subject: What Documentation Is Needed When Shipping To The Us From Canada? [print this page] If you've only been using a California courier service to ship goods from the US to Canada, one of the concerns that you may have is if there are any differences between the documentation that is required when shipping from the US to Canada instead of vice versa. The truth is that as long as you have a handle on the one direction of shipping, you should find that the processes are fairly similar. There are some basic documents that you are going to require when cross border shipping regardless of what two countries you are shipping between.
When you're shipping anywhere, your order is always going to need a bill of lading. This becomes extremely important when you're shipping between two different countries. The reason for this is that when a shipment goes across the border, the customs agents have to verify that the package contains items which are legally being transported into the country, and the BOL provides them with all of the information that they need to verify this fact. The bill of lading will show where and when your products were shipped from, and where they are going to.
The next document that you're going to need to make sure is included with all of your shipments is the commercial invoice. This is perhaps the most basic document that is going to need to go with anything that you're shipping to another country. Even if all you're shipping is a small personal package that you sold on eBay, you're going to need to include a copy of the invoice with the package.
If you're shipping goods which are more valuable than normal, you may find that you need specialized permits or licenses in order to ship them. These types of documents are more complicated, and because they only apply in certain situations it is best to get the consultation of your courier company in regards to obtaining and preparing them. By working with your courier company carefully, you can make sure that you have all of the required documents before shipping.
It is important to pay attention to this. If you fail to have all of the paperwork that you need when trying to ship internationally, you may find that your goods can be held at the border. This can cause massive delays which are going to be extremely disruptive to your business and your clients.
by: Carry Cox
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