Generally, there are commercial invoices, bills of lading, packing lists, weight lists, certificates of origin, beneficiary certificates, etc.

If you have any questions, you can consult your advising bank directly. There is an international business department that specializes in this matter, and it will also help you review the bill before sending it. Basically, there will be no big problems.

As long as you submit the documents in accordance with the regulations and there are no discrepancies, the issuing bank will pay you.

Make export documents

A. Drafting

In international trade, documentary bills are mainly used as evidence for exporters to demand payment. Pay attention to the following questions when drafting.

Ticket terms. The draft under the letter of credit shall be filled in with the terms of issue. Include the name of the issuing bank, the letter of credit number and the date of the issuing bank.

Amount of draft. The amount of draft under collection should be consistent with the invoice amount. If partial collection and partial letter of credit are used for settlement, the amount of two bills of exchange shall be filled in as required, and the sum of them is equal to the invoice amount. The draft under the letter of credit, if not stipulated in the letter of credit, should be the same as the invoice amount. If the letter of credit stipulates that the amount of the draft is a percentage of the invoice amount, it should be filled in as required. This practice is usually to give the intermediary business newspaper a commission price, the invoice is issued at the commission price, and the issuing bank deducts the commission when paying.

Name of payer. For a collection bill, the drawee is the buyer. Under the letter of credit mode, the issuing bank of the letter of credit or its designated paying bank is the payer. If the letter of credit is not specified, the issuing bank will be the drawee.

Name of payee. The payee of the draft should be the bank. Under a letter of credit, the payee is usually the negotiating bank; Under the collection method, the payee can be the collecting bank, and all of them are handled according to the instructions. In collection, the exporter can also write as the payee (the bill received), and then the payee will endorse it to the collecting bank as the entrusted collection.

B. commercial invoice.

Commercial invoice is the delivery price list issued by the exporter, which is the general description of the goods to be shipped. The invoice fully reflects the contract content.

The main function of invoice is to provide importers with the certificate of receipt, payment, accounting and tax payment by importers and exporters. In the absence of draft (such as payment letter of credit, D/P at sight), invoice replaces draft as the basis of payment.

There is no uniform format for invoices, and their contents should conform to the provisions of the contract. When settling accounts by letter of credit, the provisions of the letter of credit should also be strictly observed. Invoice is the center of the whole set of freight documents, and other documents are compiled according to the contents of the invoice, so the production is not only correct, but also standardized, neat and beautiful.

Production contents and matters needing attention are as follows:

Name of exporter. The name, address, telex, fax and telephone number of the exporter must be on the top of the invoice, and the name and address of the exporter should be consistent with the letter of credit.

Invoice name. Under the name of the exporter, the word "invoice" should be indicated.

Invoice payable to. Usually foreign importers. In the case of a letter of credit, unless otherwise specified, it shall be the applicant for opening the letter of credit.

Invoice number, contract number, letter of credit number and invoice date. Invoice numbers should be compiled by exporters in sequence. The contract number and letter of credit number should be the same as those listed in the letter of credit, and if there is no such requirement in the letter of credit, they should also be listed. The invoice date cannot be too far away from the waybill date, but it must be within the presentation and validity period of the letter of credit.

Place and destination of shipment. It should be consistent with the letter of credit, the destination should be clear and specific, and if there is a duplicate name, the country should be indicated.

Tags and numbers (titles). If the certificate has a designated seal, it shall be made according to the certificate. If there is no provision, it shall be proposed by the shipper. Container shipment can be replaced by container number and seal number. The shipping marks on the transport documents and insurance policies should be consistent with the invoices.

Name, specification, package, quantity and number of pieces of the goods. The description of the goods should meet the requirements of the contract and must be exactly the same as the words used in the letter of credit. If the weight is listed in, the total gross weight and net weight should be listed.

Unit price and total value. The unit price and total value must be calculated accurately, and there can be no contradiction with the quantity. Price terms (trade terms) should be listed. Banks can accept or reject invoices with a total value not exceeding the amount of the letter of credit.

