International Shipping Documents: What You Should Prepare Before Production Ends

You do not need every final document when you place an order. But you should know what will be required, who will provide it, and when the information will be available. Here is what to prepare at each stage.

Before Placing Orders

Start by checking the import requirements for your product and destination.

• Ask your forwarder or customs broker which documents the destination requires for this specific product.
• Agree on the Incoterms and confirm who handles export and import clearance.
• Check whether a certificate of origin, test reports or other certificates are needed, and where those tests can be carried out. If the factory’s location has no suitable laboratory, samples may need to travel, which adds time.
• Write the document responsibilities into the purchase order, including who bears the cost of re-issuing documents.

Have ready by the end of this stage: purchase order, pro forma invoice, agreed Incoterms, destination and importer details, a list of the compliance documents required, and a check on whether the product counts as special cargo (for example, goods containing batteries or liquids).

During Production

Production is when you collect the information that will later appear on the final export documents. Specifications and commercial terms are already set. What still needs attention is material records, packaging and certificates, all of which should be settled before production is finalized.

• Confirm the pro forma invoice against the purchase order.
• Ask the supplier to keep sourcing records for components and materials, especially when parts come from different countries. These records support origin declarations and any certificate or test requests.
• Send samples for testing early if reports are required. Waiting until production ends leaves no room for a failed or delayed result.
• Confirm packaging requirements, including treatment of any wooden pallets or crates and labeling.
• Ask suppliers to report changes to materials, components, production sites, or packaging that may affect the shipment’s origin or compliance status.
• Track progress on required tests, certificates, licenses or registrations.

Have ready by the end of this stage: bill of materials, component origin records and other origin evidence, required test reports (or confirmed test dates), packaging plan and draft packing data.

Before the Cargo-Ready Date

This is the last practical stage to turn draft documents for shipping internationally into final ones before booking deadlines. Some shipping details will not be final yet, but the documents and supporting evidence should be far enough along that a missing certificate or an incorrect product description does not hold up the booking.

• Review the draft commercial invoice and packing list against the purchase order and the quality inspection findings.
• Check that quantities, carton counts, weights and shipping marks match what was actually packed.
• Ask the destination broker whether they need additional information to prepare customs clearance.
• If a certificate of inspection or another third-party document is required, schedule the inspection with that requirement in mind.
• Submit CPSC certificate (CPC/GCC) data when importing goods to the United States.

Have ready by the end of this stage: commercial invoice and packing list (final drafts), certificate of origin or its application, compliance documents, certificate of inspection (if required), special-case documents (e.g., dangerous goods paperwork), and insurance arranged by whichever party is responsible under the agreed Incoterms (e.g., FOB, DDP).

During Booking and Loading

The forwarder needs to build the transport documents and file the declarations, so make sure the documents match the actual shipment.

• Provide complete shipping instructions, and review the draft bill of lading or air waybill before it is issued.
• For sea freight, submit the verified gross mass (VGM) of each packed container through the agreed process before the carrier’s deadline. Under SOLAS rules, a packed container without a VGM cannot be loaded unless its VGM has been obtained and communicated as required. Carton weights on a packing list are not a substitute, because the VGM covers the whole packed container.

• Check the cut-off for documents. Missing it can mean the cargo misses the vessel or flight.
• Make sure the export customs declaration is filed in time for the cargo to be released.

Have ready by the end of this stage: booking confirmation, shipping instructions, bill of lading or air waybill (draft, then final), export customs declaration, VGM for packed ocean containers, container and seal details, final loaded quantities, shipping marks, and loading records such as photos.

After Departure

Once the goods have shipped, the work shifts from preparation to tracking and release. Send the final documents as soon as they are issued.

• Confirm that the importer and customs broker have the final documents needed to prepare clearance and arrange release.
• Track original bills of lading, electronic releases and any documents required under a letter of credit. If originals must be couriered, monitor delivery and submission deadlines.
• Keep the final shipment file, including corrected documents and supporting records. It helps if customs raises a query, an insurance claim arises, or you review the shipment before a future order.

Keep on file: copy of the bill of lading or air waybill, release instructions where applicable, insurance certificate if not already received, customs documents, the carrier’s arrival notice, and a record of any corrections made.