The documents required for freight forwarding play a pivotal role in the smooth and efficient movement of goods across international borders. These different types of paperwork serve as the foundation for successful shipping. However, the absence or incorrect completion of these documents can cause problems for shippers.
According to the International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA), the documents required for freight forwarding include:
These documents are necessary to guarantee compliance with regulations and provide accurate information about the cargo.
Before hiring someone to organize your international shipments, learn about the documents required for freight forwarding to avoid unnecessary delays.
Freight forwarders require proper documentation to facilitate the movement of goods across international borders. Regardless of which provider you choose, you’ll need to have the necessary paperwork. These documents serve as a communication tool between various parties involved in the exporting and importing process.
These parties include:
Each of these parties use international shipping documents for their operations. Without them, shipments of cargo wouldn’t be able to travel between countries smoothly and efficiently.
By providing accurate and complete documentation, freight forwarders can ensure the following:
Freight forwarders can more efficiently perform their responsibilities when they have the correct documents. This will guarantee shippers more fluent and fast shipments.
When engaging in international shipping and relying on the expertise of a freight forwarder, shippers must be familiar with the paperwork required to utilize their services. This essential paperwork serves as the foundation for successful shipping. We’ll show you the documents used in freight forwarding and explain what information is required in each of them.
The (BOL) is one of the most important and commonly used documents in the transportation industry.
This kind of paperwork is used for a variety of purposes, inlcuding:
Filling out this significant document correctly is vital when using freight forwarding services. The BOL requires a variety of essential information that must be filled out very carefully.
This includes:
In addition to being used by the shipper and consignee, carriers also use the BOL. This document provides the destination of the shipment and lists the quantity of items in a load. Ocean and air transportation providers use this information to determine where they need to move the goods and what considerations they have to make.
There are many variations of the BOL. That said, there are only two versions that shippers of international goods will need to give to a freight forwarder.
These variations include:
Ocean BOLs are used for shipments traveling overseas, while air waybills are used for international shipments that travel via plane.
The commercial invoice is a key document for international trade transactions. They’re similar to BOLs in that they provide information about the goods that make up a shipment. However, commercial invoices also indicate the financial value of the load.
Some details included in a commercial invoice are:
Customs authorities use the commercial invoice for their purposes as well. First, they use the document to find out the value of an international shipment. Customs officials also use commercial invoices to discern and assess the applicable duties and taxes for a shipment.
Therefore, freight forwarders will need this document to get their your goods out of a U.S. port and to another country.
The packing list is another important piece of paperwork used in the freight forwarding documentation process. It provides a comprehensive overview of the shipment’s contents.
This can include:
It aids in verifying the accuracy of the cargo during inspection and helps carriers optimize space allocation. Properly preparing a packing list reduces the risk of discrepancies and ensures smooth handling throughout the supply chain.
According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the CO confirms the nationality of a shipment and serves as a declaration that satisfies customs and trade requirements.
The U.S. is part of numerous free trade agreements (FTA) with other countries. These agreements provide preferential tariff treatment to certain goods. However, providing an accurate CO is often a prerequisite to receive a reduced tariff. Customers in other countries may request that U.S. shippers provide this document to reduce the cost of their shipment.
Every FTA has different requirements regarding how this document should be filled out. That said, most COs contain the same type of information. Shippers should be sure to research these requirements when a customer in another country asks them to provide one.
Each document should be prepared accurately and in accordance with industry standards. Realize that the format may vary depending on the specific requirements of the destination country and the mode of transportation.
In most circumstances, freight forwarding documents needed for an international shipment don’t have a specific format. This is the case for BOLs, commercial invoices and packing lists. However, shippers might need to use a specific format when completing a CO.
Templates for this type of document are dictated by the corresponding FTA. Shippers only have to read the requirement of the agreement to determine which format is required. If an FTA doesn’t specify the use of a certain template, a customer in a foreign country could still request a specific one to be used for the document.
That said, there are many FTAs that don’t require COs to have a specific form. Customers in foreign countries won’t always ask for this document to be in a specific template. The format used for a CO will change based on the circumstances of the shipment.
Freight forwarders are required to retain dangerous goods paperwork for a specific period of time to comply with regulations. Freight forwarders typically hold onto this kind of documentation for two years.
However, the exact duration that paperwork for dangerous goods should be retained can vary depending on the specific legal requirements. Regulations will usually change based on the mode of transport that was used to move the shipment.
For dangerous cargo moved by air, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recommends that freight forwarders should keep paperwork for a minimum of three years. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) also recommends that freight forwarders keep documentation for dangerous ocean freight for the same duration.
It’s a good idea for shippers to keep paperwork that accompanies this type of cargo for the same amount of time as well. This will help them keep a record of their dangerous loads for future reference.
While there aren’t any costs associated with obtaining and filling out documents required for freight forwarding, there may be expenses that will be charged to process them.
This can include fees charged by:
The costs associated with submitting documents can vary based on the entity processing them. We’ve included data on how much it might cost for paperwork to be assessed.
| Entity | Price for Processing |
| Freight forwarders | $50 – $100 |
| Carriers | $50 – $100 |
| Government agencies | $3.50 – $20 |
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Fortunately for shippers of international cargo, they won’t have to pay very much to have their documents processed. That said, these expenses will be added to other freight forwarding fees that they might incur. This means that shippers should still budget for their shipments carefully.
Don’t let the challenges of documentation hinder your international shipping endeavors. The experts at USA Freight Forwarding can guide you through the complexities, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience. You can learn how to fill out international shipping documents during one of our consulting sessions.
After that, ship your cargo off with the following transport options:
Ocean transport is a much slower transport option, but it’s also the most reliable. International air is a better option if you need your freight transported quickly. Regardless of your needs, USA Freight Forwarding can help. Contact us to schedule your consulting session or call our team at (866) 941-8081 if you require more information.
