What does “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” mean? This is a tracking update you will receive when a package is being shipped from Japan.
Does this alert mean that the item is on its way? Let’s take a look.
Summary: Dispatch from Outward Office of Exchange
“Dispatch from outward office of exchange” means that the package has gone through a customs scan at the origin country (in this case Japan) and is ready to be loaded onto a plane or cargo ship for export.
How Long will my Package Remain on “Dispatch from Outward Office of Exchange”?
Unfortunately, there can often be a long gap between this update and the one that follows.
If services are running to schedule, your package should be on a plane within 24hrs of this update.
However, depending on the number of intermediate countries that the package travels to, it can be days (and in the case of sea cargo shipping, weeks), before the next tracking update occurs.
This will be when the package enters the destination country and the update will state: “Arrival at inward office of exchange”.
- Related Content: Receive Item at Office of Exchange (OTB) – What Does it Mean?
Why Will My Package Not Arrive Direct?
The reason your package travels through intermediate countries is that flights from Japan do not run directly to all countries.
There will be linking flights along the journey, and your package will not necessarily be scanned for the tracking status to be updated.
Even when the package arrives in the U.S., it may not be an airport within your state, but a major hub facility in a state hundred miles from where you live.
- Related Content: Arrival at Outward Office of Exchange – What Does it Mean?
What to do if my Package Remains Stuck on this Update
If your package remains stuck on “Dispatch from outward office of exchange”, the first thing to do is measure your expectations.
As mentioned above, a package sent via sea bound cargo ship can take several weeks. Your package status will not update until it has arrived at the destination country.
If you don’t know how the item was shipped, you should check with the shipper to clarify.
A package sent by Japan Post via air should not be stuck on the “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” for too long.
That being said several days to a week should be expected depending on the service speed used by the shipper.
If your package is stuck on the update for longer than these approximate times, you should contact the shipper and/or Japan Post for more information on what the hold-up might be.
Where is My Package When it States, “Dispatch from Outward Office of Exchange?
Your package is still in Japan but is about to be loaded onto a plane or sea-based cargo ship when you receive this update.
In either case, the package has passed the export customs security clearance and has been scanned accordingly. The next step for the package is to leave Japan.
- Related Content: Is Shipping to Puerto Rico International?
Final Words
Because there can be a long gap between the “Dispatch from outward office of exchange” update and a newer alert, it is common to think something has gone wrong.
Ultimately it is a waiting game. The next scan will be confirming that the package has arrived in the destination country, (i.e the country of the recipient).
On international air shipments, this should be within a week. Sea-based cargo travel will take a lot longer.
Be patient and contact the shipper or Japan Post if you feel that too much time has passed without any updates.
I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