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Trade Documents

Structured trade knowledge covering terms, processes, regulations, and practice.

  • What is a Certificate of Origin?

    COO certifies where goods were made — enables FTA duty rates and satisfies import regulations.

  • Commercial Invoice vs Proforma Invoice

    Proforma = offer/PI for payment trigger; Commercial = declared value for clearance.

  • Export Declaration Basics

    Export declaration is the legal customs filing before cargo exits — ties to HS, value, and license checks.

  • Sales Contract Basics

    Written contract binds price, quality, delivery, payment, and governing law — PI alone is weak protection.

  • Invoice and Packing List Consistency

    Cross-document mismatch is a top cause of customs holds, LC discrepancies, and duty re-valuation.

  • What is an Insurance Certificate?

    This article covers core concepts, practical steps, and common pitfalls for What is an Insurance Certificate?.

  • What is an Inspection Certificate?

    This article covers core concepts, practical steps, and common pitfalls for What is an Inspection Certificate?.

  • What is a Commercial Invoice?

    The commercial invoice declares goods value and sale terms for customs duty assessment and must match other export documents.

  • What is a Packing List?

    A packing list details packages, weights, and dimensions without prices — supporting customs, carriers, and warehouse receiving.

  • What is a Proforma Invoice?

    A proforma invoice is a preliminary quotation document used for payment, import license, and LC opening before shipment.

Other categories

Trade Basics10 articlesIncoterms16 articlesShipping10 articlesPayment11 articlesCustoms10 articlesHS Code10 articlesCountries10 articlesLogistics10 articlesImport & Export10 articlesBusiness English10 articlesInternational Marketing10 articlesTrade Compliance10 articlesTrade Risk10 articles

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