Most delays are documentary, not physical. A commercial invoice missing an Incoterm, a packing list that disagrees with the invoice or a certificate of origin issued in the wrong name will stop a shipment as effectively as a strike.
We prepare and check the full set: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, export licence, insurance certificate and any product-specific certification the destination requires.
For letter of credit shipments we work to the terms line by line before presentation, because discrepancies at the bank cost time and money.
Shipping Documentation Service
Preparation and cross-checking of the full document set behind every export and import.
Trade document preparation
Commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents drafted or checked so every figure and description agrees.
Origin certification
Certificates of origin and EUR1 forms obtained and checked against preferential trade agreement rules.
Letter of credit compliance
Full document sets checked against the credit's terms line by line before bank presentation.
Regulatory certification
Phytosanitary, health, dangerous goods and licence documentation sourced from the correct issuing authority.
Why documentation causes most delays
A shipment can be perfectly packed and loaded and still sit at a port or airport because the paperwork describing it does not agree with itself. A commercial invoice that omits the agreed Incoterm, a packing list that shows a different weight to the bill of lading, or a certificate of origin issued in a name that does not match the invoice will each independently stop a clearance, regardless of the physical cargo being entirely correct.
Because customs and carrier systems check documents against each other automatically in many cases, an inconsistency that a human reader might overlook is often flagged instantly, which is why we build the document set as one coordinated pack rather than treating each document as a separate task.
The core document set
Every international shipment needs, at minimum, a commercial invoice describing the goods, quantity, value and Incoterm, and a packing list breaking that down by package. The transport document — a bill of lading for sea freight, an air waybill for air freight, or a CMR note for road — is the contract of carriage and the document that proves who is entitled to take delivery.
Beyond this core set, additional documents apply depending on the goods and destination: certificates of origin to support preferential duty treatment, export licences for controlled goods, and insurance certificates where cover has been arranged for the movement.
- Commercial invoice with Incoterm stated
- Packing list matching the invoice line by line
- Bill of lading, sea waybill or air waybill
- Certificate of origin or EUR1 where preference is claimed
- Export licences and product-specific certification
Certificates of origin and preferential trade
A certificate of origin confirms where goods were manufactured, which matters because many trade agreements offer a reduced or zero duty rate on goods that qualify as originating in a partner country. Getting this wrong in either direction is costly — claiming preference incorrectly can trigger a duty demand and penalty later, while failing to claim it when it was available means paying duty that was never due.
Chamber of commerce certification is required for some destinations even where no preferential rate applies, simply as a general statement of origin that certain customs authorities require before goods will be released.
invoice, packing list, transport document
Core documents
documentary inconsistency, not cargo
Common cause of delay
line by line against credit terms
LC presentation checked
phytosanitary, health, dangerous goods, licences
Product certificates
Letters of credit and bank presentation
Where a sale is being paid for under a letter of credit, the documents presented to the bank must match the credit's terms exactly — a discrepancy as small as a date outside the shipping period stated in the credit, or a description of goods that does not mirror the credit's wording precisely, can result in the bank refusing payment until the discrepancy is resolved.
We check the full document set against the credit terms line by line before presentation, because a rejected presentation costs time, sometimes storage charges, and can delay payment to the seller by weeks while amendments are agreed.
Product-specific and regulatory documents
Certain goods need documentation beyond the standard trade set: phytosanitary certificates for plant material, health certificates for food and animal products, dangerous goods declarations for hazardous cargo, and CITES permits for restricted species-derived items. Each has its own issuing authority and lead time, and some — phytosanitary certificates in particular — can only be issued shortly before the goods travel, which affects how a shipment is scheduled.
We identify which of these apply at the quoting stage, not after the goods are packed, because a certificate that takes several days to obtain needs to be factored into the shipping date from the outset.
What we handle and what you supply
We prepare, check and issue the full document set, verify consistency across every document before release, manage letter of credit presentation, and source product-specific certification through the relevant issuing bodies. You supply accurate underlying information — the true value, description, weight and origin of the goods — since documentation can only be as accurate as the information it is built from.
For regular exporters we can also set up templates that carry consistent case marks, descriptions and coding across every shipment, which reduces the chance of a discrepancy creeping in over time.
- 1
Information gathering
We collect the underlying detail on value, description, weight and origin from you.
- 2
Document drafting
The commercial invoice, packing list and transport document are drafted to match exactly.
- 3
Certification sourced
Origin, regulatory or licence documents are obtained from the relevant body where needed.
- 4
Cross-check
Every document is checked against every other document before release or presentation.
- 5
Issue and presentation
The final set is issued to you, the carrier, or the bank under a letter of credit as required.
Shipping DocumentationCommon questions
- What is the difference between a bill of lading and a sea waybill?
- A bill of lading is a document of title that must be surrendered to release the cargo, while a sea waybill simply confirms the contract of carriage and releases cargo to the named consignee without needing the original document presented. Which one is used depends on the payment arrangement between buyer and seller.
- Why do I need a certificate of origin if I'm not claiming a lower duty rate?
- Some destination customs authorities require a general certificate of origin as a condition of clearance regardless of any preferential rate, simply to confirm where the goods were produced.
- How far in advance should I request a phytosanitary certificate?
- These are usually only issued close to the shipping date because they certify the condition of the goods at that time, so we build the inspection and issue into the shipping schedule rather than requesting it too early.
- What happens if my letter of credit presentation is rejected?
- The bank will identify the discrepancy and either return the documents for correction or seek the buyer's waiver of the discrepancy before releasing payment, both of which take time, so we check thoroughly before the first presentation to avoid this.
Service checklist
- Commercial invoice and packing list preparation and review
- Bills of lading, sea waybills and air waybills issued
- Certificates of origin, EUR1 and chamber certification
- Phytosanitary, health and dangerous goods documentation
- Letter of credit compliance checking before presentation