Trade Documents

Trade Documents in International Trade

Meaning of Trade Documents, according to the Dictionary of International Trade (Global Negotiator): Paper documents (or electronic files) used in international trade that prove that certain events have taken place. For convenience, the documents commonly used in international trade may be grouped by function into five categories:

Commercial: the invoice and packing list.

Transport: air waybill, bill of lading, sea waybill. CMR document, rail waybill, dock receipt, mate's receipt, forwarder's receipt, etc.

Legal: documents that satisfy a governmental requirement, such as certificates of origin, export declarations, import licences or consularized documents.

Insurance: insurance policy and insurance certificate.

Banking: letters of credit, drafts, collection letters of instruction.

All these documents are issued by exporters, shipping lines, airlines, international trucking companies, freight forwarders, logistics companies, customs, banks and insurance companies. Models of International Trade Documents.