What must the header state?
- Seller and buyer names, addresses and contacts
- Invoice number, invoice date and the Incoterm agreed
- Country of origin of the goods, and the country of final destination
- Currency of the transaction, matching the declared values below
What must each line state?
- A description specific enough for customs to classify the goods
- The HS code, and the quantity with its unit of measure
- Unit value and line total in the invoice currency
- Net and gross weight, so the invoice and packing list reconcile
What gets the invoice held up?
- A description too vague to classify, such as "gifts" or "samples"
- A declared value that does not reflect the transaction
- An HS code that does not match the goods described
- A missing or defective certificate of origin where preferential duty is claimed
How do I use this?
Fill it in before you ask for a price rather than after: the details here are what a freight quotation and a customs declaration are built from, and a missing one is what turns into a delay or a re-quote later.
Version 1.0, last reviewed 2026-09-15. Your service representative confirms the exact document requirements for each shipment, because they vary by destination, mode and commodity.