Most loads held at a border are held for paperwork, not for anything wrong with the goods. So before a new client's first shipment we send the same one-page checklist, and our customs team goes through it with them on the phone.
The basics for every export
A commercial invoice with the value, currency and terms of sale; a packing list that matches it case for case; the commodity code for every line; and the exporter's registration number. We prepare the export declaration from those.
What food, flowers and medicines add
Products of animal origin need a health certificate signed by a vet, plants and cut flowers a phytosanitary certificate, and some medicines an export licence. Each has its own lead time, which is why we ask for them a week before collection rather than the day before.
The checklist is dull. That is the point: a dull border crossing is the only kind we want.
our customs team
