Air waybills for Air Shipments or Ocean waybills…
A waybill is a document issued by a carrier, giving details and instructions relating to the shipment of a consignment of goods. Typically it will show the names of the consignor and consignee, the point of origin of the consignment, its destination, and route.
Bill of lading
A bill of lading is a contract between the owner of the goods and the carrier. When the freight is laden on board at origin, the original bill of lading is produced and provided to the shipper. The shipment cannot be released to the consignee at destination as long as the shipper holds that original bill of lading. At some point, the shipper will release their hold on the cargo, usually once the shipper has been paid, and the original is sent to the importer by courier. At that point, it can be presented to the shipping company at destination to secure the release of the freight.
Commercial invoice
A commercial invoice is a bill for the goods, from the seller to the buyer. Governments use commercial invoices to determine the true value of goods when assessing customs duties.
Consular invoice
A consular invoice is a document that is required in some countries. It describes the shipment of goods and shows information such as the consignor, consignee, and value of the shipment. Consular invoices are certified by the consular official, working in Vietnam. The US customs officials use the consular invoices to verify the value, quantity, and nature of the shipment.
Certificate of origin
A certificate of origin is a document that is required in certain nations. It is a signed statement as to the origin of the export item. Certificate of origin is usually signed through a semi-official organization, such as a local chamber of commerce.
Dock receipt and a warehouse receipt
They are documents issued by a shipping company to acknowledge that goods have been received for shipment. Dock receipts transfer the accountability for the safe custody of the cargo from the shipper to the carrier, and serves as the basis for preparing the bill of lading.
Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED)
A SED is used to control exports and act as a source document for official U.S. export statistics.
Export license
An export license is a government document that authorizes the export of specific goods in specific quantities to a particular destination. This document may be required for most or all exports to some countries, or for other countries only under special circumstances.
Export packing list
An export packing-list is more detailed and informative than a standard domestic packing list. It itemizes the material in each individual package and indicates the type of package, such as a box, crate, drum, or carton. It also shows the individual net, legal, tare, gross weights and measurements for each package (in both U.S. and metric systems). Package markings should be shown, along with the shipper and buyer’s references. The list is used by the shipper or forwarding agent to determine the total shipment weight and volume, and whether the correct cargo is being shipped. These are some Shipping Documents to Import Clothes into Vietnam that you will learn about when working with freight forwarder.
Insurance certificate
An insurance certificate is used to assure the consignee that insurance will cover the loss of, or damage to, the cargo during transit.
In Conclusion: the freight forwarder and factory will prepare all the documentation and protect you – for a fee. My advice is to be informed and prepare to answer shipping questions that your freight forwarder and factory will ask you. Equally important is to shop around for a friendly and professional freight forwarding company that gives you genuine and thorough customer service. There will be a steep learning curve for you the first time you import from Vietnam.
