Six documents move with almost every consignment. Most first-time importers only discover the seventh one when the container is already at the port. Here is the full set, and who is responsible for each.
These travel with the goods. If any one is wrong — a mismatched quantity, an incorrect HS code, a missing signature — clearance stops and demurrage starts accruing at the port.
| Document | What it proves | Usually issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Invoice | Value of the goods, buyer and seller, payment terms, Incoterm | The Chinese supplier |
| Packing List | Carton count, dimensions, gross and net weight, what is in each carton | The Chinese supplier |
| Bill of Lading (sea) / Air Waybill (air) | Title to the goods and the contract of carriage | Shipping line or freight forwarder |
| Certificate of Origin | Country where the goods were made — decides preferential duty eligibility | Chinese chamber of commerce / CCPIT |
| Bill of Entry | Your declaration to Indian Customs, filed electronically on ICEGATE | Your CHA, in India |
| Insurance certificate | Cover for the goods in transit | Insurer — yours or the seller's, depending on Incoterm |
These are not per-shipment documents — they are registrations. Without them the consignment cannot be cleared at all, no matter how correct the paperwork is.
Customs compares them line by line. If the invoice says "steel bunk bed" and the packing list says "metal bed frame", it gets flagged for examination — which costs days, not hours.
A supplier offering to "write a lower value on the invoice" is offering to make you liable. Indian Customs maintains valuation databases for common goods; a value well below the reference range invites assessment at a higher value, penalty, and in serious cases confiscation. We do not do it and we advise against it.
The classification has to describe what is actually in the carton. Getting it wrong is a mis-declaration even when it was an honest mistake — and the differential duty plus interest lands on you, not the supplier.
For commercial imports, no. IEC is issued by DGFT and is required to clear goods. Personal-use imports and some courier shipments are treated differently, but any business consignment needs it. Getting one is an online application and generally takes a few working days.
Either. Most of our clients let us introduce a CHA at the destination port and we coordinate directly with them. If you already work with one, we hand over the full document set to them.
It depends what it is. An invoice or packing list can usually be amended by the supplier and re-issued. A bill of lading correction is slower and the line normally charges an amendment fee. This is exactly why we check documents before sailing rather than after.
It is standard practice and it is what establishes whether any preferential duty rate applies. Ask for it on every consignment — it costs the supplier very little and its absence can cost you the concessional rate.
Have a question about this? Send it to us — we answer with your actual case, not a brochure.
