A textile shipment from India needs a commercial invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading or airway bill, a certificate of origin, the Indian shipping bill, and any test reports and buyer-specific declarations your market or your own company requires. Wooden pallets or crates also need ISPM 15 treatment and, for some destinations, a fumigation certificate. Most delays at destination come not from a missing document but from documents that do not agree with each other.
This article lists each document, what it is for and the detail your customs broker will check. Requirements differ by destination and by product, so treat this as a working checklist and confirm the final pack with your broker before the goods are booked.
The core pack
- Commercial invoice: issued by the exporter, showing buyer and seller, HS code per line, quantity, unit price, Incoterm, currency and total. The HS code and description here drive your duty.
- Packing list: carton count, carton numbers, contents per carton, net and gross weight, dimensions and pallet count. Your warehouse and your broker both use it, so it must match the invoice line by line.
- Bill of lading for sea or airway bill for air: the carrier's receipt and the contract of carriage. Check consignee, notify party, port of discharge and whether it is an original or a telex release.
- Shipping bill: the Indian customs export declaration filed by the exporter's agent. You will not need it at destination, but it is the document the exporter's RoDTEP and drawback claims rest on, and its HS code should match the invoice.
- Certificate of origin: a chamber of commerce certificate for general use, or the preferential form or invoice declaration required under GSP, DCTS or a trade agreement if you are claiming a reduced rate.
Product and packing documents
- Test reports: fibre composition, colour fastness, restricted substances and, for some products, flammability or formaldehyde, from a laboratory your market accepts. Agree the test list at order stage, not at shipment.
- Fumigation and ISPM 15: any solid wood pallet or crate must carry the ISPM 15 mark, and some destinations also ask for a fumigation certificate. Plastic or treated pallets avoid the issue.
- Buyer-specific documents: supplier declarations, labelling confirmations, care label approvals, social or chemical compliance certificates and any form your own compliance team requires.
- Insurance certificate: only if the Incoterm makes the seller responsible for cover, such as CIF or CIP.
What goes wrong
The most common faults are small: a carton count on the packing list that differs from the bill of lading, a product description on the invoice that does not match the HS code, or a certificate of origin issued against a draft invoice that was later changed. Each one can hold a container at the port while the paperwork is corrected from India, usually across a time difference.
The fix is to freeze the invoice and packing list before the certificate of origin is applied for, and to have one person check the whole pack side by side before the vessel sails. Ask for draft copies at least a few days before loading so your broker can review them while there is still time to change something.
How we help
We check the document pack against your destination's requirements before the container leaves, and we send drafts to your broker early so corrections happen in India rather than at your port. We also supervise loading and photograph the sealed container. If you would like a checklist tailored to your market, book a free 20-minute sourcing review.