Export documentation is important to formalize agreements between buyers and sellers located in different countries and protect both parties' interests. Key documents that should be included are the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and bill of exchange. Proper documentation is required by governments to claim export assistance and by customs to clear goods for international shipment and payment.

2.  What is export?
 Sale of goods from one country to another against
payment in foreign currency in a legal way

3.  It should mention
 Parties: Addresses and Identities
 Nature of contract: Sales of goods/services, agency/distributorship
 Date of agreement
 The contract should state
 Products name (including its technical name )
 Sizes in which it is supplied
 Standards/specifications according to the buyer or as per the samples approved by
him. Details of specification of sample must be given in the contract
 Quantity, total value
 Inspection, Test certification
 Packing, packaging, labelling
 Marking
 Terms of delivery
 Duty and charges, taxes
 Period of delivery
 terms of payment
 discounts and commisions
 licences and permits
 insurance

4.  Why do we need documentation?
• Buyer and sellers are separated by long distances
• Formal contract ( assigning duties/responsibilities)
is necessary
• Protection of interests of both the parties
• The operational constraint
• Claim of export assistance and incentives
provided by the government

5.  Trade documents may be broadly
categorised into 3 heads
 Commercial documents
 Legal or Regulatory documents
 Incentive and Assistance Claim documents

6.  Possession of docs imply ownership of goods
 Docs represent goods shipped by exporter
 These docs entitle the importer
 Indicates goods at destination, and
 Used to compensation by insurance, in the
event of damage or loss

7.  Commercial Invoice
 Packing list
 Insurance
Certificate/Policy
 Bill of Exchange
 Shipment Advice
 Certificate of Origin
 Inspection Certificate
 Transportation
Documentation
- Bill of lading -forwarder
- Airway Bill
- Combined transport
document

8. DOCUMENTATION AS PER
REQUIREMENT OF GOI
 Export License if necessary
 AR4/AR5 Form
 Pre-shipment Inspection
Certificate
 Export Declaration form
 GR/PP/VPP/COD/Softex
Form
 Shipping Bill - customs
DOCS AS PER REQUIREMENT OF
IMPORTING COUNTRY
 Customs Invoice
 GSP Certificate of origin

9.  Application form
 Shipping Bill duly authenticated by customs
 Commercial Invoice attested by bank
 Statement of exports certified by the
negotiating bank
 Registration cum membership form of
concerned export promotion council

10.  First and the only complete document for a
shipment from among the set of commercial
documents.
 Serves as a basis for preparation of all other
documents
 CI is needed at both pre-shipment and post-
shipment stages for
▪ Obtaining Export Inspection Certificate,
▪ Clearance from excise and customs
▪ Negotiating documents with the bank.

12.  CI performs three main functions
 It is a Document of Content,
 It is a Bill by exporter,
 It is a Packing List
 It also sets forth the terms of shipment and
payment and can operate as Certificate of Origin

13.  Equivalent to multimodal transport
document/airway bill/railway/lorry/post
parcel/courier receipt
 These documents state and evidence the
mode, manner and date of shipment.
 These docs define the contractual rights and
obligations of the parties
 lawful holders can claim goods at the
destination and at will
 given by forwarder to exporter

14.  It performs 3 functions:
▪ An evidence of contract of affreightment between the
ship owner and the charterer
▪ A receipt of goods
▪ Document of title:(Order B/L: negotiable doc. and
Consignee named/ Straight B/L: non-transferable)

15.  It’s legally defined as “an unconditional order
in writing, addressed by one person to
another, signed by the person giving it,
requiring the person to which it is addressed
to pay on demand or at a fixed or
determinable future time a certain sum of
money, to or to the order of, a specified
person or to bearer.”

16. EXPORTER
(Drawer) (Payee)
IMPORTER
(Drawee)
IMPORTER’S BANK
(remitting bank)
BILL OF
EXCHANGE
PAYMENT
UNDERTAKING
DOCS
(MASTER/HOUSE AWB)
CUSTOMSEXPORTER’S BANK
(collecting bank)
BILL OF
EXCHANGE
1
2 3
4
5
6

17.  It performs the role of bridging time gap between
shipment of goods and receipt of sale amount.
 This is required to be honored either by actual
payment or by an undertaking to make payment at a
future date by the party on whom it is drawn.
 After payment/undertaking the importer’s bank will
hand over the documents to the importer for taking
possession of goods.
 Can be either a Sight Draft (for DP – Docs Against
Payment) OR Usance/Term Draft (for DA – Docs
Against Acceptance)

18.  Sight Bill of Exchange
 BILL OF EXCHANGE
 Bill of exchange for Date
 Place
 On demand, Pay this First of Exchange (Second of the same date and tenor being unpaid)
to the order of (exporter’s bank) a sum of ……….... only for value received vide Airway Bill No./Bill
of Lading
 No. ………… dated …………. and place the same to account.
 To : Drawee For : Drawer (exporter)
 Usance Bill of Exchange
 BILL OF EXCHANGE
 Bill of exchange for Date
 Place
 …………. Days after date, Pay this First of Exchange (Second of the same date and tenor
being unpaid) to the order of (exporter’s bank) a sum of …….. only for value received vide Airway
Bill No./
 Bill of Lading No. …… dated ……. and place the same to account.
 To : Drawee For : Drawer (exporter)

20.  Lunch time