The translation of foreign trade documents directly determines the speed of customs procedures. A single inconsistency between the documents can cause a shipment to wait for days.
Description of goods
The trade name, type and nature of the goods are described. Because this description determines the tariff heading, it cannot be changed by free wording.
Tariff heading
The classification number of the goods is written in the document. The number is not translated; it is carried over digit by digit and read together with the description.
Consistency between documents
The invoice, the packing list and the declaration must carry the same description of goods. Different naming is a ground for inspection at customs.
Delivery term
International delivery terms are referred to by abbreviation. Writing the place of delivery next to the abbreviation is mandatory; without the place the term is incomplete.
Origin information
The country in which the goods were produced is stated on the invoice. The country name is given in its official spelling and is not abbreviated.
Quantity and unit
Units such as pieces, kilograms and cubic metres are not converted. Unit conversion is the customs administration's own calculation.
Unit price and total
The unit price and the total are shown item by item. That the total equals the sum of the items is verified again after translation.
Currency
Whatever currency the invoice was issued in is kept. No exchange rate conversion is made in translation.
Method of payment
Cash in advance, cash against goods, cash against documents and letter of credit are different methods of payment. The name of the method is not shifted in translation.
Seller and buyer
Full trade names, addresses and tax numbers are written. The company type abbreviations in trade names are not translated.
Invoice number and date
The number and date are the identity of the document. All accompanying documents refer to the same number.
Packing list
The number of packages, gross and net weight and volume are given in a separate document. This document is translated together with the invoice.
Declaration fields
The declaration is numbered by boxes. The box numbers are kept; the customs officer reads the document by these numbers.
Customs procedure code
Procedures such as import, export and temporary export are shown by a code. The code is not translated; its description is given.
Supporting documents
The analysis report, the certificate of conformity and permit letters are attached to the declaration. The list of attachments is part of the translation.
Amending declaration
An incorrect declaration can be corrected afterwards, and the correction is a separate document. What has changed must be clearly visible.
Time pressure
Costs accrue while a shipment waits at customs. These documents are delivered on the same day, and the schedule is built accordingly.
Confidentiality
The invoice shows the price structure and supplier information. The file is not uploaded to third-party services.
Continuity in recurring shipments
The documents of an exporter that ships regularly to the same buyer largely follow the same patterns. Descriptions of goods, the delivery term and the details of the parties are repeated from shipment to shipment. This repetition is an advantage: the term list set up for the first shipment is applied unchanged to the later ones, and both cost and error rate fall. In a relationship that runs without a term list, on the other hand, the same product may have been declared under three different names within six months, and the customs administration asks about the difference.