Ibo-4 Unit-3 Export Import Documents Overview
Ibo-4 Unit-3 Export Import Documents Overview
1. What are the perspectives of Export Documentation. ANS: Export documentation is commonly considered to be the most complex and difficult part of overseas marketing. You may have come across such comments as such comments tend to discourage people from entering into export business. It is therefore, necessary to emphasize that documentation is as much of an important activity as the conclusion of an export order and its fulfillment. Documentation formalities are necessary to enable the importer to get the contracted goods and the exporter to get sale value as well as to secure export incentives. In other words export documents are needed to comply with commercial, legal and incentive requirements. Commercial Perspective Trade between two business firms located in different countries begins with the conclusion of an export contract. Under the contract, the duty of the exporter is to ship the contracted goods in the agreed form (e.g., packing) and by agreed mode of transport as well as according to agreed time schedule. On the other hand, it is the duty of the importer to remit sale value to the exporter according to agreed terms of payment. In this process of physical movement of goods from the exporter to the importer and remittance of sale value in the reverse order, neither the exporter nor the importer is personally and physically involved. Instead goods are handed over to a shipping company or an airline which issues a receipt for these goods. Further, since goods in transit may be damaged or lost due to some accident, the exporter may be required to get an insurance policy. While these two documents will protect the interests of the importer, the exporter will ensure that these documents are not in the possession of the importer unless he has either paid for the goods or he has made a promise to make payment at a later date. For this purpose, physical possession of the good will be linked with the acceptance of a payment document by the importer. In actual practice, a set of documents given proof of shipment and cargo insurance coverage along with a bill for payment is sent by the exporter to the importer through the banking channel. This set of documents symbolizes ownership in goods. This will be handed over to the importer by the bank in his country, which he has received it from the bank in the exporting country only when he has honoured the bill. In other words, the importer will get delivery of the goods from the carrier on the basis of the transport document, which is obtained through the bank, after he has complied with the agreed terms of payment.
It is on this basis that various countries have formulated their Rules of Origin which grant greater access to goods from the developing and the least developed countries under the preferential mode. There are two categories of Certificate of Origin viz. (1) Preferential and (2) Non preferential. 3. What are the contents required in commercial invoice? After the pro-forma invoice is accepted by the importer, the exporter must prepare a commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is required by both the exporter (to obtain the necessary export documents to enable the consignment to be exported, to prove ownership and to enable payment) and importer (who requires the commercial invoice to facilitate the import of the goods into the country in question). In exporting, the commercial invoice is considered a very important document as it serves as the starting or initiating document that underpins the rest of the export transaction.
ANS:
The document title should clearly state "Commercial Invoice" The name of the exporter (referred to as the shipper) and their contact details (tel, fax, cell, e-mail), including physical (not postal) address The name of the importer (referred to as the consignee, meaning the person or firm to whom the goods are to be sent) and their contact details (tel, fax, cell, e-mail), including physical (not postal) address (In the case of transshipment, there may be an intermediate consignee and their contact details and address should then also be included on the invoice.) If the person or firm buying the goods (the importer) is not the same as the person or firm to whom the goods are being sent, then you should include both their contact details and addresses in the commercial invoice The name of the person and company to notify once shipment has taken place and their contact details and physical address (here the
contact details such as telephone, fax and cell number and e-mail address are more important than the physical address) A commercial invoice reference number A purchase order number or similar reference to correspondence between the supplier and importer The date of issue of the commercial invoice A complete, detailed and clear description of the goods in question, incorporating the appropriate HS codes and brandmarks if applicable (here the importer may ask you to remove these codes as they may not be the same in the importing country and may thus incur additional or higher duties to the importer's detriment because of their inadvertent misuse) The quantity of goods in question, including the number of units/items The packing details unless provided in a separate packing list, including their external dimensions, cubic capacity, weight, numbers and contents of each package shipped, and kinds of packaging involved (pallets, boxes, bags, etc.) - if a separate packing list is used, reference should be made in the commercial invoice to the packing list The grand total price of the goods for the whole consignment Where applicable, the unit prices should be indicated - the unit price multipled by the number of units/items should be reflected in the line total. The various line totals (in the case where different items are included in the same commercial invoice, or where additional services are itemised in the invoice), should add up to the total price for the whole consignment (also referred to as the 'Grand Total') The currency in which the goods will be sold (e.g. US dollars or rands) The type and amount of any discount given, where applicable The likely delivery schedule and delivery terms The payment methods (for example cash in advance, documentary collection, L/C, etc.) The payment terms (for example 30 days on sight) The Incoterm to be used (Incoterms 2000 - FAS, CIF, CFR, DDP, etc.) Who is responsible for the banking fees and other related costs (insurance and freight costs are covered by the incoterm in question) What the freight and insurance charges are The exporter's banking details A declaration of the country of origin of the goods The expected country of final destination Any freight details such as the port of loading and discharge 5
