subject: How To Complete Customs Papers For International Shipping [print this page] Anyone who plans on shipping goods to another country should be sure that all of the appropriate customs papers are prepared and in order. This is one of the most important responsibilities of any individual who plans on shipping goods to another country. Although your Miami delivery service should be able to take care of the majority of the work for you, it is still very important that you understand to some degree the paperwork which must be prepared in order to ship to another country. That way, you will understand if there is any paperwork which you need to fill out, and will also have an idea of what you need to expect from your courier when shipping with them outside the borders of your own country.
When it comes to the papers that you need to get a shipment through customs, there are two primary documents that you need to make sure go with every shipment. Even when you're only shipping between the US and Canada, two of the most frequent trading partners in the world, you need to make sure that you include a commercial invoice and the bill of lading.
The commercial invoice shows those working at a border what you're moving into their country, and how much was paid for it. The value of the goods is as important as the nature of the goods. This is because certain types of goods, and goods worth more than a certain threshold, are going to be subject to different fees and regulations than other types of shipments will.
The bill of lading confirms your arrangement with the shipping company to move your goods into the country. This will show where your goods are coming from, which is very important to customs agents. They need to confirm the country of origin of goods in order to know which trade agreements do and do not apply.
The most important type of customs documents are those which apply to your goods specifically, because of their value or nature. For instance, if shipping goods which are worth more than a certain amount, you may need some kind of import or export license. If you're shipping certain types of goods which are governed by import or trade agreements, you could need special permits. For example, in many cases when you are shipping between the US and Canada you may need a NAFTA certificate in order to move certain types of goods across the international border successfully.
by: Earl Cavell
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