Supplementary proof. There are roughly the following types: (l) Packing fee list: freight, insurance and FOB price; (2) indicate the specific number, such as import license number and Brussels tariff number; (3) Proof sentence indicating the source of raw materials.

Name of drawer. The invoice is issued by the exporter and must be the beneficiary under the letter of credit. According to UCP 500, commercial invoices can only indicate the names of single people without signature. If signature is required, it should be clearly stipulated in the certificate, such as a signed commercial invoice.

C. transport documents

Transport documents are different according to different modes of trade. There are sea bills of lading, sea waybills, air waybills, railway waybills, cargo transport receipts and multimodal transport documents.

China's foreign trade transportation mode is mainly sea transportation. This paper mainly introduces the preparation of bill of lading and matters needing attention.

Shipper is generally the exporter, that is, the beneficiary of the letter of credit. If the applicant stipulates in the letter of credit that it can be a third-party bill of lading, for example, asking the freight forwarder to be the shipper.

Consignee (consignee). This column is also called bill of lading payable. It should be handled in strict accordance with the provisions of the letter of credit. If it's collection settlement. Generally, it is made to indicate head-up. That is to say, it is written by instructions or by x x X instructions. In order to avoid premature transfer of property rights, it is not allowed to make a registered bill of lading or bill of lading in favor of the buyer.

NotifyParty This is the object of arrival notice issued by the ship when the goods arrive at the destination port, usually the importer or his agent. But in any case, it should be filled in according to the provisions of the letter of credit. If it is not stipulated in the letter of credit, it is suggested that the original bill of lading should not be filled in, but the name and address of the importer should still be filled in the duplicate bill of lading for the carrier's notice.

B/LNo. (b/lNo). The number must be indicated on the bill of lading for verification, which is consistent with the number of the bill of lading (also known as the mate's receipt) or the dock receipt (container). A bill of lading without a number is invalid.

Name and voyage (name of ship; I don't know. Fill in the ship and voyage. If transshipment is made midway, just fill in the name and voyage of the first voyage.

Port of loading and port of discharge. The specific port name should be filled in. If different countries have the same name at the port of discharge, the country name should be added. If the unloading port is selected, it should be listed completely. If London/Rotterdam/Hamburg chooses to unload, fill in Option London/ Rotterdam/Hamburg in the column of unloading port, and the consignee must inform the ship's unloading port within the time specified by the shipping company before the ship arrives at the first unloading port, otherwise the ship can unload at any of these ports. There are no more than three ports to choose from, and the freight should be charged according to the highest one on the same route? In case of transshipment midway, fill in the name of transshipment port at the unloading port and the destination port in the final destination column. You can also fill in the port of destination at the port of discharge, indicating transshipment at XX port (W/TAT XX).

Head. Consistent with the invoice.

Quantity and type of packaging and description of goods. According to the actual situation. Several different packages of a bill of lading should be listed separately, and pallets and containers can also be listed as packages. Barely packed bundles and parts, bulk goods should be marked as bulk. Common names of goods are allowed. But it shall not conflict with the description of the goods in the letter of credit. The chemical name of dangerous goods shall be clearly written, indicating IMCO code page, UN code number and category number. Refrigerated goods should be marked with the required temperature.

Gross weight and size. Unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit, the weight is in kilograms or metric tons and the volume is in cubic meters.

Freight and expenses. Only the payment of freight is filled in this column. For transactions under CFR and CIF conditions, prepaid freight should be filled in, and for transactions under FOB conditions, payment of freight should generally be filled in, unless the buyer entrusts the shipper to pay the freight. Generally speaking, the charter party only indicates "as arranged" (as agreed). If there are other provisions in the letter of credit, it should be filled in according to the provisions of the letter of credit.

Original bill of lading number (original bill of lading number). Open in accordance with the provisions of the letter of credit and fill in the figures, such as (2)TW. The letter of credit only stipulates a complete set, and it is customary to make two originals, but one original can also be regarded as a complete set.

