Creating an Item Description

One of the most important things you can do to help your shipment through the customs clearance process, is to ensure you accurately describe the items (goods/commodities) on your customs invoice (Commercial/Proforma) and other shipment documents as needed.

 

Customs authorities require complete and accurate item descriptions. Each item in the package must be listed separately with its own description on the invoice.

 

Item descriptions should contain sufficient detail about the precise nature of goods in plain language. When detailing the items on your invoice, you’ll need to describe:

• What the goods are
• What the goods are made of
• What is the purpose of the goods
• What the corresponding Harmonized System (HS) code is

Descriptions that are too vague or generic, can be considered unacceptable by customs. Such as:

• Parts, Gifts, Textiles or Samples

More precise descriptions are expected. For example:

• Women’s T-Shirt made of cotton

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at [e-mail], by phone at 1-888-210-8910,

or contact us via live chat directly through the ShipSimple Dashboard.