In today’s world, globalization has increased the international trade which involves the flow of imports and exports of materials. For this exchange to happen efficiently, documentation process plays a very important role. Whatever the mode of transport is, either by plane or ship or road transport, you need to make sure you have all the right documents, file the necessary documents and submit them on time for the Customs Clearance process. It does involve a lot of paperwork and the process can also get delayed if your documents are not clear and sufficient.

Some of the documents you must make sure while submitting for customs clearance are as follows:

Detailed Invoice

For any of your business transactions, it is important to submit a detailed invoice that includes the description of each item and its price. This helps the customs officials verify the rates you have mentioned in the invoice with the international market rate. In case, if the data is found irrelevant or doubtful, there are high chances where the process may not get cleared. The customs officers valuate them based on the documents you have submitted as a commercial invoice.

Packing List

Your invoice must cover all the items you would like to ship. Having a packing list is a must which helps in identifying each parcel and to whom it belongs and if it matches as listed on the invoice. To avoid any confusions, it is mandatory to put the shipping marks on all the cargo covering each and every parcel. A packing list should contain the details of the number of parcels, their dimensions, the shipping marks, and the gross and net weight of each parcel along with the number of units contained in each parcel.

Certificate of Origin

While exporting your things to a different country, the customs officer will check the certificate of origin of the materials. Based on certain agreements, this certificate can help in getting benefitted from favourable tariffs for import duties. In that case, the export agency will issue this certificate for you to submit for the Customs clearance process. It will further help the customs department in classifying the cargo under specific schedule.

Shipment Receipt

No matter what the mode of transport of goods are, a legal document with a detailed list of shipping goods must be signed by an authorised representative from the carrier, shipper, and receiver. This is known as “bill of lading” which involves between the shipper of goods and the carrier detailing the type, quantity, and destination of the goods being carried. The bill of lading also serves as a receipt of shipment when the goods are delivered to the predetermined destination.

During the cargo shipping, it is mandatory to have an ‘On Board Bill of Lading’ that signifies that the cargo has been loaded or boarded the ship. This is one of the documents required for negotiations of payment from importer to the exporter. Air way Bill is the negotiable transport document issued by an Airline or a Freight Forwarder who consolidates the airfreight cargo. In the case of transporting goods through road, the particular transport will issue the transport document, a Way Bill covering the shipment. Depending on the mode of transport, one of these documents would be required to be submitted along with the commercial invoice and packing list to the Customs for clearance.

To ensure a clear and successful process of importing or exporting goods, you can find the best Custom Clearance agents now.