Date and place of issuance of bill of lading. Except for the standby bill of lading, the date of the bill of lading is the date of completion of shipment, which cannot be later than the date of shipment stipulated in the letter of credit. The place of issuance of the bill of lading shall be listed according to the place of shipment. If the time of shipment is later than the stipulated time of shipment, the ship is required to agree to exchange the letter of guarantee for the earlier bill of lading, which is called counter-signing the bill of lading; It is a bad habit in the international shipping industry to require the ship to issue the on-board bill of lading before the goods are loaded. This practice is called the advance bill of lading. Once exposed, it may lead to the other party's claim or even rejection, resulting in huge losses.

Sign. According to UCP 500, the name of the carrier should be displayed on the surface of the ocean bill of lading and signed by the carrier or his agent, the captain or his agent. Signatories must also identify themselves. If signed by an agent, the name and identity of the principal must be indicated.

Others. What the letter of credit requires to be added to the bill of lading. If the letter of credit stipulates that each document should show the letter of credit number, the bill of lading should provide the certificate of CCPIT. It must be handled in accordance with the provisions of the letter of credit.

D. insurance policy

Insurance policy/insurance policy is the evidence that an insurance contract is concluded between the insurer and the insured. It is the basis of the insured's claim and the insurer's claim. In CIF or CIP contracts, it is a basic obligation for exporters to submit insurance documents that meet the requirements of sales contracts and/or letters of credit when collecting money from banks or importers.

The main contents of the insurance policy are as follows:

Insurance companies and insurance companies.

Insurance policy number.

The insured is the insured. Under CIF or CIP conditions, the exporter insures the export goods, and unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit, the beneficiary of the letter of credit is the insured. And transfer the insurance interest with blank endorsement.

Mark. The marks and numbers shall be consistent with the marks on bills of lading, invoices and other documents. Usually, the invoice number. XX (according to invoice number xx) is indicated in the label column.

Packing and quantity. Should be consistent with the contents of the invoice.

Name of the insured goods. You can refer to the commodity name described in the commercial invoice. You can also fill in the common name of the commodity. Letters of credit sometimes require all documents to show the letter of credit number, which can be indicated in the blank space of this column.

Insurance amount. Insure according to the amount stipulated in the letter of credit, or 1 10% of the CIF or CIP price if it is not stipulated in the letter of credit.

Premium and capital ratio. Generally speaking, there is no need to specify the premium and capital rate in the insurance policy. Fill in this column only if it is arranged. However, if the certificate requires to indicate the insurance premium and rate, it should indicate the specific figures and rates.

Load the means of transport. The name and voyage of the ship should be filled in for sea cargo. If transshipment is required on the way, if the name of the second-class ship has been confirmed at the time of insurance, the name of the second-class ship should also be filled in. If the name of the second voyage is unknown, add and/or ship after the name of the first voyage.

Sailing date, departure place and destination. When is the sailing date? Quot According to the bill of lading (see bill of lading), the place should be filled in with reference to the bill of lading.

Take insurance. Don't. This column is the core content of the insurance policy. It mainly stipulates the insurance company's scope of underwriting responsibility for this batch of goods, and it is also the basis for the insured to determine whether it belongs to the insurance company after the goods are lost. This column should be compiled according to the insurance information and strictly abide by the requirements of the terms of the letter of credit.

Place of payment and agent. Generally, it is the agent of the insurance company at the destination or nearby area.

Date and place of issuing the insurance policy. The date of issuance of the insurance policy shall not be later than the date of issuance of the bill of lading or other shipping documents to show that the goods have been insured before shipment.

Signature of insurance company.

E. certificate of origin of goods

The certificate of origin is used to prove the origin or place of manufacture of the goods and is the basis for the customs of the importing country to calculate the tax rate. The certificates of origin used in China's export commodities mainly include the following:

General certificate of origin. It is used to prove the country of production of the goods and the customs of the importing country to verify the tax rate to be levied. In China, the general certificate of origin can be issued by the exporter himself, by the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Bureau, or by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. In actual business, the corresponding certificate of origin should be submitted according to the provisions of the sales contract or letter of credit. When preparing the certificate of origin, it shall be handled in accordance with the Rules of Origin of People's Republic of China (PRC) and other regulations.

