Documentation is important for the shipment of an item overseas. There are a number of documents that the freight forwarder needs to prepare for the shipment that requires specialist knowledge.
Bill of Lading (BOL) – The BOL is a contract between the owner of the goods and the carrier. There are two types of BOL; firstly a straight bill of lading which is nonnegotiable and secondly, a negotiable or shipper''s order bill of lading. The negotiable BOL can be bought, sold, or traded while the goods are in transit. The customer will usually need an original as proof of ownership to take possession of the goods.
Commercial Invoice – The invoice is the bill for the goods from the seller to the buyer. It can be used to determine the true value of goods when assessing the amount of customs duty.
Certificate of Origin (COO) – The COO is a signed statement which identifies the origin of the export item.
Inspection Certificate – This document may be required by the customer to certify the goods have been inspected or tested and the quality of the goods is acceptable.
Export License – This license is a government document that authorizes the export of goods in specific quantities to a specific destination.
Shipper''s Export Declaration (SED) – The SED is used for export statistics. It is prepared via the US Postal Service (USPS) when the shipment is greater than $500.
Export Packing List – This is a detailed packing list that itemizes each item in the shipment, what type of packaging container was used, gross weight, and package measurements.