Services - 04
Trade documentation
A shipment is paid for on paper. One wrong date or a weight that does not match can hold up the cargo or the payment. We prepare the shipping documents and check them before they leave your hands.
Bills of lading and sea waybills
The carrier's receipt for the cargo and evidence of the contract of carriage.
When to use it
Every sea shipment needs one. A negotiable bill of lading is needed when the cargo is sold or financed in transit, or paid for under a letter of credit; a sea waybill suits shipments where that is not needed.
What we handle
- Drafting the shipping instructions
- Checking the draft from the carrier against your contract, invoice and credit
- Arranging issue by the carrier or a licensed forwarder
- Delivering the originals as instructed
What to send us for a quote
- The sale contract or purchase order
- Shipper, consignee and notify party details
- Letter of credit terms if any
- Cargo and container details
Certificates of origin
A document that states where the goods were made, used by customs and buyers to apply duty and trade rules.
When to use it
When the buyer, the letter of credit or the importing country asks for one, or to claim a preferential duty rate under a trade agreement.
What we handle
- Identifying the type of certificate required
- Preparing the application
- Coordinating issue by the authorised issuing body
- Checking the certificate against the other documents
What to send us for a quote
- The commercial invoice and packing list
- Where the goods were made and from what
- The destination country
- Any form named in the contract or credit
Letter of credit document checking
We check your shipping documents against the terms of the credit before they go to the bank.
When to use it
Whenever you are paid by letter of credit. Banks refuse documents that do not comply with the credit, and a discrepancy can delay payment or cost a fee.
What we handle
- Reading the credit and listing every document and condition it asks for
- Checking each document against the credit and against each other
- Flagging discrepancies while they can still be fixed
- Preparing documents we arrange ourselves to match
What to send us for a quote
- The letter of credit and any amendments
- The draft documents
- The shipping schedule
Commercial invoice and packing list
Prepared to match the contract, the shipment and each other.
When to use it
Every international shipment needs them. They are the basis for customs value and for most other documents.
What we handle
- Preparing or checking the invoice and packing list
- Matching descriptions, quantities, weights and values across all documents
- Making sure the wording follows the credit where there is one
What to send us for a quote
- The sale contract or purchase order
- Packing details per package
- The agreed Incoterm and price
Send us the details.
Tell us the cargo, the route and the dates. We will reply by email with what we can arrange.