Any additional exporter-provided services that should be added to the invoice to come to the grand total Any transhipment requirements The validity of the commercial invoice - that is, when does the offer expire (leaving it open-ended could be very risky) Any other information relevant to the order Make sure the commercial invoice is signed, together with the signature's name written underneath, with initials, title and position between Proforma Invoice and
ANS: There is usually very little, if any, difference between the final proforma invoice accepted by the importer and the commercial invoice, except that the one is titled "Proforma Invoice", while the other is titled "Commercial Invoice". Although the proforma invoice comes before the commercial invoice, the proforma invoice really only serves as a means of negotiating the actual contract. We said previously that the proforma invoice is the 'offer' put to the importer by the exporter. The importer may accept the terms specified in the proforma invoice, but a more likely scenario is that the importer will negotiate some of these terms with the exporter. There may be some backward and forward communication between the exporter and importer before the importer finally agrees to the transaction. Once the importer indicates that (s)he is happy with the terms of the contract as outlined in the (final) proforma invoice, the exporter will then be requested to provide the importer with a commercial invoice. The commercial invoice should reflect the final (agreed-upon) proforma invoice exactly - any deviances will result in problems executing the transaction and/or receiving payment (unless such changes have been requested by the importer and are agreed to by the exporter). 5. What do you mean by Bill of lading? Explain various types of Bill of lading. ANS: A bill of lading is a type of document that is used to acknowledge the receipt of a shipment of goods. A transportation company or carrier issues this document to a shipper. In addition to acknowledging the receipt of goods, a bill of lading indicates the particular vessel on which the goods have been placed, their intended destination, and the terms for transporting the shipment to its final destination. Bill of lading: Bill of lading is issued by the shipping company or its agents stating that goods are either being shipped or have been shipped. Essentially a transport document, it serves many purposes in international 6
It is evidence that a valid contract of carriage, or a chartering contract, exists, and it may incorporate the full terms of the contract between the consignor and the carrier by reference (i.e. the short form simply refers to the main contract as an existing document, whereas the long form of a bill of lading issued by the carrier sets out all the terms of the contract of carriage); It is a receipt signed by the carrier confirming whether goods matching the contract description have been received in good condition (a bill will be described as clean if the goods have been received on board in apparent good condition and stowed ready for transport); and It is also a document of transfer, being freely transferable but not a negotiable instrument in the legal sense, i.e. it governs all the legal aspects of physical carriage, and, like a cheque or other negotiable instrument, it may be endorsed affecting ownership of the goods actually being carried. This matches everyday experience in that the contract a person might make with a commercial carrier like FedEx for mostly airway parcels, is separate from any contract for the sale of the goods to be carried, however it binds the carrier to its terms, irrespectively of who the actual holder of the B/L, and owner of the goods, may be at a specific moment.
Surrender bill of lading Under a term import documentary credit the bank releases the Documents on receipt from the negotiating bank but the importer does not pay the bank until the maturity of the draft under the relative credit. This direct liability is called Surrender Bill of Lading (SBL), i.e. when we hand over the bill of lading we surrender title to the goods and our power of sale over the goods.
Trans-shipment B/L: It has similar characteristic as the Through BIL except that in this case the first carrier acts only as an agent for effecting Trans-shipment of cargo.
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UVW Exports (plus the authorized signature) And, entering the words "To Order" or "To Order of UVW Exports" in either of the above cases is correct, but to avoid rejection of documents, always follow the wordings stipulated in the letter of credit as a precaution. To order of shipper and endorsed to order of [the named party]
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The air waybill---air consignment note or airway bill of lading--serves as a receipt for goods and an evidence of the contract of carriage, but it is not a document of title to the goods. Hence, the AWB is non-negotiable. The goods in the air consignment are consigned directly to the party (the consignee) named in the letter of credit (L/C). Unless the goods are consigned to a third party like the issuing bank, the importer can obtain the goods from the carrier at destination without paying the issuing bank or the consignor. Therefore, unless a cash payment has been received by the exporter or the buyer's integrity is unquestionable, consigning goods directly to the importer is risky. The AWB must indicate that the goods have been accepted for carriage, and it must be signed or authenticated by the carrier or the named agent for or on behalf of the carrier. The signature or authentication of the carrier must be identified as carrier, and in the case of agent signing or authenticating, the name and the capacity of the carrier on whose behalf the agent signs or authenticates must be indicated. 14
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RCMC is obtained from the concerned registering authority, which may either be an Export Promotion Council, or Commodity Board or a Development Authority. Application is to be made on the prescribed form available from the registering authority. In the second category are the documents, which an exporter or his agent has to prepare for shipment of goods. These documents are: i) Foreign Exchange Regulations requires that all exports other than exports to Nepal and Bhutan, sllall be declared on the following forms: a) GR Form: It is required to be tilled in duplicate for all exports in physical form other than by post. b) PP Form: It id required to be filled in duplicate for all exports to all countries made by post parcel, except when made on "value payable" or cash on delivery" basis.
