subject: What Documents Are Needed To Ship From Canada To The Us? [print this page] When you're shipping from one country to another, by the very nature of that kind of business your shipping operation is going to get slightly more complicated. Any Chicago messenger service which has ever dealt with an international delivery is going to tell you that when you're shipping across a border, you have to concern yourself a great deal with the paperwork involved. That is because a mistake in the paperwork in international shipping is typically going to cause many more problems than a similar error would in a domestic shipping situation.
The paperwork that is absolutely required in the case of every shipment is fairly easy to look after. The first thing that must go with absolutely every order, no matter how small, is the commercial invoice which documents the sale of the product traveling across the border. Even tiny individual packages of goods which were sold on eBay need to have this type of document with them when you're shipping to another country.
The bill of lading is another document which is going to be sent with every shipment. This is something that the courier company draws up to detail the specifics of your shipment. This is going to include all the important information that a customs or a border agent would need in order to allow or deny entry of goods into a country. This includes things like where the delivery is from and going, when it was picked up and when it would be delivered, and the cost of that shipping.
There are other documents which you might need to send with some kinds of deliveries. Usually, this would be some kind of a permit or a license which is required based on the type of freight that you're shipping. Some kinds of freight are covered under certain trade agreements and international treaties, and usually, when shipping under the auspices of those types of agreements you need some certifications or proof of permission to ship. When shipping goods worth more than a certain amount, you may also need an import export license.
If you're not sure about what kinds of documents you need to send with your shipment, then you should talk directly to your courier company. These companies are experts in their line of work, and can advise you on exactly what you need to have in order to ship legally to the United States.
