Export Documentation FAQ

1. The document set

The export set is small and standard: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document, certificate of origin where applicable, and the machine's conformity certificate (CE or EAC). Banks under L/C pay against this set, customs clears against it, and insurers cover against it — so the set must be complete, consistent and accurate before the cargo moves.

Get the document list from your customs broker or buyer's agent before shipment, and review drafts while the cargo is still at the factory, not at the border.

2. Commercial invoice

The commercial invoice states the seller, buyer, value, description, incoterm and payment terms. Customs values the cargo from it, banks check it against the L/C, and any mismatch — wrong value, vague description, missing incoterm — is a stop. The description should be precise enough for classification without inventing a product type.

For machinery, the invoice should match the packing list item by item, and the total should match the payment documents.

3. Packing list

The packing list says what is in each crate: item, quantity, gross and net weight, dimensions and crate marks. It is the document customs uses to inspect and the freight forwarder uses to handle the cargo. A mismatch between invoice and packing list — an item on one but not the other — is the most common cause of clearance delay.

Check the crate marks match the documents and the marks are actually painted on the crates. Sounds obvious; it is the classic gap.

4. Transport documents

The transport document is the contract of carriage and the title document: bill of lading for sea, CMR for road, railway consignment note for rail. It records what was loaded, by whom, and to where — and for L/C payments it is the document the bank releases money against. Its accuracy is the accuracy of the cargo's legal identity.

Confirm the consignee, notify party and delivery terms are exactly as the buyer's country requires — a wrong consignee name is a customs stop.

5. Certificate of origin

The certificate of origin states where the goods were manufactured, and it unlocks trade preferences (reduced or zero duty) where the destination country has an agreement with the origin country. It is issued by the exporting country's chamber or authorised body and must match the invoice description.

Ask the broker whether a preference applies to your product and origin — a certificate costs little and can save a real duty amount.

6. Machinery certificates

Machinery adds a conformity document to the export set: CE where the destination requires it, EAC for the EAEU, and national approvals elsewhere. The certificate covers the exact machine model and is part of the customs file — without it the machine is not importable, whatever the other documents say.

Confirm the certificate scope in the contract and request a copy before shipment, with the model number matched to the order.

7. The errors that stall cargo

The repeated errors: invoice and packing list disagree, crate marks missing or wrong, consignee details wrong, certificate for the wrong model, and origin certificate missing where a preference applies. Each is a border delay and a demurrage bill — and each is preventable by reviewing the drafts before the cargo moves.

The documents are the filling machine or line's shadow copy — make them as accurate as the machine, and the shipment is a process.

Frequently asked questions