International Commercial Documents Chapter 9

International Commercial Documents Chapter 9

1. Documentation requirements

   • -One copy for every intermediary
   • Specific fashion
     • -Country destination -Type of goods  -The method of transportation -The method of payment -Bank involved
   • Detailed information
   • Specific statements

2. Invoices (bill)

   • Commercial invoice
     • The document sent by the seller to the buyer that lists the goods purchased and the amount due.
     • Precise description of the product
       • -Harmonized System Number -Number of units in the shipment -Dimensions
     • Terms of trade
       • Incoterms in order to know who is going to pay some fees/responsability.
     • Detailed list of the items
     • Terms of payment
     • Currency of payment
     • Shipping information
       • -Ports of departure and destination.  -Name of shipping companies. -Dates of shipment  -Number of boxes/containers -
     • Customary information
       • -Name of buyer/importer -Name of seller/exporter
   • Pro forma Invoice
     • A quote provided by the exporter to the importer for the purpose of obtaining a letter of credit or an import license.
   • Consular invoice
     • A invoice printed on stationery(paper) provided by the importing country´s consulate to make the transaction official.
   • Specialized Commercial invoices

3. Export Documents

   • Shipper´s Export Declaration
     • Document collected by U.S. Customs detailing the type and value of goods exported, as well as the destination. +2500 exports value Not for Canada -Before shippment leaves the US -Aleways a US exporter must fill it. Statistics purpose.
   • Export licences
     • Express authorization granted by the exporting government to the exporter, to export a particular product.
     • National treasures or antiques
     • Raw materials
       • To conserve natural resources and promote domestic industry.
     • Political/military reasons
   • US Export Controls
     • Product exported
       • Commerce Control List (CCL)
         • List of products that cannot be exported from the US without an export license. Every product in the list has an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)
     • Purchaser of the product
       • The entity list
         • Identifies people engaged in weapon proliferation, drug smuggling, or terrorism You need to have an export license.
       • The unverified list
         • Identifies individuals that are suspected og engaging in activities that the BIS considers illegal. -Need to inquire with the BIS.
       • The specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Lists
         • List of individuals abroad with whom exporters are expressly warned not to do business. Maintained in Department of the treasury.
       • The Denied Persons List
         • US persons whose export privileges have been revoked.
     • Country of import
       • The CCL, for existing ECCN and can be sold to an specific country (friendly or unfriendly). Embargoes in products and countries so they cannot sell and there is not right to license. Total embargoes US-> Cuba, Irán, North Korea, Sudan Syria. Limited embargoes-> Burma, Congo, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.
       • Individual validated export license
         • The express authorization given by the US goverment to export a particular commodity.
     • Deemed export
       • A product sold in the US to a non US Citizen
     • Fines
       • Jail
       • $$$
   • End-Use Certificates
     • A certficate, required by the exporting country, that attests that the goods are purchased for legitimate purpose. (most given by the importing  country)
   • Export Taxes
     • A tax collected on the value of the goods exported. (Mostly on commodities) Balance of trade.
   • Export quotas
     • A limit on the quantity of a particular commodity that can be legally exported. Vs scared sources, control prices, 

4. Import Documents

   • Certificate of origin
     • Signed by the exporter´s Chamber of Commerce, that attests that the goods originated in the country in which the exporter is located. Determine the tariff applied to the goods.
   • Certificate of Manufacture
     • A certificate, signed by the exporter´s chamber of commerce, that attests that the goods were manufactured in the country in which the exporter is located.
   • Certificate of inspection
     • A certificate provided by an independent company, that attests that the goods conform to the description contained in the exporter´s invoice. -Authenticity and accuracy of the shippment.
     • Pre-shipment inspection
       • The inspection conducted by an independent company, that allows the determination that the goods conform to the description contained in the exporter´s invoice.  Principal company (60-70%) is the Societe Generale de Surveillance SGS of Switzerland.
   • Certificate of Analysis
     • Certificate provided by an independent company, that attests that the goods conform to the physical description contained in the exporter´s invoice. (putirity of materials)
   • Phyto-Sanitary Certificate
     • A certificate orivided by the agricultural authorities of the exporting country that attests that the agricultural products exported are free of disease and pests. Agricultural products and food stuffs.
   • Certificate of Certification
     • Industrial standards for technical characteristics. (Certificate of conformity) A certificate issued by an independent company, that attests that the goods conform to the industrial standards of the importing country.
   • Certificate of Free Sale
     • A certificate issued by the exporter, that attests that the goods can be legally soldin the exporting country.
   • Import license
     • The express authorization granted by the importing country´s goverment ti the importer, to import a certain product.
   • Consular invoice
   • Ccertificate of insurance
     • A certificate issued by the exporter´s insurance company that attests that a particular shipment is insured. (Depending of the terms of trade)

5. Transportation Documents

   • Ocean Bill of Landing
     • The contract of carriage between an ocean carrier and the shipper .
     • Charter party
       • When the product uses the entire capacity of the shipment.
     • Roles
       • It is a contract.
         • The shipping company agrees with the shipper to transport merchandice from one port to another for a given amount of money.
       • Receipt of the goods
       • Certificate of title
         • Straight bill of landing
           • A bill of landing in which the name of the consignee (party to whom the goods should be surrendered at destination) has been entered.
         • To order bill of landing
           • A bill of landing in which the name of the consignee is market " to order". A negotiable bill of landing.
           • Negotiable bill of landing
             • Bill of landing where the name of the consignee hast been left in blank.
     • Non Vessel operating common carrier
       • A shipment consolidator or freight forwarder that does not own means of transportation, but issues its own bills of lading, and therfore acts as a carrier.
     • Shipper
       • The party in an international transaction _exporter or importer_ that is responsible for arranging the main carriage.
     • Soiled bill of landing
       • A bill of landing that reflects the fact that the carrier did not recieve the goods in good condition.
     • Foul bill of landing
       • A bill of landing that reflects the fact that the carrier did not recieved the goods in good condition.
     • Clean bill of landing
       • A bill of landing that reflects the fact that the carrier recieved the goods in food condition.
   • Uniform bill of landing
     • A bill of landing used for transportation by truck or train domestically or internationally
   • Intermodal bill of landing
     • A bill of landing used for tranpsotation that uses more than one mode of transportation domestically or internationally.
   • Air Waybill
     • A bill of landing used for transportation by air, domestically or internationally.
   • Charter Parties
     • A type of contract of carriage, in which the shipper uses all or most of the carrying capacity of the ship to transport commodities.
     • wet lease
       • A type of leasing contract in which an airplane is leased along with the crew, maintenance services, insurance and fuel.
     • ACMI lease
       • A type of leasing contract in which an airplane is leased, aling with a crew, maintenance services and insurance.
     • dry lease
       • Type of leasing contract in which only the airplane is leased.
     • Damp lease
       • A type of leasing contract in which an airplane is leased with maintenance and insurance but not crew.
   • Packing list
   • Shipper´s letter of instruction
     • A document in which the shipper spells out how it wants the carrier to handle the goods while they are in transit.
   • Shipments of Dangerous goods
   • Manifest
     •  document, internal to the shipping company that lists all cargoes onboard the transportation vehicle.

6. Electronic data Interchange (EDI)

   • Method to send documents from one company to another, using electronic means.
   • Agree in technical EDI understanding
   • legal Agreement between parties.
   • Network Electronic Data Interchange