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Export Buyer's Guide

Customs-Ready Documentation for US Wholesale Imports

What documentation you get out of the box when importing from Catalist, and what you need to arrange separately. A practical guide for international buyers sourcing US brands.

TL;DR: International buyers from Catalist receive itemized manufacturer-named invoices and brand-authorization letters on request. Additional customs-specific documents (certificates of origin, COA for food products, FDA Prior Notice) are buyer-arranged. Our invoices satisfy baseline commercial-goods requirements for CBSA, HMRC, and Australian Border Force.

The Documentation Evidence

Catalist provides
Itemized manufacturer-named commercial invoice at every shipment
Catalist provides on request
Brand-authorization letters on brand letterhead within one business day
Catalist does NOT provide
HS codes, certificates of origin, COA for food, FDA Prior Notice
Destination baseline
CBSA, HMRC, Australian ABF, and German Zoll all accept manufacturer-named commercial invoices as baseline commercial-goods documentation
Buyer responsibility
HS classification, freight forwarder coordination, destination-specific regulatory filings
Timing
Documentation provided at order ship; no additional delay

The 5 documents customs typically requires

Every destination country processes commercial-goods imports against roughly the same document set. Knowing which five documents customs wants, and who is responsible for each, is the fastest way to scope your own customs broker work before a shipment lands.

  • Commercial invoice — Issued by the seller. Names the manufacturer per line item, quantities, unit values, and country of origin. This is the core document. Catalist issues this at shipment.
  • Packing list — Issued by the seller. Lists carton count, weight, and dimensions. Catalist issues this at shipment alongside the commercial invoice.
  • Bill of lading (BOL) or air waybill (AWB) — Issued by the carrier, not the seller. Your freight forwarder receives this when the goods are loaded at the origin port or airport.
  • Certificate of origin — Required when the destination country offers preferential duty treatment (CUSMA for Canada, UK-US trade arrangements, EU-US rules of origin). Your customs broker prepares this using manufacturer data from our commercial invoice. Catalist does not issue it.
  • HS classification codes — Harmonized System codes determine the duty rate your shipment pays. Classification is the buyer's customs broker responsibility because the rate depends on destination, not origin. Catalist does not assign HS codes.

Some categories need more: food products often need a COA (certificate of analysis), cosmetics need ingredient disclosures for EU CPNP, and medical devices need CE or FDA registration references. Those are always category-specific and buyer-arranged — no general-merchandise US sourcing partner provides them.

What Catalist provides out of the box

Two documents arrive with every export order without you having to ask. A third is available on request before shipment.

Commercial invoice (automatic). The invoice names the actual manufacturer per line item — not Catalist as an intermediary reseller. Each line shows item description, quantity, unit price in USD, country of origin, and total line value. The invoice total reconciles exactly to what you paid, with freight and duty handling listed separately rather than bundled in. Customs authorities in Canada, the UK, Australia, and Germany all accept this format for baseline commercial-goods review.

Packing list (automatic). Carton count, gross and net weight, and carton dimensions for each SKU in the order. The packing list cross-references the commercial invoice line numbers so your customs broker can match items to cartons without a spreadsheet reconciliation step. This matters specifically for mixed-brand container orders where a single pallet may contain items from 15 different brands.

Brand-authorization letter (on request). A letter on brand letterhead, signed by the brand, stating that Catalist is an authorized reseller of that brand's products. You request this by emailing orders@catalistai.com with your order number and destination country, and we deliver the letter within one business day before shipment. Brand-authorization letters matter specifically when customs raises a grey-market question at the destination port — having the letter in hand shortens the hold by days.

All three documents are PDFs sent by email. A paper copy of the commercial invoice and packing list also accompanies the physical shipment in a document pouch on the outer carton, which is what destination-port customs officers look for during physical inspection.

What you arrange separately

These documents are not issued by Catalist because they either depend on destination-country data we do not have or require category-specific certifications the manufacturer provides directly to the end importer.

  • Certificate of origin for preferential duty. CUSMA (Canada), UK-US cumulation, EU-US rules of origin, and similar arrangements require a certificate signed by an exporter or customs broker. The data on our commercial invoice (manufacturer name, country of origin per line) is what your broker uses to complete the certificate. You cannot use this for preferential duty treatment without the certificate itself.
  • COA (certificate of analysis) for food products. Issued by the food manufacturer's lab, not the reseller. Standard for food imports to the EU, UK, and Australia. If your order includes food brands, request the COA directly from the brand or through your customs broker — the manufacturer data on our invoice identifies exactly which entity to contact.
  • FDA Prior Notice (US-to-US food re-import). Required when food products are being imported into the United States from outside the US. For the rare case of a US exporter who ships US food products overseas and then re-imports them back to a US address, FDA Prior Notice applies and is filed by the importer of record. For all international destinations, FDA Prior Notice does not apply.
  • Destination-country-specific filings. EU CPNP registration for cosmetics. UK Office for Product Safety compliance for electronics. Australian TGA registration for therapeutic goods. German LFGB compliance for food-contact materials. These are category-specific and destination-specific, and always handled by the importer of record with their local customs broker.
  • HS classification codes and duty rate calculations. HS codes are destination-specific — the same product can carry different codes in different countries based on how that country's customs authority classifies it. Your customs broker assigns codes for the destination country; we do not provide them because the wrong code causes either over-duty payment or post-clearance penalties.

The pattern across all of these: documents that depend on the manufacturer go through the manufacturer, documents that depend on the destination country go through the local customs broker, and documents that depend on the commercial transaction go through Catalist.

