Commercial Invoice Template
The commercial invoice is the document customs uses to decide what your shipment is worth, and therefore what duty is owed on it. It is not the same as your accounting invoice: it has to name the buyer and seller, describe the goods well enough to classify them, state the Incoterm and the place it applies to, and give a country of origin. Get any of those wrong and the shipment is held while a broker asks you to reissue it.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | Unit Price (USD) | Amount (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
We hereby certify that this invoice is true and correct, that the goods described are of origin, and that the prices stated are the actual prices paid or payable.
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
What customs actually checks
Three things, in practice. First, that the value is credible for the goods described. A container of 'machine parts' worth $400 invites a valuation query. Second, that the Incoterm matches the freight and insurance treatment: quoting FOB and then adding a freight line to the invoice total is a common and expensive contradiction. Third, that the description supports the HS code. 'Assorted goods' is not a description. 'Stainless steel single-handle kitchen faucets, brushed nickel' is.
Commercial invoice vs proforma invoice
A proforma invoice is issued before the sale is final. The buyer uses it to open a letter of credit, apply for an import licence, or get internal approval. A commercial invoice is issued once the goods ship and is a demand for payment. Customs will accept a proforma for some purposes but will want the commercial invoice for clearance. The two normally carry the same goods and values. If they diverge, expect questions.
Commercial invoice vs packing list
The commercial invoice covers money: unit prices, totals, terms of payment. The packing list covers physical reality: how many cartons, what each weighs, what is in which container. Customs reads them together, and the two must agree on quantities. A shipment that invoices 500 pieces and packs 480 will be stopped.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the commercial invoice generator →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a commercial invoice, field by field →
Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+Is a commercial invoice required for every international shipment?
For commercial goods, effectively yes. Every customs authority needs a declared value to assess duty against, and the commercial invoice is where that value comes from. Genuine gifts, samples of no commercial value, and documents may be exempt, but the exemptions are narrower than people assume. A 'free sample' still usually needs an invoice showing a nominal value for customs purposes.
+Does a commercial invoice need to be signed?
Many countries no longer require a wet signature, but several still do, and some letters of credit require one regardless of what customs wants. Signing costs nothing and removes a class of rejection, so sign it unless you have a reason not to.
+What Incoterm should I put on a commercial invoice?
Whichever one you actually agreed with the buyer, followed by the named place. Write 'FOB Yantian', not just 'FOB'. The Incoterm determines who pays freight and insurance and where risk transfers, so it also determines whether those costs belong inside your invoice value. An Incoterm without a named place is incomplete.
+Do I need HS codes on a commercial invoice?
They are not universally mandatory but they are strongly advisable, and some destinations require them. The HS code is what the duty rate hangs off. Supplying it yourself means your broker classifies the goods the way you intended rather than guessing from a terse description.
+What currency should the invoice be in?
The currency of the contract. Customs will convert to local currency at an official rate on the date of entry, so you do not need to pre-convert. What matters is that the currency is stated explicitly. An invoice showing '$' without saying which dollar is ambiguous.
Try it with a real shipment.
The generator on this page is the real product. Fill it in, download the PDF, and see if it is what you need.
Create a commercial invoice