The papers that most often hold up a first shipment, in the order they should be arranged.
A first export almost always gets stuck on paper, not on the goods. The goods are ready, the buyer has agreed, but the file is incomplete and the sailing is missed. The list below follows the order in which the papers should be arranged.
Company documents
Before any talk about the goods, the business entity has to be registered. The business identification number is the base, and the sector licence follows from it.
- The business identification number (NIB), which also acts as an import identification for some activities.
- An active company tax number.
- A customs registration number, needed to access the customs system.
- A sector licence, for instance an industrial licence for a producer.
When the trade contract runs under our name, the export documents run under our name too. A producer without a customs registration number can still ship.
Goods documents
Each commodity has its own requirements. Spices need a phytosanitary certificate; processed food needs a different set.
- The export declaration (PEB), filed through the customs system.
- A certificate of origin, which the buyer needs to claim reduced import duty.
- A phytosanitary certificate from quarantine, for agricultural commodities.
- Laboratory results, when the contract requires them.
Shipping documents
These are prepared with the shipping line and form the basis of payment in most transactions.
- A commercial invoice with the goods, price, and delivery terms.
- A packing list with counts, gross weight, and net weight.
- The bill of lading issued by the shipping line.
- An insurance policy, when the delivery terms require one.
The order that saves time
The most common mistake is arranging everything at once. The safer order is to finish the company documents first, since they last for years and are arranged once.
Goods documents come next, tied to one specific shipment. Shipping documents are prepared last because they depend on a confirmed vessel schedule.
If you have never been through this, send us the goods and the destination country. We will draw up the exact file for that shipment.