International shipping is a complicated affair that comes with a large amount of red tape that must be properly filed with the correct authorities before you can expect your shipment to reach its ultimate destination. Your shipping service can definitely help you with the necessary paperwork, but it is best not to leave everything up to your transportation provider. Knowing what documents needs to be filed, when and where can help you stay on top of your shipment and to make sure that things are rolling smoothly. By keeping track of your paperwork, you will be less likely to encounter hiccups along the way. Let us take a look at the different forms involved in transportation.

Airway Bills

Airway bills are uniquely made for shipments being sent by air carrier. They are never made in negotiable form.

Bill of Lading

The bill of lading refers to the contract signed between the person to whom the goods belong and the shipping service. There are two kinds of bill of lading – negotiable and straight. The negotiable kind can be bought, sold or traded while the goods are in transit.

Commercial Invoice

A commercial invoice is what the seller gives to the buyer as proof of their purchase. These invoices are crucial when shipping products as governments use them to determine the true worth of the shipment.

Consular Invoice

Some countries require you to provide them with a consular invoice. It is very similar to a commercial invoice in that it will contain the value of the shipment, the names and addresses of the seller and buyer and other pertinent information – except that these documents must be certified by the consular official stationed in the export country.

NAFTA certificate of origin

A document required for trade between Canada, the United States and Mexico – partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Inspection Certification

Such a document is required by some countries to verify that the shipment contains what it is meant to contain.

Dock Receipt and Warehouse Receipt

The necessary documents issued attesting to the transfer of liability from the international shipping company to the shipping carrier once the shipment has been delivered to the port of embarkation.

Destination Control Statement

An item that is usually incorporated onto the bill of lading, which states that the shipment can only be exposed to certain destinations.

Export licence

A government issued document granting you permission to ship certain goods to a specific place.

Export Packing List

An extremely detailed and itemized list of what is contained in the shipment.

Insurance Certificate

A document certifying that the shipment is insured for its entire value should it get lost, stolen or damaged along the way.

Knowing the proper way to fill out the documents is quite specific and it must be done well, otherwise, even a slight discrepancy between documents is enough to freeze your shipment in limbo for a long time. In order to avoid such scenarios, it is best to let your international shipping provider take care of all your documentation needs, but is it also crucial to understand what those documents are and to make sure that they have been obtained before your shipment leaves your home port.