Valued packing list with AMID

Valued packing list

A valued packing list may substitute a commercial invoice or purchase receipt in international cargo transportation from the USA.

When shipping goods from the U.S. overseas, please do not confuse a packing list (1) that supplements commercial invoices with a VALUED packing list (2), which substitutes a commercial invoice and acts as a proforma commercial invoice in international cargo transportation.

1. A packing list is occasionally used in cargo transportation to specify how shipping goods are packed for transport. It is an attachment to a commercial invoice and cannot be used without the commercial invoice. It does not provide a value for shipping from U.S. goods. Do not confuse a packing list with a wood packing declaration.
    
2. A valued packing list in international cargo transportation from the USA either acts as a proforma commercial invoice or substitutes commercial invoices in shipping from the U.S. household goods or personal belongings. Unless a commercial invoice or purchase receipt is present, a valued packing list is mandatory. Besides a commodity description, a valued packing list assigns the value of shipping from the USA goods in US$.

Providing copies of commercial invoices or purchase receipts in PDF files is highly suggested when shipping commercial cargo.

However, suppose shipping commercial freight from the USA and the shipper misses a commercial invoice or purchase receipt. In that case, they submit a proforma commercial invoice. In proforma commercial invoices, shippers describe commodities and assign a value to export goods from the USA on their own. They can be submitted in the form of a valued packing list.

If shipping from the U.S. household goods or personal effects that are not for sale but for personal use, then a valued packing list is the way to declare the shipping commodity and the value.

Please note that destination countries' customs may always reconsider the value of importing goods from the U.S. They may re-assign the value to match it with the fair market value on the day the goods entered the country's commerce zone.

In respect of international shipping from the USA, the valued packing list must be in English and provide the following information:

• International shipping reference(s) related to the international shipment (ocean carrier's booking number);
• Shipper's full name and valid contact information;
• A detailed description of goods being shipped from the USA;
• Number of shipping units and the weight and;
• Value of each item in USD

Valued packing lists and the sea freight bill of ladings are always considered together. Then, if some information is missing on a bill of lading, it can be retrieved from the corresponding valued packing list.

Valued packing list with AMID Logistics

When shipping commercial cargo from the U.S., it is highly recommended that you provide a copy of a commercial invoice or purchase receipt related to the shipping goods. Please make a copy in a PDF file and email it to us before the cargo is delivered to a sea freight carrier's terminal (CFS). 

However, if, for some reason, you miss such a document OR shipping from the USA household goods or personal effects, then with AMID Logistics, you can submit a valued packing list online via a web link provided in our shipping instructions. International freight carriers accept this document format to release a shipment for export from the United States. You can see the format of the document in this link.

It should also meet the requirements of the destination Customs. However, not always. Sometimes, the destination country's Customs may ask for a more specific document. In that case, the consignee has to work on it with the Customs on a case-by-case basis.

Important: Effective on January 1^st, 2011. All commercial invoices or valued packing lists must indicate at least the first eight digits of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, the same as in bills of ladings.

• Regarding international shipping from the USA mixed household goods or personal effects, if no major commodity is described, we may suggest the HS Code 4016.99.05 "Household articles not elsewhere specified or included."
• Any commercial shipments must provide HS codes (at least the first eight digits).

Shippers may find the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule on the following websites: http://hts.usitc.gov/ or https://uscensus.prod.3ceonline.com/ or http://www.foreign-trade.com/reference/hscode.htm.

Upon your online booking request, you will receive our email with shipping instructions, including a web link to complete and submit your valued packing list online.

The blank of the valued packing list via the web link in our shipping instructions will be pre-formatted based on the information you provided when booking your international shipment on our website.

Remember to always double-check all the information on your valued packing list when submitting it. If you see any errors or typos after you submit one, edit and re-submit the document. We will submit to the carrier the last submitted before you receive our email with an update on the carrier's release. After the cargo release notice, unless agreed to separately, any further updates will be ignored.

No verbal correction requests will be accepted. All revisions in documents relating to international cargo transportation from the USA abroad must be requested in an email.

While submitting your documents to international shipping, you will have several opportunities to edit and re-submit these shipping documents. However, as soon as your documents are presented to the ocean freight carrier and your bill of lading is issued, all further corrections may be subject to amendment fees. As soon as your goods are entered into the commerce zone of your destination country, all amendments are under the destination country's officials' supervision.