Documentation Requirements

Questions and answers about Documentation Requirements

  • Commercial invoice requirements

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    QUESTION: Commercial invoicing requirements for imports are covered under 19CFR 142.6. Where would we find the same requirements set forth for export commercial invoicing requirements? 15 CFR 30.6 covers EEI filing requirements but not invoicing requirements? ================================================================ Answers: The US export regulations do not provide any requirements for export invoices. ================================================================ As far as I’m […]

  • QUANTITY ON SHIPPING DOCUMENTS

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    QUESTION: We are selling equipment that is packaged in a multipack. For example, the customer places a PO for 1 of item number 1234, with the description of item 1234 mentioning that there are 5 in the package. For example : widget for servers – qty 5. How are others listing the total quantity on […]

  • Original Shipping Document

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    QUESTION: Would like to hear from the membership how they handle the below scenario: We have a customer that is on Direct Import, we deliver the goods to the port, where they are loaded onto the customers vessel.. We receive the draft of the FCR at origin. The forwarder has been taking FOREVER to send […]

  • EXW INVOICE

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    QUESTION: So we purchase material (ex-works) from another company. We are the Customer.  another company ships us the purchased material. However, they refuse to put the foreign ship from address on the commercial invoice.  The product in turn gets stopped by our broker because there is no ship from address listed. We have been going […]

  • Cross border shipments record keeping requirements

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    QUESTION: I would like to confirm as importer of record if we should be retaining any further documents for cross border shipments from Mexico/Canada.  The documents we are currently retaining are below: Entry Summary (7501) Inward Cargo Manifest for vessel under 5 tons… Entry/Immediate Delivery Form Commercial invoice (includes paps and carrier code) ******** Answers: […]

  • US Import document retention

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    QUESTION: Does anyone in the membership keep their US import records for 6 years (default)  to cover recordkeeping requirements for the ISF rather than the 5 years required by the regulations for the other documents?  We changed our recordkeeping policy to 6 years after the ISF was implemented, but I am wondering if we should […]

  • SELF-FILING I.T. DOCUMENTS

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    QUESTION: Our company is looking into the possibility of cutting our own IT’s. Can anyone give the pros and cons to cutting your own IT’s? Also, I would like some feedback on best practices for this process. *********** Answers: We have many clients using our system to file their In-Bonds via ABI.  Some are carriers […]

  • SHIPPING INVOICE REQUIREMENT

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    QUESTION: Our shipping site asked me the other day if it was a requirement when shipping documents internationally, that we create a commercial invoice and have it accompany the shipment? My initial thought was that every international shipment requires an invoice regardless of what is being shipped. Is this correct? Can anyone point me in […]

  • MANUAL SHIPPING DOC ALTERNATIVES

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    QUESTION: We have some shipments that ship directly from Asia to South America to the following countries. The products that we shipped are consumer products like keyboards, power cords, docking stations, backpacks, etc…   Argentina Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Mexico (random) Panama (random) Peru   According to the customs brokers at these countries, due […]

  • IDENTIFYING EXPORTER ON B/L

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    QUESTION: We import tires from overseas that are subject to anti-dumping duties. We put products from 2-3 factories in the same container, buy on FOB origin basis, and arrange with steamship lines on the freight side.  The factories file for export with origin government, and are listed as “exporter” on the country’s official document. We […]

  • SHIPPING DOCUMENTATION FROM CHINA

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    QUESTION: I am somewhat new to my company and have little experience with ocean freight from Asia – any help would be greatly appreciated. I recently learned that our AP department has a requirement of our international suppliers that the supplier name on the BOL must match the supplier name on our purchase order.  I […]

  • DROP SHIP DOCUMENTS

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    QUESTION: We have a customer in the Middle East who requires both a commercial invoice and certificate of origin to be attested by the chamber of commerce in the country of origin of the product.  The product is ordered through our US office, who in turn places an order with an unrelated supplier in China.  […]