International Shipping - Key Documents

As with most people would probably assume in thehazardous, but still need special treatment since they
first place, international shipping requires many officialmay be fragile of easily effected by electric shocks
documents to be authorized and recorded. The listor pulses. The shipping company will need to know
below is by no means complete, but it should givehow best to handle the items, such as how to
you an idea of what kind of documentation you willproperly load and unload them.
need in order to successfully ship your goods or- Bill of Lading -The Bill of Lading is issued by the
belongings internationally. The first document, and alsocompany which will actually be doing the international
the most common, needed for international shippingshipping. There are three reasons why the bill of
is the Export Cargo Shipping Instruction. This is alading is important; it proves that the actual shipping
basic and simple document which informs the shippingcompany has received and taken possession of the
company that you are asking them to ship youitems being shipped, it is used as proof that there is
belongings overseas. It will also list in great detail allan agreement between all the parties involved, and it
the items that will be in your shipment. It usuallyis a title document for the goods. Although if one
completed after you have signed on with thewere to actually look at actual Bill of Lading document
shipping company and they have actually set aside anhe would find some parts of it a bit out of date and
area on a ship that is scheduled to depart with yourirrelevant. The document was created when
belongings. Today, many shipping companiesinternational shipping companies would use sailboats
complete this stage by verbal confirmation over theto transport merchandise, which was long before
telephone or even by email.steam ships were ever invented.
Depending on what you plan to ship, you may need- The Sea Waybill - The Sea Waybill is more or less
some other documents, such as:like the Bill of Lading, except is does not contain
- Dangerous Goods Note - A Dangerous Goods Note,conditions for the appropriation of title to the goods.
or also called the DGN, is needed if the goods youThis, incidentally, makes the document much faster,
are shipping are of a hazardous nature. The DGN willeasier, and more popular to use. It is most often
describe in very descriptive detail what the hazardousused when parties on both sides, buyers and sellers,
items are, what dangers they may be susceptible toare very well acquainted and have developed a
once in transportation, and how best to transporttrusting business relationship. It is also used when the
them in a efficient and safe manner.owner of the goods does not change, such as with
- Standard Shipping Note - A Standard Shipping Note,expats moving to new countries.
also called the SSN, is issued for good that are not