Gsp certificate of origin. At present, China has been granted GSP treatment by Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Russia, EU 15 countries and some countries in Eastern Europe. All goods that benefit from exporting to preference-giving countries must provide GSP certificates of origin in order to obtain tariff reduction and exemption. Therefore, our exporters should take the initiative to submit this certificate of origin whether or not it is needed. The written format name of GSP certificate of origin is Format A(Form A). However, for New Zealand, form 59a must be provided, and for Australia, no form is needed, only relevant statements and sentences need to be added to the commercial invoice. In China, the GSP certificate of origin is issued by the Import and Export Commodity Inspection Bureau.

Certificate of origin for textiles. Exporting textiles to EU countries requires a certificate of origin. This certificate is the basis for the customs of the importing country to control the quota. In China, the certificate is issued by the local foreign economic and trade commission (office). Gsp certificate of origin is to obtain tariff preference, while textile certificate of origin is to obtain quota? When certifying the export of related products to the EU, two certificates of origin shall be submitted at the same time.

Declaration of origin of exports to the United States. Exporters should fill in the declaration of origin for all quota commodities (such as textiles) exported to the United States. There are three formats: (l) Format A: single country statement, stating that the goods have only one country of origin; (2) Format B: multinational declaration, stating that raw materials for goods are produced by two or more countries; (3) Format C: Non-multifilament textile declaration, also called negative declaration. If the main value or weight of textiles belongs to hemp or silk raw materials, or the wool content does not exceed 65,438+07%, you can fill in this format to indicate that such goods are non-quota products.

F. Inspection certificate

There are many kinds of inspection and certification in international trade, which are used to prove the quality, quantity, weight and sanitary condition of goods respectively. Inspection certificates are generally issued by inspection agencies designated by the state, or by export enterprises or production enterprises themselves according to different situations. It should be noted that the name of the goods inspected by the issuing authority and the inspection items must comply with the provisions of the letter of credit. Also pay attention to the validity period of the inspection certificate. It takes 60 days for general commodities and 2-3 weeks for fresh fruits and vegetables. Export goods must be shipped within the validity period. If the time limit is exceeded, it should be re-checked.

G. Packaging documents

Packing documents refers to all documents that record or describe the types and specifications of commodity packaging, and is a supplementary explanation to commercial invoices. There are mainly packing list, weight list and measurement list.

H. Other documents

Other documents should be stipulated in the contract or letter of credit according to different transaction conditions. Common ones are: beneficiary certificates for sending documents, beneficiary certificates for sending samples, postal receipts, express delivery receipts, shipping notices, and certificates related to transportation and expenses.

D/P settlement

A. submission of documents

D/P means that the exporter (beneficiary of the letter of credit) submits a complete set of documents stipulated in the letter of credit to the bank within the specified time. These documents are examined by the bank, which handles the settlement of foreign exchange according to the terms of the letter of credit.

Pay attention to three points when presenting documents: first, the types and copies of documents are in conformity with the provisions of the letter of credit; Second, the contents of the documents are correct, including the words used are consistent with the letter of credit; Third, the time for presenting documents must be within the presentation period and validity period stipulated in the letter of credit.

There are two ways to serve documents: one is to serve them twice, or to serve them before trial. Before the transport documents are issued, submit other prepared documents to the bank for pre-examination, and correct the problems in time when found. After the goods are loaded, the transport documents can be negotiated on the same day and sent abroad. The other is one-time delivery, that is, after all documents are collected, they are sent to the bank at one time, and the goods have been delivered. If the bank finds that the bill is inconsistent after reviewing it, it needs to return the bill for modification, which is time-consuming and easy to cause overdue, affecting the safety of foreign exchange collection. Therefore, export enterprises should cooperate closely with banks and adopt the method of second presentation of documents to speed up the collection of foreign exchange.

