10 Common Export Documents You Should Know About

Once you have obtained your international order, your next few days or months will be focused on producing the required goods. But as soon as you get your order, you need to discuss the nitty-gritty of how your order will be prepared and shipped to avoid any eleventh-hour confusion and this for everyone’s benefit.

So you know documents are highly crucial in any business, more so in case of exporting as it is associated with a lot of unprecedented risks. Maintaining proper documents and adhering to them can save you a lot. Here are some very important documents you need for your exporting business:

1. Proforma Invoice: This is the first document the seller issues to confirm a sale with prices, turn around time and other terms that need to be confined by both the seller and the buyer. Once the buyer agrees to the proforma invoice and sends out the purchase order, he agrees to all the terms mandated in the PI.
2. Commercial Invoice: This is a significant document for accounting that the seller creates for the buyer. It denotes the exact value of goods that are being sent along with shipping charges. The commercial invoice will contain all of the important information like the seller, country of origin, weight and description of goods, price, invoice value, and currency. All these will be attested by the exporter.
3. Packing List: A detailed packing list and shipping list are almost similar. It contains details such as what is being shipped, how the items are packed, how they are numbered, and dimensions. It is not mandatory but is very important for the freight forwarders and buyers to identify the shipment easily. Also facilitates the forwarders to create the Bill of Lading easily.
4. Bill of Lading: Bill of Lading is a confirmation document issued by the carrier assuming responsibility for your goods thereafter. It contains all the necessary information about the shipment like what is being shipped, who the receiver is, the destination country, date of shipment, etc. There are different types of bills of lading, your provider will help you choose the right one for you.
5. Certificate of Manufacturer: This is an important document which confirms that the agreed manufacturer only manufactured your goods at an agreed facility (if any). This also notarises other requirements to be taken care of by the manufacturer.
6. Certificate of Origin: Any applicable duty rates are more often than not connected with the country of origin. Most countries have their customs department have all the goods check the country of origin of the goods to check if they violate any free trade agreement.
7. Insurance: It is absolutely necessary that you take marine cargo insurance for your goods to cover them against any unforeseen circumstances or any damage or loss of goods. You can incur heavy losses should something go wrong during transit.
8. Export License: The export license is a certificate issued by the government which authorises the goods being sent to a specific destination. You need to provide Bill of Lading or Airway bill number, packing list, commercial invoice to obtain the license. Many countries mandate that the goods are licensed by the origin governments.
9. Conformity Certificate: Conformity certificate ensures that the products conform to the agreed terms and conditions between the seller and the buyer. It is authorised by a third-party agency. It is mandated by many countries for certain goods, it is always better to check if your goods fall under that category. It is your responsibility to obtain this certificate if necessary, freight forwarders will not assume responsibility for the same.
10. Dock Receipt: Dock receipt will make sure that all goods that are being sent are accounted for. This is an important document that contains information like the weight and dimension of the products being shipped are declared correctly and that all goods are properly labelled and complies to their shipping standards.