Export and import document guides
Practical guides to the documents behind an export shipment — letters of credit, invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, insurance and HS codes.
Letter of credit document checklist: avoiding discrepancies under UCP 600
Most refused letter-of-credit presentations fail on small, avoidable inconsistencies. This checklist covers what banks examine under UCP 600 and the mistakes behind most discrepancies.
Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading: what each does and what must match
Three documents travel with almost every export shipment. Different parties issue them for different purposes, but customs, banks and buyers expect them to tell the same story.
The 110% insurance rule: how much cover CIF and CIP shipments need
Why cargo insurance is usually 110% of the invoice value, where the rule comes from, and how to check an insurance certificate before you present it.
Container number check digit (ISO 6346): how it works, with a calculator
Every shipping container number ends in a check digit that catches most typing errors. Here is how it is calculated, and a calculator to check yours.
HS codes for Korea, Japan and China: why the digits differ
The first six digits of an HS code are the same worldwide; after that every country adds its own. Mixing them up is one of the most common errors on documents for East Asian trade.