Documentation packets by destination country

The commercial invoice Catalist issues is the baseline document for all four of these destinations. What changes country to country is the supplementary paperwork your customs broker files around it, and the electronic filing system the broker uses.

  • Canada (CBSA). Baseline: our commercial invoice satisfies CBSA commercial-goods review. Your broker completes the B3 customs declaration in the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) portal, using the manufacturer data on our invoice. For CUSMA preferential duty treatment on US-origin goods, the broker prepares the certificate of origin separately.
  • United Kingdom (HMRC). Baseline: our commercial invoice satisfies HMRC review. Post-Brexit, the broker files the declaration in the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) against the UK Global Tariff. If any items originate outside the US (rare on our platform), origin data on the invoice drives the correct duty treatment.
  • Australia (ABF). Baseline: our commercial invoice satisfies Australian Border Force commercial-goods review. A licensed customs broker lodges the Full Import Declaration in the Integrated Cargo System (ICS) using the manufacturer and value data on our invoice. Biosecurity-flagged categories (food, plant material, some cosmetics) need additional Department of Agriculture paperwork the broker coordinates.
  • Germany (Zoll, EU). Baseline: our commercial invoice satisfies Zoll review and can be used in the ATLAS electronic declaration system. Your German importer uses their EORI number alongside the manufacturer data on our invoice. For cosmetics destined for EU retail, CPNP registration is the importer's responsibility and happens before ATLAS clearance, not after.

All four destinations accept the PDF commercial invoice for electronic filing — a paper-only workflow is not required for any of them. This matters for speed: your broker can file the declaration the moment you forward the PDF, rather than waiting for a physical copy to arrive at the destination port.

Working with your freight forwarder on document handoff

The pickup-day documentation handoff is where buyers most often get tripped up. The forwarder needs specific documents at specific moments, and a missing document at pickup delays the whole container by days. Here is the sequence we run with export buyers.

At order confirmation (T-0). You receive the PDF commercial invoice and packing list by email. Forward both to your freight forwarder so they can begin the export declaration on their side. The forwarder also needs to know the pickup warehouse address — our Brooklyn, NY warehouse — and the expected ship-ready date.

At ship-ready (T-5 to T-3 days before pickup). We confirm the shipment is picked and palletized. The forwarder coordinates the pickup truck to arrive at the warehouse on the agreed date, and confirms the departing ocean voyage or airline routing to the destination port.

At pickup (T-0, pickup day). The truck driver collects the shipment and a paper copy of the commercial invoice and packing list in a document pouch attached to the outer carton. The forwarder issues the bill of lading (or air waybill) to you once the goods are loaded at the origin port. You or your customs broker now has all three documents needed for destination clearance.

At destination arrival. Your broker files the import declaration using the commercial invoice PDF, references the bill of lading, and attaches any preferential-duty certificates or category-specific filings. Physical inspection (if flagged) matches goods in the container to the packing list. Release typically happens within 1-3 business days of vessel arrival for baseline commercial-goods shipments with complete documentation.

The single biggest accelerator: forward the commercial invoice PDF to your broker the day you receive it, not the day the container arrives. Brokers who have the invoice at T-5 can have the declaration pre-filed and release within hours of vessel arrival rather than days.

Related reading

Frequently Asked Questions

What documentation does Catalist send with wholesale export orders?
Catalist sends an itemized commercial invoice naming the actual manufacturer per line item, plus a packing list at shipment. A brand-authorization letter is available on request. Additional documents — HS codes, certificates of origin, FDA Prior Notice for food — are buyer-arranged with your customs broker.
Does Catalist provide certificates of origin for NAFTA/USMCA Canada shipments?
No. Catalist provides a commercial invoice that names the US manufacturer and lists country of origin per line item, which is what CBSA reviews for baseline commercial-goods clearance. A CUSMA certification of origin for preferential duty treatment is arranged by your Canadian customs broker using the manufacturer data on our invoice.
Can I request a brand-authorization letter from Catalist for customs?
Yes. Brand-authorization letters confirming Catalist is an authorized reseller for the brands on your order are available on request before shipment. Email orders@catalistai.com with your order number and destination country, and we will send the letter on brand letterhead within one business day.
What format are Catalist invoices — PDF, paper, electronic?
Catalist invoices are PDF documents delivered by email at order confirmation and at ship time. A paper copy accompanies the physical shipment for customs hand-off at the destination port. The PDF format is accepted by CBSA, HMRC, Australian Border Force, and German Zoll for electronic customs filings.
Does Catalist handle FDA Prior Notice for food imports?
No. FDA Prior Notice is filed by the importer of record before food shipments arrive at a US port, which applies if you are re-importing US food products back to a US address. For international destinations, FDA Prior Notice does not apply — destination-country food import filings are handled by your local customs broker.
Do Catalist documents satisfy EU customs for shipments to Germany?
Yes, for baseline commercial-goods review. Our commercial invoice names the manufacturer, lists country of origin per line, and contains the data German Zoll needs for ATLAS electronic declarations. Your EU importer will combine it with your EORI number and any category-specific permits (cosmetics, food, CE marking).
What's the difference between a commercial invoice and a proforma invoice for my order?
A proforma invoice is a preliminary quote before payment; customs authorities do not accept it for import clearance. A commercial invoice is the final billing document issued at shipment, with the actual quantities, unit values, and manufacturer data customs requires. Catalist sends a commercial invoice — not a proforma — with every export order.
Can my freight forwarder get documents directly from Catalist?
Yes. If you add your freight forwarder as a CC on your account, they receive the commercial invoice and packing list at shipment confirmation in the same email you get. For brand-authorization letters, the account holder requests them and forwards to the forwarder — we do not issue authorization letters directly to third parties.

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