Expand your UK business by exporting to the USA
It should come as no surprise that the USA is the UK’s biggest trade partner. Ecommerce is no exception, with technology and lifestyle industries making up for massive volumes of parcels travelling overseas through our network. For large and small businesses alike, breaking into the US market could present an ocean of opportunity to grow your userbase or diversify your product to meet the needs of a titan of world trade. As a courier that assists thousands of businesses across the UK in achieving their shipping goals, allow us to walk you through everything you need to consider when exporting goods to the USA.
Selling to the USA on an online marketplace
An online marketplace is a platform for buyers and sellers, offering handy features to allow businesses to sell with minimal barrier for entry. This ease-of-use extends naturally into selling overseas, so you can utilise these platforms in your journey to exporting goods to the USA.
Amazon
Gain instant access to millions of online customers with the world’s leading digital marketplace. Set up an entire digital storefront with Amazon’s amazing seller tools to elevate your ecommerce platform. If you’re already set up in the UK with Amazon, then it’s as easy as linking your account to a US Seller Account. If you’re totally new to the platform, then making a fresh account couldn’t be simpler. Follow our guide on how to sell on Amazon in 2025 for more.
eBay
Providing businesses and individuals with the tools to sell in a wide variety of markets, eBay has always been a pioneer of online marketplaces. Allowing businesses to further their reach overseas was always the natural next step, and eBay couldn’t have made it easier for their users. Whether you’re totally new to eBay and are just setting up an account, or you’ve been selling for years, all you need to do is offer international shipping on your product and the channel is officially opened. Discover more on how to sell on eBay in 2025 for more.
Etsy
For small businesses and independent creatives and entrepreneurs, Etsy proudly advertise the heart that goes into making a product, allowing their sellers access to dozens of niche audiences with a taste for quality. When you register to sell on Etsy, you can use their handy shipping profiles to decide which countries you want to be able to send to as well as customise the postage rates for each once you’ve managed to calculate your shipping costs. Learn more about how to sell on Etsy in 2024 with our guide.
How to get started exporting to the USA independently
It’s first important to ensure that your product listing complies with US consumer standards. Think about the sizes and dimensions of your product, because the USA not only favours imperial measurements, but they also have totally different standard clothing and shoe sizes. Present the details of your product thoroughly and account for regional differences.
Now you’ve refined your product, and you’ve made a sale, where do you go from there? For large enterprises, our UK based fulfilment services would take care of your product. For the majority of businesses, the most cost-effective solution would be to partner with an international courier.
At Evri, our goal is delivering your parcels at an affordable price quickly and easily. With our Bulk integrations, sending large volumes of parcels becomes a stress-free process, allowing you to book multiple parcels at once by simply importing a single CSV. Print labels in store at any of our ParcelShops, and now you can even order regular packaging supplies from us for competitive prices to keep your business moving and cut down on your shipping costs.
Opportunities for growth in the USA market
When exploring the idea of exporting goods to the USA, it’s important to consider your business and whether the potential for growth is strong enough to justify the investment. Thankfully in the modern world, there is more opportunity than ever before. Open to a vast selection of products and services, our courier service can support your businesses in delivering to new markets across the globe. Here are just a few opportunities in the USA with great potential that you should consider:
Fashion
The culturally rich population of the United States is evident, and its fashion industry is representative of that. Introduction of a bespoke and innovative clothing brand into the United States market could offer massive growth potential, especially when you consider the strength of its current viral marketing and influencer culture. This is not to mention the lightweight and space-efficient nature of shipping clothes, making for a relatively low-cost venture into a thriving market.
Technology
New gadgets and tech are being dreamed into reality all over the world, and there are few countries as receptive this as the United States. With products like Apple’s flagship iPhone dropping a reported 10% in sales at the start of 2024, it’s clear that new innovations in tech market are being sought after by a wider and wider demographic. Many tech devices and accessories are lightweight and securely packaged, offering a solid contender for that break into the USA that you might be looking for.
Books
Literature is a timeless market, with independent authors and publishers being celebrated all over the world. Publishing intelligence service BookScan reported upwards of 767 million books sold in the United States in 2023, indicating a clear desire to preserve the physical medium in the consumer habits of Americans. Books are easy to package and incredibly safe during transit, equating to low cost and high reward venture into the USA market.
Customs on goods entering the USA
Due in part to the volume of products being imported in the USA every day, the customs process is actually rather straightforward. Forms have been streamlined over the years and processes refined to the point where the HS number of your product is the only piece of information you might not have to hand. This can be easily searched online, or when you ship with Evri, simply describe your item and we will provide the HS number.
When you’re shipping in large quantities, the last thing you want to worry about is being overloaded with paperwork. When you ship with Evri, we handle all of the documentation for you. Simply follow the instructions during the booking process by entering your details accurately and you’re all sorted.
