, it's often best to work with an expert. Finding a partner you can trust is critical. The right company should excel in the industry, granting you a sense of safety and focusing on your business’s service side.

At WTA UK, we help develop supply chains of tomorrow, bringing end-to-end visibility, advanced data analytics and exception management.  Enabling us to Transport our client's goods worldwide with our network of global partners, we give all of our clients a completely personalised experience, streamlining their supply chain and reducing overall costs. With air, sea, overland and warehousing capabilities, we develop solutions that perfectly fit your individual needs - regardless of the complexity of your supply chain.

Discover How You Can Optimise Your Supply Chain


Shipping from the UK to the USA can be expensive and take a substantial amount of time. Still, you can reduce costs and delivery times by preparing ahead and working with reputable shipping partners. 

On-time delivery in perfect condition worldwide demands detailed planning, careful selection of transportation modes, and a total understanding of relevant customs regulations and statutory controls. WTA UK manages the export and import of a wide variety of goods, working with each client to design processes specific to their needs.

If you'd like more information on exporting from the UK to USA, check out our cost breakdown below.

UK to USA - Exporting Cost Breakdown

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