DOCUMENTS / IMPORTER TOOLKIT
Clear documents. One consistent shipment.
Download editable commercial invoice and packing list templates with a completed example. Check quantities, values and packing data for US and European imports.
Commercial invoice
Explain the transaction and value
Packing list
Map the goods to each package
Editable templates
Use the blank pack and worked example
A useful shipping-document template does more than make paperwork look consistent. It helps your supplier describe what was sold, explain how the goods are packed and give your broker enough information to identify missing details before dispatch.
The commercial invoice records the transaction and value information. The packing list maps that shipment to its physical packages. They should reconcile, but they are not interchangeable. This guide includes editable Word templates and a worked example for buyers sourcing from Asia into the United States or Europe.
Download the document pack
Each pack contains both documents. The completed example uses fictional companies and a fictional shipment. Save a working copy and replace all example data. The Word files do not calculate totals automatically, so recheck the arithmetic after editing.
These templates provide a starting structure rather than a declaration that every product or jurisdiction is covered. Ask your broker about commodity-specific requirements, and ask the buyer or bank about any contractual document conditions.
Commercial invoice versus packing list
Comparison table · Scroll horizontally on smaller screens
| Question | Commercial invoice | Packing list |
|---|---|---|
| What does it explain? | The parties, goods and transaction or valuation information | The physical package contents and measurements |
| Does it normally show prices? | Yes, with currency and a clear basis | Not necessarily; prices are not its core purpose |
| What should reconcile? | Product identities and total quantities | The same products and quantities, mapped to packages |
| Who normally prepares it? | Seller or another properly identified responsible party | The party with reliable final packing information |
| What is a common failure? | Vague descriptions or unexplained values | Totals that do not match actual packed cargo |
A purchase order is not proof that the ordered quantity actually shipped. A proforma invoice used to agree terms is not automatically the final commercial invoice. Keep the final shipment documents distinct from earlier negotiating versions.
Start with the correct parties and transaction
Identify the seller, buyer, ship-to party and relevant order references. If the manufacturer differs from the seller, preserve that distinction where the destination requirements or broker's instructions call for it. A third-party warehouse address should not silently replace the buyer's identity.
Set an invoice number, date, currency and agreed payment terms. Record the agreed Incoterms rule with its named location and version. If the goods move without a sale, explain why they are being shipped and provide a supportable valuation basis instead of inserting a nominal amount without explanation.
For US-bound goods, consult CBP's published commercial-invoice requirements and have the broker identify any additional commodity details. For EU imports, the applicable documentation also depends on the product and procedure. CBP: Commercial-invoice requirements, European Commission: Import guide.
Write descriptions that work outside your company
Your internal SKU may be clear to purchasing staff but meaningless to a customs officer or warehouse operator. Combine the SKU with a description of the product, material, function and distinguishing specification.
For example, “MB-01” alone does not identify the goods. “Non-powered steel mounting brackets for furniture, model MB-01” is a more informative starting description. Additional details may still be needed to classify a particular product.
Record country of origin based on the applicable origin rules. It is not automatically the country where the invoice was issued or the last port of shipment. Likewise, a supplier's HS reference should be reviewed against the destination's classification system rather than copied into every country's import declaration unchanged.
Make the invoice arithmetic auditable
Show the unit of measure, quantity, unit price and extended amount for each item. Then identify how discounts, freight, insurance, packing charges or other relevant adjustments affect the invoice total. If a charge is already included in the unit price, state that rather than adding it twice.
Keep currency explicit. A column headed “Amount” with a dollar sign does not establish whether the transaction is in US, Canadian or another dollar currency. For several invoices in different currencies, provide separate totals and let the declaration use the required conversion method.
An invoice total and a customs value are not necessarily identical. The broker may need supporting information about adjustments, assists, royalties or separately identified transport costs. A clean template improves the discussion; it does not replace it.
Build the packing list around package numbers
Use a unique package range and connect every SKU to the packages that contain it. If cartons are identical, a range such as 1–20 can work. If carton 7 contains several items, show the content breakdown without counting carton 7's gross weight several times.
Clearly distinguish net and gross weight. Specify whether each figure is per package or the total for that row. Include measurement units in the headings and use the final external dimensions. When pallets or crates are added after the first draft, revise the package hierarchy, weight and dimensions accordingly.
The packing list should help someone answer a physical question: “Which package contains the item we need to inspect?” A neat list that cannot answer that question is still incomplete for practical handling.
Worked example: one SKU across 20 cartons
Assume a fictional shipment of 500 steel furniture-mounting brackets at USD 8 each. Each of 20 cartons contains 25 units, with net weight 10 kg and gross weight 12 kg. Every carton measures 50 × 40 × 30 cm. No pallets are included in this example.
Comparison table · Scroll horizontally on smaller screens
| Check | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice goods total | 500 × USD 8.00 | USD 4,000.00 |
| Packed quantity | 20 cartons × 25 units | 500 units |
| Total net weight | 20 × 10 kg | 200 kg |
| Total gross weight | 20 × 12 kg | 240 kg |
| Volume per carton | 50 × 40 × 30 ÷ 1,000,000 | 0.06 CBM |
| Total volume | 20 × 0.06 | 1.20 CBM |
The completed Word pack follows this example. It intentionally does not assign an HS code: the simplified description is not enough to make a defensible classification decision. It also does not invent freight or insurance charges. Replace the commercial terms with the actual agreement for your shipment.
US and EU importers: add the destination review
US importers should ask the broker to confirm the parties, importer identification, product details and valuation support required for the entry. Even when a broker prepares the filing, the importer remains responsible for understanding and meeting the applicable requirements. CBP: Using a customs broker
EU buyers should confirm the relevant EORI and declaration arrangements, as well as any product-specific evidence. Do not assume the supplier's commercial invoice is a domestic EU VAT invoice. Import VAT treatment and the invoice used for the sale are related business records, but they serve different purposes. Your Europe: Customs duties and import procedures
The United Kingdom requires its own import review. GOV.UK's guidance states that imports into England, Wales or Scotland require an EORI beginning with GB. Do not use an EU checklist as the entire UK process; Northern Ireland also needs separate consideration. GOV.UK: Import goods step by step
A document handoff that prevents version confusion
Ask the supplier for a draft invoice and a provisional packing list before pickup. Let the product specialist review descriptions, the commercial team review value and terms, and the warehouse confirm final packing data. Send the approved set to the forwarder and broker with one clear version reference.
If the packing changes, issue an updated version and identify what changed. Do not rely on a new attachment in an old email chain without telling the filing party. When a declaration has already been lodged, ask how the change must be reflected in that filing.
Store the approved documents with the order, shipping instructions and relevant supporting records. This makes a later query easier to answer than reconstructing the shipment from screenshots.
Send clear documents with your freight request
Use the templates to assemble the cargo record, then include the collection address, delivery address, cargo-ready date and required arrival window. Contact Mingsung for a freight quotation.
