The documents you need for every China-to-you shipment

Every international shipment generates a paper trail, and missing or mismatched documents are one of the most common causes of a shipment getting held at customs. Here are the core documents you'll deal with on a typical order from a Chinese factory.

Commercial Invoice — issued by the factory (or their trading company) to you, the buyer. It states what was sold, quantity, unit price, total value, currency, and Incoterm. Customs authorities on both ends use it to assess duties and verify the shipment matches what was declared.

Packing List — issued alongside the invoice, it breaks down exactly what's in each carton or pallet: dimensions, weight, quantity per package. Customs and your own warehouse receiving team both use it to verify the physical shipment against the paperwork without opening every box.

Bill of Lading (B/L) for ocean freight, or Air Waybill (AWB) for air freight — issued by the carrier (or freight forwarder acting as an NVOCC), this is the contract of carriage and, for ocean B/Ls, can also function as a document of title. An 'original' B/L may need to be physically or electronically released before you can take possession of the goods at destination — ask your forwarder which type you're getting (original, telex release, or seaway bill) since it affects how fast you can clear the shipment.

Certificate of Origin — states which country the goods were manufactured in. Not every shipment needs one, but it can be required to claim a preferential duty rate under a trade agreement, or requested by your customs broker or import country's regulations for certain product categories.

Keep in mind: Importix helps you research and communicate with factories — we don't issue, hold, or file any of these documents ourselves. Your factory, freight forwarder, and customs broker are the parties who generate and handle this paperwork; confirm with them exactly what you'll receive and when, before your goods ship.