- Proforma invoice: a preliminary quote before the sale. Commercial invoice: the binding record of a completed sale, used by customs for duty/VAT.
- Bill of lading: the carrier's receipt and often a document of title (sea freight). Packing list: what is physically in each carton.
- Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI): your written instructions to the freight forwarder.
- Proof of origin (EUR1 or invoice declaration): lets your buyer claim preferential (lower) duty under a trade agreement.
- All documents must agree on description, HS codes, values and parties. Build invoices free with our generator.
Why shipping documents matter
Customs authorities in both the exporting and importing country read your shipping documents to identify the goods, classify them, value them, and decide the duty and tax owed. A missing or inconsistent document is the most common cause of a shipment being held, delayed, or hit with unexpected charges, and of a buyer refusing a parcel.
For ecommerce exporters the good news is that the document set is standard and, once you have templates, repeatable. This hub covers each one.
The core export documents
| Document | What it does |
|---|---|
| Proforma invoice | A preliminary, non-binding invoice sent before the sale, to quote or confirm an order |
| Commercial invoice | The definitive record of the completed sale; the primary document for customs valuation |
| Packing list | Itemises the physical contents, weights and dimensions of each carton/pallet |
| Bill of lading | The carrier's receipt and contract of carriage; for sea freight often a document of title |
| Shipper's Letter of Instruction | The exporter's written instructions to the freight forwarder |
| Proof of origin (EUR1 / declaration) | Lets the buyer claim a preferential (reduced or zero) duty rate under a trade agreement |
Document guides
Full guides for each document, plus our free generator:
Keeping your documents consistent
The single most important rule: every document must agree. Customs cross-checks them, and discrepancies trigger queries. Specifically, keep these identical across the invoice, packing list, bill of lading and any origin declaration:
- Goods description and commodity (HS) codes.
- Quantities and values (and currency).
- Exporter and consignee names and addresses, plus your EORI number.
- Country of origin and the Incoterms rule.
The GoEcom invoice generator helps by producing a consistent proforma and commercial invoice from the same data, and can import your Shopify products so descriptions and prices match your store.