Export Documentary Requirements Issuance Date of Documents A document that is dated before the issuing date of letter of credit (L/C) is acceptable, unless otherwise stipulated in the L/C. In the sample letter of credit the commercial invoice and the packing list can bear a date prior to January 26, 2001, which is the issuing date of the L/C. The Original Documents Unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit (L/C), a document is considered original if it is produced or appears to have been produced by reprographic (i.e., document reproduced by electronic techniques, for example photocopy), computerized systems, or as carbon copies, provided the document is marked as "Original", and appears to be signed where the signature is needed. The Copy Documents A document is considered copy if it is marked as "Copy" or there is no "original" marking, unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit (L/C). A copy document need not be signed. Multiple Documents A letter of credit (L/C) that requires multiple documents, such as "five (5) copies", "quintuplicate", "five fold" and the like, is satisfied by presenting one original and the rest in copies, except where the document is marked otherwise. In the sample letter of credit the commercial invoice and the packing list both require five copies, meaning one original and four copies of each document are necessary for presentation to the bank. Signing of Documents A document may be signed by means of handwriting, stamp, facsimile signature, perforated signature, or by any other electronic or mechanical means. A copy document need not be signed. Nevertheless, there is no harm in signing the copy(ies) of the commercial invoice and the packing list. In practice, the copies of these two documents are often signed. In the sample letter of credit it is stipulated "signed commercial invoice ...". Therefore, the UVW Exports must sign the original and the copies of the commercial invoice. Since such L/C did not stipulate signing of the packing list, UVW Exports does not have to sign it, but there is no harm done if it is signed. Authentication of Documents Unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of credit (L/C), a document that is required by the L/C to be authenticated, validated, certified, legalized, visaed, or a similar requirement is called for, such condition is deemed to be complied with by any stamp, signature, seal or label on the face of such document that appears to satisfy the requirement. Unspecified Issuers or Contents of Documents When documents other than commercial invoices, transport documents (the bill of lading and the waybill) and insurance documents (the insurance policy and certificate) are required, unless the letter of credit (L/C) stipulates the issuing party and the wording or data content of the documents, the bank will accept them as presented, provided the data content of the documents is consistent with any other stipulated documents presented to the bank. Unspecified Documents The bank will not examine documents not stipulated in the letter of credit (L/C). If unspecified documents are presented, the bank returns them or passes them on without responsibility. If an L/C contains conditions but does not state the documents to be presented, such conditions are considered not stated and they are disregarded by the bank. Inclusion or Exclusion of a Date or a Period in the Letters of Credit Export Documentation Export Documentation UPS uses your import and export documents to properly declare your shipment to customs authorities in both the country of export and the country of import. You can use the information here to help you with the documentation process. Note: For shipments between member nations of the European Union, no export documentation is required to clear customs when the goods shipped are in free circulation. For goods that are not in free circulation, you will need to complete and include a commercial invoice. For Document Shipments A document is generally defined as a written, typed, or printed communication of no commercial value. When you ship international documents in a UPS Express Envelope, or in any other packaging, you only need to complete a UPS shipping label. Generally, an invoice is not required. Please consider each envelope or other package as one shipment. For Non-document Shipments When your international shipments include items other than documents, typically one original and two copies of a commercial invoice are required, along with the UPS shipping document. When you are sending multiple packages to the same recipient, only the lead package(1) requires a shipping document(2) and three copies of the commercial invoice(3). Each additional package must have an address label and a UPS Worldwide Services Tracking Label. Additional Documentation Other documents may be necessary based on the nature and the value of the shipment and on the particular rules of the destination country. For example, a certificate of origin is required to clear customs in some countries.
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