EXPORT DOCUMENTS &

PROCEDURE
Documents plays a vital role in International
Business

It facilitates the smooth flow of goods and

payments across National frontiers A No of
documents accompany every shipment must be
correct and properly filed.
 Export documents are however, more complex
and more in number

Requirement of document differ from country to

country.

Wrong document will lead to loss of time in

clearance of consignment, storage charges,
frustration to importer, who will be reluctant to
import again from the same exporter
 Advisable to take the help of shipping and
forwarding agents to complete the
relevant documents in correct order.
Export documents can be classified
under four categories:

1. Commercial documents
2. Regulatory Documents
3. Export Assistance Documents
4. Documents required by importing
countries
 1. Commercial documents

 Commercial Invoices
 Bill of Lading
 Letter of Credit
 Marine Insurance Policy and Certificates
 2 Regulatory Documents :

 These document are required to comply

with rules and regulations governing
export trade transactions such as –
 FERA
 Customs formalities
 Export Inspections etc
 3. Export Assistance Documents :

 For claiming assistance

 Drawbacks of central excise and customs
duties
 Packing credit facilities etc
4 Documents required by importing
countries
 To satisfy the requirements of the
Government
 Certificate of Origin
 Consular Invoice
 Quantity Control Certificate etc
 Export documents could be classified into
two categories depending upon the
specific requirements:
 Regulatory
 Operational
 Regulatory Requirements:
 Exporter has to follow strictly the
requirements of both the exporting and
importing country e.g. under FERA an
exporter has to submit FORM which
declares that “we undertake to realize the
Foreign Exchange in lieu of goods
exported. This is submitted to RBI
…………….
Licence to export the controlled
commodities.

Pre-shipment inspection and quality

control are compulsory in order to build
up the image of Indian goods abroad
 Certain documents certified by their missions in
the exporting country. This gives the need of
consular invoice and in some cases, the use of
legalized invoice
 Then, there are countries, specially the
commonwealth countries, and also those
developed countries, which have offered
concessions to the developing countries under
the Generalized System of Preferences, which
demand that the exporters must submit a
certificate of origin.
 Thus the Exporters submit

 G R Form
 Export Licence
 Inspection Certificate
 Legalized Invoice and
 Certificate of Origin
OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
 Shipping Bill -- No shipping company or airlines
will accept any cargo unless the customs
authorities have granted their permission on the
shipping bill.
 Along with shipping bill, commercial invoice and
packing lists are also to be submitted
 When goods are shipped by ship or sea it is Bill
of Lading
 By air, it is Air Way Bill
 Further - Exporter must insure his goods against
risks through Marine Insurance Policy
 OTHER ASPECTS TO BE
LOOKED INTO
 Floor price regulation, or
 Export of some products may b canalized
through designated bodies like STC,MMTC
or MSTC etc
 Measurement & weigh-ment to be
complied with
 As soon as the goods are exported the
exporter becomes eligible for duty
drawbacks etc.
 SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME
EXPORT DOCUMENTS
1. Commercial Invoice:
 Basic document

 Contains all information which are

required for the preparation of all other

documents
 Called “Documents of Control”

 Harmonized System Nomenclature (HSN),

price charged
 The terms of shipment
 Marks and Number of packages containing the
merchandise
 The date, name and address of both buyer and
seller
 Name of shipping vessel and port of
disembarkation
 Exporter has to design his own form for invoice
 Some country have their own form of invoice
hence exporter has to use theirs