Reference
Most delayed shipments are delayed by paperwork, not by transport. This is what each document does, who issues it and when you actually need it.
The seller
The core document of the shipment. It must show the parties, a clear description of the goods, the commodity code, the quantity, the unit and total value, the currency, the incoterm with a named place, and the country of origin. Customs value and duty are calculated from it, so vague descriptions cause real delays.
The seller
What is physically in each package, with dimensions and gross and net weights per piece. Customs use it to verify the shipment without opening everything, and warehouses use it to check the goods in. It should reconcile exactly with the invoice.
The carrier or forwarder
A CMR for road, a bill of lading for sea, an air waybill for air, a CIM for rail. It evidences the contract of carriage and acts as a receipt. The sea bill of lading is also a document of title, which the others are not.
A customs broker
Required whenever goods leave the EU customs territory. It evidences the export for VAT purposes and must be discharged at the office of exit, otherwise the export is formally incomplete and your VAT zero rating is exposed.
A customs broker
Needed when non-EU goods move between two points under customs control without duty being paid, for example a container landing in Rotterdam and clearing in Romania. It must be discharged at the destination office.
A chamber of commerce
States where the goods were produced. Required by many non-EU customs authorities and often called for under a letter of credit. It is not the same as a preferential origin document.
Customs, on application
Proves preferential origin under a free trade agreement, allowing a reduced or zero duty rate. The goods must genuinely satisfy the origin rules, not merely be shipped from the country concerned.
Customs, on application
Used for trade with Turkey. It proves goods are in free circulation within the EU and Turkey customs union. It certifies circulation status, not origin, which is a distinction that trips people up regularly.
The shipper
Required for hazardous cargo, in a mode specific form: an ADR transport document by road, an IMDG declaration by sea, an IATA shipper declaration by air. The classification must come from the safety data sheet.
The plant health authority
Required for plants and many plant products entering or leaving the EU, and the shipment must pass through a designated border inspection post. Requirements vary by product and destination.
The pallet supplier
Not a document but a stamp on wooden packaging, proving it was heat treated or fumigated. Required for destinations outside the EU. Untreated wood is routinely refused at the border.
Send the supplier city or port of loading, the volume and weight, and the date the goods are ready. We will come back with a landed cost and a realistic transit time, usually within one working day.
