Which documents go with an import
An import from China rests on three core documents: the commercial invoice, the packing list and the bill of lading. The others, such as the certificate of origin, the conformity documents and the import licence, depend on the product and the country.
Hold-ups at customs are often caused by documents that do not agree with each other or with the goods, for example an invoice listing 500 cartons against 480 on the bill of lading. That is why we check the documents in China, before the container is closed, and hand them over to the forwarder once they are consistent.
← Scroll to see all columns →
| Document | Issued by | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | The supplier | That it is made out to your company, that the description is clear and that the value equals the agreed price |
| Packing list | The supplier | Carton count, net and gross weight, volume (CBM) and carton marks, compared with the goods |
| Bill of lading (B/L); for air freight, an air waybill | The carrier or the forwarder; for a consolidated shipment, a house bill of lading (House B/L) | Consignee details, description of the goods, container and seal numbers |
| Conformity documents | The manufacturer, with laboratory reports | That they exist, refer to your model and are valid |
| Certificate of origin | An authorised body in China | The forwarder confirms whether it is needed |
| Import licence | The authority in the country of import, only for goods that require one | The forwarder confirms whether it is needed |
| CMR consignment note | The trucking company, for the road leg from the port | Consignee details |
| Import declaration | The forwarder, after the goods arrive | The forwarder's responsibility |
How we carry out the check
We check the documents together with the goods, before loading. Consolidated shipments and goods from Yiwu are checked in our warehouses in Yiwu and Ningbo, full containers at the factory, anywhere in China. We count the goods and compare them with the packing list, and you receive a photo and video report.
If something does not match, we tell you before loading. Our four agents in China, employed by Transcont, work in English and Chinese and ask the supplier directly for corrections. An error found before loading is corrected by email with the supplier. Found on arrival, it can hold up the container and add costs.
Our own bill of lading
We issue our own bills of lading. Goods from several suppliers, collected in our warehouse, travel on a single Transcont bill of lading, in place of a separate document for each supplier. Take a Tirana wholesaler who buys toys, kitchenware, stationery, Christmas lights and plastic storage from five suppliers in Yiwu. Five invoices and five packing lists arrive, and we check each against its delivery in our warehouse. One bill of lading covers the consolidated container to Durres. More on the page LCL consolidation from China.
Certificates and conformity documents
For regulated goods we request the conformity documents from the supplier before the order, before you pay the deposit. If they are missing, the goods can be held at the border.
← Scroll to see all columns →
| Type of goods | Documents | More |
|---|---|---|
| Toys | CE marking, EN 71 test reports for the exact model, a declaration of conformity, and age warnings on the product or packaging | toys from China |
| Lighting and electrical goods | Test reports and a declaration of conformity under LVD 2014/35/EU, EMC 2014/30/EU and RoHS 2011/65/EU, with CE marking | LED lighting and electrical goods |
| Food-contact items (kitchenware, food packaging) | The supplier's declaration for the material | packaging and plastics, home goods |
These directives are transposed into national law in each Balkan country. Serbia applies its own conformity mark by default and accepts CE-based documents only where foreign documents are recognised. Confirm with the forwarder, before you order, which rule applies to your product.
In the supplier's documents we check three things:
- that the model in the report is the model on the invoice;
- that the report was issued by a laboratory and is more than a table drawn up by the supplier;
- that the markings on the product and on the packaging correspond to the documents.
Laboratory test reports and conformity documents are issued by the manufacturer and by accredited laboratories. We establish whether the documents exist and whether they refer to your product.
Certificate of origin
In Serbia a certificate of origin, or an origin declaration by an approved exporter, is a condition for the lower rate under the free trade agreement with China, and the transport must meet the agreement's direct transport rule. In Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, customs or the forwarder may still request a certificate. The forwarder confirms, before loading, whether your shipment needs one. More on the page shipping from China to Serbia.
A forwarder handles customs clearance
We do not carry out customs clearance. The import declaration is filed by a forwarder, your own or one we recommend, who also handles duty and VAT. We deliver the goods to the customs warehouse and hand over the export documents and the documents needed for clearance. What is required of you is a registered company in the country of import.
The forwarder confirms the final list of documents for your shipment. This guide is not legal or customs advice. More on the page documents and delivery and in the guides customs duty and VAT on goods from China and how to import from China. You can estimate the volume and the total cost in the CBM calculator and the landed cost calculator.
Send us the documents for a check
Send us the invoice and the packing list from your supplier, before loading. We will tell you what is missing and what does not match. If the supplier has not yet been verified, read the guide how to verify a Chinese supplier.
