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Thefollowing
documents are commonly used in exporting, but specific requirements vary by
destination and product.
Shipper’sExport
Declaration
Commercial invoice
Certificate of Origin
Bill of Lading
Temporary Import Certificate / ATA CARNET
Insurance certificate
Export Packing List
Import License
Consular Invoice
Inspection Certification
Dock Receipt and Warehouse Receipt
Destination Control Statement
The
SED is
the most common of all export documents. It can be electronically filed using
the
AESDirect online system.
A
bill for the goods from the seller to the buyer. These invoices are often used
by governments to determine the true value of goods when assessing customs
duties. Governments that use the commercial invoice to control imports will
often specify its form, content, number of copies, language to be used, and
other characteristics (see
Sample).
TheCertificate
of Origin is only required by some countries. In many cases, astatement of
origin printed on company letterhead will suffice (
downloadgeneric
certificate or see
Sample
withexplanation). Special certificates are needed for countries with which
theUnited States has special trade agreements, such as Mexico, Canada and
Israel(see more information on
Free Trade Agreements).
A
contract between the owner of the goods and the carrier (as with
domesticshipments). For vessels, there are two types: a straight bill of lading
which is non-negotiable and a negotiable or shipper's order bill of lading. The
latter can be bought, sold, or traded while the goods are in transit. The
customer usually needs an original as proof of ownership to take possession of
the goods (see
SampleShort
Form Bill of Lading and
SampleLiner
Bill of Lading).
An
ATACarnet
(a. k. a. "Merchandise Passport") is a document that facilitates the
temporary importation of products into foreign countries by eliminating tariffs
and value-added taxes (VAT) or the posting of a security deposit normally
required at the time of importation.
Used
to assure the consignee that insurance will cover the loss of or damage to
thecargo during transit (see
Sample).
These can be obtained from your
freightforwarder.
Considerably
more detailed and informative than a standard domestic packing list, it itemizes
the material in each individual package and indicates the type of package, such
as a box, crate, drum, or carton. Both commercial stationers and freight
forwarders carry packing list forms.
Import
licenses are the responsibility of the importer. Including a copy with the rest
of your documentation, however, can sometimes help avoid problems with customs
in the destination country.
Requiredin
some countries, it describes the shipment of goods and shows information such as
the consignor, consignee, and value of the shipment. If required, copies are
available from the
destination
country's Embassy or Consulate in the U.S.
AirWay
Bills
Airfreight
shipments are handled by air waybills, which can never be made innegotiable form
(see
Sample).
Requiredby
some purchasers and countries in order to attest to the specifications of the
goods shipped. This is usually performed by a third party and often obtained
from independent testing organizations.
Usedto
transfer accountability when the export item is moved by the domestic carrier to
the port of embarkation and left with the ship line for export.
Appears
on the commercial invoice, and ocean or air waybill of lading to notify the
carrier and all foreign parties that the item can be exported only to certain
destinations.
When
shipping a product overseas, the exporter must be aware of packing,
labeling,documentation, and insurance requirements.
Moste
xporters rely on an international freight forwarder to perform these services
because of the multitude of considerations involved in physically exporting
goods.
Aninternational
freightforwarder
is an agent for the exporter in moving cargo to an overseas destination. Whether
an exporter is large or small, the weight of the cargo light or heavy, a freight
forwarder can take care of cargo from “dock to door,” thus freeing the
exporter from dealing with many logistics-related details.
The
Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) assigns a number to each product that is traded
internationally. Each country can assign on its own four additional
numbers,making the entire number 10 digits. The United States does this with its
ScheduleB
system.
Tariffsor
duties are a tax levied by governments on the value of products imported
from one country into another. Before you export to any country, you need to
determine what the tariff rate is on your product(s) as well as any import fees
for that country.
There
are many
common export
documents that have to accompany export shipments including theShipper’s
Export Declaration, invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin and the list
goes on.
Send Your Inquiries to:
Export@PJComputers.Net
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