LEAD TIME & TARIFF

For orders being shipped from South Korea to the United States, we offer three options prioritized by lowest cost and lowest emissions, to highest cost and highest emissions.

1. Ocean freight to the nearest port. The most cost-effective and lowest emissions option, but also the slowest. On average it takes an additional 2-4 weeks on top of our standard lead time to get to the East Coast compared to the West Coast using this method.

2. Ocean freight to Los Angeles. Transferring to truck freight in Los Angeles can save time but adds to the expense. Ground freight from Los Angeles can reach most destinations in the continental US within 5 days. This can be a good compromise for shipments going to the East Coast that are time sensitive, however it increases shipping costs by 3-5 times depending on volume.

3. Air freight. The fastest option but also the most expensive and least environmental as it generates 47 times the carbon emissions compared to ocean freight (MIT). Typically reduces the overall lead time by 3-7 weeks compared to ocean freight. Costs up to 10 times more than ocean freight.

We do offer partial shipping via air upon request, in cases where you may need a smaller quantity of units shipped urgently. Whenever possible we recommend using the first option (ocean freight to the nearest port) to minimize costs and carbon emissions.

Yes. Factories operate on a first-come first-served basis. Starting in July, volume increases significantly which means your order will be placed in a queue that is 1-4 weeks longer than other times throughout the year. The deadlines in our holiday calendar take this difference into account.

When planning your order, consider holidays which may cause factory closures. If your product is manufactured abroad, consider that some ports and customs offices are closed during holidays, which may add to the delay.

The lead times published in our Catalog and Delivery Schedule take into account delays caused by the holidays listed below. You can also find deadlines to receive packaging by Black Friday in our peak season deadlines tracker. Keep in mind that every manufacturer has specific lead times that will only be visible to you once you receive a quote.

United States

• New Year’s Day - January 1
• Memorial Day - last Monday of May
• Independence Day - July 4
• Labor Day - 1st Monday of September
• Thanksgiving Day - fourth Thursday of November
• Christmas Eve - December 24
• Christmas Day - December 25

South Korea (2024)

• New Year's Day - January 1
• Lunar New Year - February 9 – February 12
• Independence Movement Day - March 1
• Election Day - April 10
• Children's Day - May 6
• Buddha's Birthday - May 15
• Memorial Day - June 6
• National Liberation Day - August 15
• Korean Thanksgiving Day - September 14 - September 18
• National Foundation day of Korea - October 3
• Hanguel Proclamation Day - October 9
• Christmas Day - December 25

It depends on the details of the order. We recommend that you request a quote or get in touch.

To ensure that your order progresses rapidly we recommend that you prepare your artwork ahead of time, and make sure it is properly formatted for manufacturing. See our formatting guidelines for instructions on vectorizing your designs and converting fonts to outlines.

The clock starts ticking once you approve the final production-ready artwork. You can save time by having it ready to go.

Shipments traveling overseas must pass through customs which can sometimes be a cause of unexpected delays. Passing through customs can lead to delays because the ports can be backed up, particularly during busy times of the year (see holiday calendar). Furthermore, some ports in the US have been slowed down by port worker strikes.

Yes! Keep an eye on the CARETSTORE Blog for roundups of our favorite design ideas for holiday packaging. You can also follow @caretstore on Instagram for inspiration from brands big and small.