If you have been in the import or export industry, or are planning on venturing into that industry, you would have come across the terms, ‘customs invoice’, ‘shipping invoice’ or even ‘commercial customs invoice’ at least once. These terms broadly refer to a document detailing the nature and value of the goods you intend to ship to another country.
These documents are essential to customs authorities worldwide as they help determine any duties and taxes that apply to your shipments, the exact nature of your goods, as well as any laws and regulations that would have to be enforced on your transported items.
In Singapore, providing a well-crafted and high-quality customs invoice will ensure a quicker moving customs procedure for your goods, leading to time saved on your deliveries in the future. It also helps to prevent your items from getting stuck in customs or getting delayed in the shipping process. This article aims to detail the information needed within customs commercial invoices, tips on filling out these documents, and on how DHL Express has come up with a more efficient method of completing customs documents.
Steps to filling up commercial invoices
1. Research country-specific information on customs regulations
The accuracy of a commercial invoice for customs clearance is of paramount importance, evident in entire shipments being held back for faulty documentation and unclear information alone. Different countries have their own unique customs clearance regulations and both money as well as time can be saved by researching thoroughly and documenting information that the country relevant to your shipments would require in their customs clearance process.
2. Provide accurate and detailed product information
Whether it is a commercial invoice for export or import, the documents should reflect all specifications of the products you intend to ship. This can include but is not limited to the weight, quantity, retail value, ingredients, and other unique details relevant to your goods.
It is important to note that one should be as precise as possible when filling up a customs invoice and the purpose for importing or exporting specific items, in particular, to give the customs authorities as much information as possible to determine whether your shipments can be transported internationally.
One example of an invoice not being specific and precise enough could be describing a piece of shipped clothing as, ‘textile’. To circumvent this, you should instead describe the piece of clothing as perhaps a, ‘blue sleeveless male t-shirt made of cotton’ or something of the like. By being comprehensive and thorough with your customs invoice, you are making the import process much smoother for yourself and the customs officers assigned to your shipments.
