Customs delay usually starts with a document that describes a different shipment from the one on the vessel. The invoice, the packing list, and the physical load have to name the same cartons.
What each document is for
| Document | What it has to say | What breaks if it is wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | Seller, buyer, description, value, currency, and the Incoterm (FOB, CIF, DAP, DDP, and so on). | The duty calculation and who pays it are argued at the border. |
| Packing list | Carton count, outer dimensions, weight, and contents of each line. | The exam does not match the box, and the entry waits. |
| Certificate of origin | Where the goods were produced, when a trade program asks for it. | A preference claim is denied. |
| HS code | The classification your broker files. | The duty rate is the wrong one. Palletizr does not assign HS codes. Your broker does. |
Duty is set by the HS code and the customs value, under the Incoterm you agreed. This page does not quote duty rates. Those change by heading and by entry date. Confirm the rate with your broker before you price the order.
Make the packing list match the load plan
Do this before the container is sealed:
- Freeze the carton list: outer size, weight, and quantity for each line that is actually going.
- Fit that list to the equipment on the booking. A 40ft high cube is not the same box as a 40ft standard. Dimensions are on the container size guide.
- If a line is pulled (a quality hold, a ban, a short ship), take it off the packing list and rebuild the load. Do not leave the old carton count on the invoice.
- Give the warehouse the revised plan, not the spreadsheet from the original booking.
A packing list that still shows cartons you removed is the document an exam will fail. It also means you may be paying freight for air. Rebuild the fit in the calculator after the list changes. The landed cost worksheet is where freight, duty, and local charges get added up, and the surcharge glossary is the list of lines that show up on a quote beyond the ocean rate.
Who files it
A forwarder books the sailing and the equipment. A customs broker files the entry. An integrated carrier (the parcel and airfreight networks) often does both for a small shipment. Whoever files, they can only file what you give them. Send the invoice, the packing list, and the load plan as one set, dated the same day the container is sealed.