If you want to transport your goods by air, you will be required to fill and provide important air shipment forms. The forms you fill depend on the destination of the goods you send and also the type of goods.
Among the forms that may be required are discussed below
1.Commercial invoice: Among the shipping documents you will need is a commercial invoice. This invoice usually includes a detailed description of all the items that need to be transported. The document also lists the value of all items and the total value of all the transported goods. Some countries may require you to use their own specialized invoices. It also has the basic information of the transaction including the name address of the shipper and seller, delivery and payment terms. A buyer uses this invoice for prove of ownership. Governments may also use this document to access custom duties.
2.Consular invoice: Some countries may also require a consular invoice when shipping your goods. This document is used to control and identify the imported goods. It is usually obtained from the consulate of the country where the goods are being shipped. The document is usually prepared in a language that the country of destination uses.
3.Certificate of origin: The document is used to give details of the country where the goods originated from. It is important for custom clearance due to the international location carries strict rules and regulations, which are usually based on where the goods originated from. The document must be certified by a semi official organization. This certificate is usually required even when the commercial invoice contains all the information that the form has.
4.Shippers expert declaration: If you want to transport a commodity that has a value of more than $2500, then you will require a shipper’s export declaration form. The form is usually needed when exporting goods from the United States. The United States census bureau usually collects this information for conducting statistical analysis.
5.Bill of landing: The document is used to identify the shipper of the goods, the consignee, type and quality of the goods. It actually acts as a contact between the carrier and the owner of the goods. The form is usually required even in domestic shipments. The bill of landing form is obtained in 2 types;
- Straight bill of landing: This document is usually non negotiable.
- Negotiable bill of landing:It can be sold, bought or traded while the goods are in transit. This document is mostly used for letter- of- credit transactions.
The bill of landing document is usually used to prove ownership and take possession of the goods.
6.The export package list: This document is usually more detailed than the ones used in domestic shipments. The export package list contains the following information
- Shipment cost in usd
- name and address of the shipper
- identification number of the company
- detailed specification of goods
- Quality and weight of the good origin of the goods.
The document is generally used for verification of weight and volume of goods transported.