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International Trade vocabulary · Trade Documents

Commercial invoice

Meaning in international trade, with examples

nounCore term

In international trade, commercial invoice means: The seller's final bill to the buyer for the goods shipped, showing the description, quantity, price and terms of sale; customs uses it to calculate duties.

In Turkish: ticari fatura, fatura

How it is used

One of the core documents in every shipment, together with the packing list and the transport document. Under a letter of credit, the goods description on the invoice must match the L/C exactly. Customs officers check its value, origin and Incoterms rule.

Example sentences

  1. The commercial invoice and packing list show different gross weights, so customs stopped the container.

  2. Please send the commercial invoice in three originals, signed and stamped.

Common collocations

  • issue a commercial invoice
  • signed commercial invoice
  • invoice value
  • commercial invoice in triplicate
  • proforma invoiceA preliminary invoice sent before shipment that shows what the final invoice will contain, so the buyer can arrange payment, an import permit or a letter of credit.
  • packing listA document that lists what is in each package of a shipment, with quantities, package numbers, dimensions and net and gross weights.
  • customs valueThe value of imported goods that customs uses as the basis for calculating duties, normally the price paid with certain costs added or removed.
  • certificate of originAn official document stating in which country the goods were produced, used by customs to apply the right duty rate and trade rules.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Trade Documents

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