Export documentation, explained
The parts of international paperwork that go wrong, and why. Written for people who have to fill the documents in rather than study them.
Certificate of origin, declaration of origin, or USMCA certification
Three documents that each do a different job. Buyers often ask for the wrong one. How to tell which one your shipment needs.
Why your packing list, your VGM and your freight bill show three different weights
One shipment can have three correct weights. Clerks often assume at least two are errors. Here is what each one measures.
Correcting a commercial invoice after the goods have shipped
When to reissue the invoice, when a credit note is the right document, and which other documents must change with it.
Demurrage and detention: the paperwork that starts the clock
The difference between the two is simple. The harder question is which document failures use up your free time. All of them can be avoided.
House bill of lading vs master bill of lading
Two bills for one container, issued by different parties to different people. Which is which, and which one your bank will accept.
LCL vs FCL: what changes in the paperwork
Everyone compares cost and transit time. The differences in the documents are bigger, and they catch people out more often.
Why letter of credit presentations get rejected the first time
Most presentations are refused the first time, and almost always because of the documents, not the goods. These are the fields that cause it.
What to do when the original bill of lading is lost
The cargo is at destination, the originals are not, and the carrier will not release without them. What the replacement package contains, and what it costs.
Switch bills of lading: which fields may change, and which may not
A second set of bills replacing the first is legitimate and common. The line between a switch and a false document is which boxes you change.
Telex release: what to send, and to whom
The cargo is released at destination without an original bill travelling there. The conditions the carrier will set, and when not to use it.
Incoterms decide who bears the loss, not who owns the goods
The eleven Incoterms set out cost, risk and customs clearance. They say nothing about ownership. That gap between risk and ownership is where the expensive disputes start.
Why customs holds a shipment, and how the paperwork causes it
Most holds are not about duty or prohibited goods. They happen because documents disagree with each other: a quantity, a description, or a weight that does not match.