When global shipping questions arise, there is never a shortage of opinions. What journalists tell ePost Global, however, is that they need more than sound bites; they need clear explanations grounded in real parcel data and day‑to‑day experience running international networks for high-volume eCommerce brands.
In those moments, we here at ePost aren’t guessing from the sidelines. As logistics experts we’re looking at how millions of parcels have actually moved through shipping configurations, then translating that into practical guidance on what the headlines mean for costs, delivery promises, and customer experience.
Over time, that has led to a recurring set of topics the press asks us about most often. The sections below highlight some of the most common questions journalists bring to ePost Global and the core talking points we use to help readers make sense of increasingly complex global shipping.
How are tariffs turning into sudden cost shocks for eCommerce brands?
When tariffs and stricter customs enforcement start quietly eroding margins, the first question reporters ask is which product categories are most at risk and why some brands seem caught off guard. The data from ePost’s 2025 Shipping Optimization Analysis shows that approximately 72.8% of categories, representing 79.5% of total shipment value, fall into tariff-sensitive classifications, and 42% of shipping value sits in high or very high customs‑complexity categories, including apparel & textiles, electronics & technology, and luxury & personal items.
A few themes we come back to in those conversations:
- Tariff exposure is now the norm, not the exception.
Most cross-border assortments include items that face elevated duties, origin checks, or de minimis changes.
- The biggest cost shocks come from paperwork, not just policy.
Vague product descriptions, default HS codes, and mismatched country-of-origin data turn a routine shipment into an unexpected 20%–25% tariff hit or a delayed order.
- The fastest way to regain control is operational.
Operational tactics include tightening HS code governance, standardizing descriptions, and using pre-clearance and value-based routing to steer high-risk SKUs onto lanes and thresholds where they are less exposed.
For a deeper dive into how those patterns show up in real cross-border data and recent policy shifts, explore ePost Global’s 2025 Shipping Optimization Analysis and related coverage on tariff turbulence, such as the impact of tariffs in Canada, or impacts of tariffs on eCommerce, featuring Helaine Rich.
What happens to peak-season shipping when labor disputes hit?
When Canada Post announces strikes or major delivery reforms, the first thing reporters want to understand is whether this will be a few days of noise or a season-defining disruption for eCommerce. They ask how much parcel volume is at risk, which regions will feel it first, and whether this is a short-term service issue or the start of a long-term shift away from the postal network.
In those interviews, the discussion usually centers on three ideas:
- The question isn’t just “Will there be delays?” but also “Where will capacity go?”
Beyond slower deliveries, labor disputes can permanently reshape the delivery landscape. For instance, large shippers quietly diverting volume to alternative carriers can affect how much eCommerce traffic shifts from Canada Post to private networks over the long term. - Peak-season reliability depends on rerouting rules you set before the headlines hit.
ePost works with clients to predefine which SKUs, destinations, and service levels can shift to regional carriers or cross-border partners should postal capacity tighten, so there is a playbook in place instead of frantic scrambling once a strike starts. - Realistic transit-time scenarios beat generic warnings.
Rather than saying “Expect delays,” our team models specific corridor impacts—how many extra days to rural vs. urban destinations, how long backlogs typically take to clear—and what they mean for delivery promises and marketing messages.
For a deeper dive into what rotating strikes, nationwide shutdowns, and home-delivery reforms mean for parcel volume and long-term carrier strategy in Canada, readers can follow ePost Global’s coverage on Canada Post’s strike activity, as well as ePost's Alison Layfield on navigating Canada Post’s rotating strikes during peak season.
How can brands cut international shipping costs without cutting corners?
When journalists ask how brands can lower international shipping costs without hurting the customer experience, they usually want specifics, including which levers actually move cost per order and which savings boomerang back as complaints, refunds, and churn. Their stories often focus on the tension between rising cross-border costs and consumer expectations that delivery will still be fast, trackable, and drama-free.
Here is how our experts tend to break it down:
- Start with packaging and value density as well as rates.
For many cross-border parcels, the billable weight is driven by box size, dunnage, and how efficiently items are packed, which means right-sizing packaging, improving cube utilization, and consolidating low-value items can cut effective shipping spend by double-digit percentages before any rate negotiation happens. - Use multicarrier routing to pay for reliability where it matters.
ePost’s analysis of 20 million parcels shows that multicarrier strategies deliver faster, more consistent transit times than single-carrier approaches while keeping average costs in check. This is especially true when premium services are reserved for high-value or time-sensitive shipments and lower-cost networks handle routine lanes. - Quantify trade-offs with lane-level data instead of guesses.
