Practical resources for international trade.
Explore working checklists, a landed-cost planner and practical guidance for the decisions around a shipment.
Commercial invoice review
A commercial invoice records the transaction: who is selling, who is buying, what the goods are and what has been agreed. Check parties, quantities, values and delivery terms against the purchase order and transport records before dispatch. Resolving a difference while the supplier still has time to correct it is easier than doing so after the cargo arrives. Assign an owner to resolve discrepancies and a reviewer to confirm that the final invoice aligns with the rest of the shipment file.
OPEN GUIDE ↗︎PRACTICAL REFERENCE / 02Packing list review
A packing list describes how the goods are arranged for transport. A warehouse, carrier or receiving team should be able to identify the contents of each package from the document. Compare it with the actual packed goods and the invoice, checking package counts, quantities and shipment references before release. Use package identifiers during receipt to connect shortages, damage observations or over-deliveries with the shipment record.
OPEN GUIDE ↗︎PRACTICAL REFERENCE / 03Supplier performance scorecard
Measure suppliers against agreed expectations and comparable evidence. Define the product group, review period and orders being assessed. Account for differences in technical complexity and order frequency before comparing suppliers. The scorecard should explain performance in context, so procurement teams can act on the findings. Review results with a named commercial owner and agree corrective actions with measurable completion evidence.
OPEN GUIDE ↗︎PRACTICAL REFERENCE / 04Shipment readiness checklist
Before dispatch, review the commercial agreement, documents and physical cargo together. Adapt the checklist to the goods, route and receiving arrangements. Assign each check to a named person and distinguish confirmed information from assumptions. The person authorising dispatch should be able to see every outstanding dependency. Summarise outstanding exceptions, the party accountable for each resolution and the likely effect on timing or expenditure.
OPEN GUIDE ↗︎PRACTICAL REFERENCE / 05Trade terminology
A reference to the terms used in procurement, transport and customs coordination. Understand how importer, buyer and consignee responsibilities differ, what a landed-cost estimate includes and why delivery terms need a named place. Use the glossary alongside the transaction documents and confirm jurisdiction-specific requirements with the appointed customs professional.
OPEN GUIDE ↗︎INTERACTIVE TOOLLanded-cost planner
Build a transparent commercial estimate by separating goods value, international freight, insurance, other charges and assumed tax components. Use one consistent currency and document the basis of each input before comparing sourcing or delivery scenarios. The planner supports commercial discussion; the applicable customs valuation, duty treatment and tax basis must be established separately for the actual transaction. Review the resulting per-unit figure against your intended margin and the expenditure excluded from the model.
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