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Exporter
Customs
Authorised dealer
Exch control copy Sent withR return, fortnightly Once payment is recd 4
RBI
i i ) For goods that are subject to the Export Trade Control policy of the Government of India, documents in the form of application have been specified. On the basis of that the concerned authorities will grant documents either an export licence or an export permit will be granted by the concerned authorities. Licence or permission is generally given on the customs document known as shipping bill. For obtaining export licence from the licensing authorities the application is either the A-X Form or B-X Form which is submitted alongwith the Shipping Bill and other documents, if any. In many cases, specific permission may have to be obtained from
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ANS: Bill of Entry: It is a document certifying that the goods of specified description and value are entering into the country from abroad. If the goods are cleared through the (Electronic Data Interchange) EDI system no formal Bill of Entry is filed as it is generated in the computer system, but the importer is required to file a cargo declaration having prescribed particulars required for processing of the entry for customs clearance. The Bill of entry, where filed, is to be submitted in a set, different copies meant for different purposes and also given different colour scheme.Bill of Entry are of three types :-
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Bill of Entry for home consumption: is to be submitted when the imported goods are to be cleared on payment of full duty for consumption of the goods in India. It is white colored. Bill of Entry for Warehouses : is to be submitted when the imported goods are not required immediately by the importer but here they are to be stored in a warehouse without payment of duty under a bond and cleared later when required on payment of duty. Bill of Entry for Ex-Bond Clearance : is used for clearing goods from the warehouse on payment of duty. The goods are classified and valued at the time of clearance from the Customs Port. Value and classification are not determined on such Bill of Entry. In the non-EDI system along with the bill of entry filed by the importer or his representative the following documents are also generally required:
Signed invoice Packing list Bill of Lading or Delivery Order/Airway Bill GATT declaration form duly filled in Importers declaration License wherever necessary Letter of Credit/Bank Draft/wherever necessary Insurance document Import license Industrial License, if required Test report in case of chemicals Adhoc exemption order DEEC Book/DEPB in original Catalogue, technical write up, literature in case of machineries, spares or chemicals as may be applicable Separately split up value of spares, components machineries Certificate of Origin, if preferential rate of duty is claimed No Commission declaration
Bill of Entry is not required in the' following cases: a) passengers baggage , b) favour parcels c) mail box and post parcels d) boxes, kennels of cargos containing live animals or birds e) unserviceable stores, e.g, dunnage wood, empty bottles, drums etc. of reasonable value f) ship's stores in small quantities for personal use
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GSP schemes of these countries details the sectors/ products and tariff 23
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The sample letter of credit (L/C) below is a comprehensive case study of a Confirmed Irrevocable Letter of Credit opens by means of airmail. For the explanations of the stipulations and fields in the L/C, please see Letter of Credit Particulars and Export Documentary Requirements. And, please consult the table of contents in different departments (Export, Shipping, Production, etc.) for other topics and discussions.
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ISSUING BANK REF. NO. & DATE SBRE-777 January 26, 2010 UVW Exports 88 Prosperity Street East, Suite 707 Export-City and Postal Code
TO
Dear Sirs: We have been requested by The Sun Bank, Sunlight City, Import-Country to advise that they have opened with us their irrevocable documentary credit number SB-87654 for account of DEF Imports, 7 Sunshine Street, Sunlight City, Import-Country in your favor for the amount of not exceeding Twenty Five Thousand U.S. Dollars (US$25,000.00) available by your draft(s) drawn on us at sight for full invoice value accompanied by the following documents:
1.