Reporters lean on ePost’s parcel and lane data to compare cost-effective but vulnerable options with slightly costlier services that consistently hit delivery promises. Our data also helps model the impact of a one-day slowdown on customer behavior and shows how smarter packaging plus multicarrier routing can meaningfully reduce cost per order without downgrading the delivery experience.
For a deeper dive into how these levers play out across real cross-border lanes, readers can follow Deb Deakin’s guidance on cutting international shipping costs through smarter packaging and fulfillment decisions and additional practical tips in our Shipping Intelligence hub.
What’s really changing in Mexico–U.S. cross-border shipping?
Reporters are suddenly treating Mexico–U.S. logistics as a front-page story because the old playbook—using Mexican fulfillment to reduce de minimis rates and avoid U.S. duties—is breaking down under new tariffs and stricter customs rules. They want to understand whether nearshoring to Mexico still makes sense for DTC brands or if the combination of higher tariffs, tighter data requirements, and de minimis changes will force those brands to rethink how and where they fulfill orders.
Here’s how we typically unpack those questions:
- De minimis is no longer a reliable safety valve, especially for Mexico-linked flows.
Journalists ask how the end of the U.S. de minimis exemption and Mexico’s own tariff surge affect the once-popular model of importing goods into Mexico and drip-feeding them into the U.S. one parcel at a time. The answer is that both sides are now cracking down—raising rates on China-origin goods, requiring more detailed shipper and consignee tax IDs, and closing loopholes that DTC brands once used to keep landed costs low. - Routing is now a compliance decision as much as a cost decision.
Reporters want to know whether brands should fulfill from the U.S., Mexico, or another hub, and which ports or networks are less likely to generate surprise assessments. ePost’s team walks them through scenarios that compare U.S.-fulfilled and Mexico-fulfilled flows, highlight how uneven enforcement at different Mexican entry points can change the duty bill, and show where it may be safer to consolidate and clear in one jurisdiction instead of gaming thresholds. - Documentation is now the front line against shock duties and fines.
Journalists also focus on the practical side: what data customs now expects on each shipment and how DTC brands can avoid having parcels held or re-rated at the border. The guidance from ePost’s team centers on getting precise HS codes, origins, and tax IDs, aligning product catalogs with broker requirements, and treating compliance as an ongoing operational process rather than a last-minute form fill—because mistakes can quickly turn into 25%–30% higher costs or repeated inspections.
For a deeper dive into how Mexico’s tariff surge, customs crackdowns, and changing de minimis rules are reshaping cross-border eCommerce for DTC brands, readers can follow coverage featuring ePost’s Carlos Barbosa.
Why is a single carrier now a single point of failure?
Journalists are digging into multicarrier vs. single-carrier strategies because the cost of delays is now measurable. ePost’s analysis of 20 million parcels shows that multicarrier networks deliver meaningfully faster and more reliable service across key international lanes than single-provider setups. With services like Domestic eDGE and Canada eDGE rolling out, they want hard numbers on these managed multicarrier networks.
In most media conversations, we frame it this way:
- Multicarrier is about performance routing.
Reporters ask whether adding carriers just creates complexity; the answer is that a managed multicarrier network uses routing logic and performance data to send each parcel to the carrier that is best for that lane, not to whichever carrier holds the master contract. ePost’s study found that on major European routes, this approach delivered parcels up to 37% faster to France and 24% faster to Germany than single-carrier or postal-only strategies, with similar advantages on U.S.–Canada lanes when weather or labor disruptions hit. - Domestic eDGE and Canada eDGE are how multicarrier networks show up in the real world.
Journalists often use these services as concrete examples: Domestic eDGE and Canada eDGE sit on top of multiple last-mile providers, but merchants see one label, one tracking number, and a single partner managing the orchestration. That lets ePost shift volume away from bottlenecked carriers during peak, strikes, or capacity caps without brands having to renegotiate contracts midcrisis. - The story now is resilience and cost predictability, not just speed.
Reporters want to quantify whether the multicarrier approach actually reduces exceptions, surprise fees, and customer-service spikes. ePost’s data shows that spreading volume across carriers cuts exposure to accessorials and reduces exception rates, which is why many large retailers are moving away from loyalty deals and toward performance-based multicarrier models.
For a deeper dive into the numbers behind those claims, readers can explore our 20+ Million Parcel Study and listen to insights from ePost's Carlos Barbosa on why multicarrier strategies outperform single-carrier models.
Looking for more resources? Check out our Press Center.
Reach out for more expertise
With years of experience guiding teams through complex logistics challenges, we’re a steady resource that journalists, as well as enterprise shippers, rely on during moments of turbulence. If you’re looking for steadier operations, clearer guidance, or a partner who can enable you to scale with less friction, reach out—we’re here to help.