B. foreign exchange settlement

After the export documents under the letter of credit are audited by the bank, the bank will pay foreign exchange to the export enterprise according to the payment terms stipulated in the letter of credit. In China's export business, most of them use negotiation letters of credit, and a few use payment letters of credit and acceptance letters of credit. The main settlement methods are as follows:

Negotiation letter of credit. Negotiation is also called export draft. Documents are collected as collateral for negotiation and negotiation. According to the face value of the draft or invoice, after deducting the interest from the negotiation date to the date when the expected payment is received from the issuing bank or reimbursing bank, advance the payment to the exporter (beneficiary of the letter of credit). Negotiation is the right of recourse. If the issuing bank refuses to pay, the negotiating bank can recover the advance payment from the exporter.

Negotiation letter of credit stipulates that the issuing bank is responsible for accepting and paying the money due to the negotiating bank. UCP 5OO stipulates that the bank only examines the documents and does not pay the price, which does not constitute negotiation.

In addition to the above-mentioned export bills, Chinese banks also adopt two other ways to settle foreign exchange for negotiating letters of credit: one is to properly collect foreign exchange, that is, after receiving documents, send them to the issuing bank without making bills, and the issuing bank will transfer the payment to the negotiating bank before settling foreign exchange with the exporter; The other is regular settlement of foreign exchange, that is, after the exporter receives the documents, it will settle foreign exchange within a certain period, which is the expected time of foreign exchange collection. Therefore, for the negotiating bank, the above two methods are payment in advance, but according to UCP 5OO regulations, the bank cannot obtain the qualification of negotiating bank and can only be regarded as a collecting bank.

Payment letter of credit. Payment of letters of credit usually does not use drafts. In the commercial sight payment letter of credit, the foreign issuing bank designates the branch or agent at the place of export as the paying bank, and the beneficiary directly submits the documents to the paying bank. The paying bank does not deduct remittance interest when making payment. Payment is irrecoverable. Obviously, among the methods of letter of credit, this is the most favorable one for exporters.

Acceptance letter of credit. Beneficiaries who accept letters of credit draw usance drafts, and present them to the issuing bank or the bank designated by the issuing bank through the domestic collecting bank, and then submit the documents after acceptance. Bills accepted by banks can be collected or discounted at maturity.

If the domestic collecting bank is willing to negotiate the export draft, the exporter can also receive the payment immediately, but at this time, the bank only asks the issuing bank for payment with the legal holder of the draft, and does not have the identity of the negotiating bank invited by the issuing bank.

Measures that exporters can take when documents are inconsistent

In the export business, if the documents are inconsistent due to various reasons, that is, there are discrepancies in the documents, and the beneficiary cannot correct them within the prescribed time limit due to time constraints, there are several ways to deal with them:

Guaranteed negotiation. The beneficiary issued a letter of guarantee to admit the defects of the document, stating that if the issuing bank refuses to pay, the beneficiary will repay the money and expenses paid by the negotiating bank, and at the same time call the issuing bank to authorize the issuing bank to pay.

Table mention. The negotiating bank lists the discrepancies in the mail to solicit the opinions of the issuing bank, which will contact the applicant whether to agree to pay. After receiving a positive reply, the negotiating bank will negotiate. If the applicant does not accept it, the issuing bank will refund the ticket and the negotiating bank will return the draft to the beneficiary as usual.

Electric elevator. The negotiating bank will not send the documents to the issuing bank for the time being. But inform the issuing bank of the discrepancies in the documents by telex and fax. If the issuing bank agrees to pay, then negotiate and send the documents. If not, the beneficiary can take back the documents as soon as possible and try to correct them.

Certificate collection. There is a serious discrepancy between the documents, or the validity of the letter of credit has expired, so it is no longer possible to use the letter of credit in hand, and the bank can only be entrusted to indicate the documents under the letter of credit for collection, as the difference, which is called confirmed collection. The general collection is called unlicensed collection. Because the applicant has refused to accept the documents because they are inconsistent, the collection with certificate is often rejected, which is a last resort.