Signed commercial invoice in five (5) copies indicating the buyer's Purchase Order No. DEF-101 dated January 10, 2010. Packing list in five (5) copies. Full set 3/3 clean on board ocean bill of lading, plus two (2) non-negotiable copies, issued to order of The Sun Bank, Sunlight City, Import-Country, notify the above accountee, marked "freight Prepaid", dated latest March 19, 2010, and showing documentary credit number. Insurance policy in duplicate for 110% CIF value covering Institute Cargo Clauses (A), Institute War and Strike Clauses, evidencing that claims are payable in ImportCountry. 27
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EXPORT DEPARTMENT
Letters of credit, credit, LC, L/C, commercial letter of credit, irrevocable letter of credit, confirm ed letters of credit, revocable letters of credit, restricted negotiable letter of credit. freely negotiable letter of credit, confirmed irrevocable letter of credit, unconfirmed irrevocable letter of credit, revolving letter of credit, SWIFT, drafts, banks, nominated banks, bill of exchange. exporters, im porters, exporting, im porting, exportation, importation, export, im port, service exporter. export trader, export trade portal, export trading, exporter association, export manufacturer, export marketing, exporter guides. export directory, manufacturing exporter, Taiwan exporters, Taiwan im porters, Hong Kong exporter, Hong Kong importer, trade shows, trade fairs. C hina exporter, China im porter, export manufacturing, export consulting, export trade leads, im port trade leads, international business, trade exhibitions. letter of credit, insurance, trader, trading, exportacion, importacion, internet advertising, online advertisement, e-commerce, electronic commerce. logistics, transportation, transports, cargo insurance, ocean shipping company, courier, airlines, customs broker.
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Received from SWIFT Network priority: Normal Message output Reference: 6543 010126 Message input Reference: 6543 010125 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Message Header - - - - - - - - - SWIFT output delivery status: Open Asked FIN 701 Issue of a documentary credit Sender: The Sun Bank Sunlight City Import-Country
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Message Text - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -----------20 23 31C 31D 32B 39B : Documentary credit number SB-87654 : Issuing bank's reference SBRE-777 : Date of Issue January 26, 2010 : Date and place of expiry March 26, 2010 Export-City, Export-Country : Currency code amount Twenty Five Thousand U.S. Dollars (USD 25,000.00) : Maximum credit amount Not exceeding Twenty Five Thousand U.S. Dollars (USD 25,000.00) : Form of documentary credit Irrevocable : Available with ... by ... Draft(s) drawn on The Moon Bank, by payment : Drafts at At sight for full invoice value : Drawee - Name and Address The Moon Bank, 5 Moonlight Blvd., Export-City and Postal 29
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: Period of presentation Documents must be presented for payment within 15 days after the date of shipment. : Confirmation instructions Add your confirmation : Applicant DEF Imports, 7 Sunshine Street, Sunlight City, ImportCountry : Issuing bank The Sun Bank, Sunlight City, Import-Country : Advise through bank The Moon Bank, 5 Moonlight Blvd., Export-City and Postal Code, Export-Country : Beneficiary UVW Exports, 88 Prosperity Street East, Suite 707, ExportCity and Postal Code, Export-Country : Charges All charges outside the Import-Country are on beneficiary's account : Sender to receiver information This is an operative instrument, no mail confirmation to follow
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Message Trailer - - - - - - - - - - - - -----------MAC: ABCD1234 CHK: ABCDEFG12345 Multimodal transport contract (multimodal transport contract) means a single contract for the carriage of goods by at least two different modes of transport.
The following explains the required information on each MAWB completed by the customer and/or UPS, domestic or international. Information entered on an International MAWB is required to be typed or computer-printed. The customer may supply additional information, however UPS requires the information covered below. For further information regarding the Air Waybill form, simply click a circled number to link to field descriptions
Section 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Completed By Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Shipper's name and address. Consignee's name and address.
Description
The three letter code of the origin airport. This is the origin airport code whether the freight trucks or flies. The three letter code of the destination airport. Shipment Value for Customs purposes. If no value is shown in block 5, the appropriate SED exception wording is required.
UPS/CFS or Handling Information - to contain any special instructions or notes regarding freight, Customer dims, ULD numbers, and individual position weight. Customer Customer Number of Pieces. Gross weight. NOTE: This does not include tare weight of aircraft pallets and/or containers, however it does include the weight of wooden skids. Kilograms (kg) or Pounds (lbs). Chargeable weight. The actual weight or the dimensional weight, whichever is greater. Rate/Charge - International MAWB only. Total - International MAWB only. Nature and quantity of goods, the description of cargo. This may include dimensions
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16-19 Customer
NOTE: Clarify all signatures. Consignee Signatures NOTE: 16, 17, 18 and 19 are to be completed at the destination gateway or CFS by the consignee or their agent. If the destination gateway has a CFS, the destination gateway maintains an unsigned copy of the MAWB (#5 or #6) along with a signed, Register of Air Freight Shipments/AC-12, or work order on file. Indicate Service Type if Perishable, Priority, or RFS.
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Customer
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