Six core documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin, and depending on destination a free sale certificate and product registration. The exporter prepares most of them; the importer usually handles registration. The certificate of origin is the one that most often causes delay.
The first export order is rarely lost on price. It stalls in documentation, usually because nobody established early who was producing what.
Here's the map.
The six documents
1. Commercial invoice. The core trade document — buyer, seller, goods, quantities, values, Incoterms, currency. Customs values duty from it, so the description and HS codes need to be right rather than approximate.
2. Packing list. What's physically in each carton, with weights and dimensions. Sounds administrative until a shipment is inspected and the list doesn't match the cartons.
3. Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air). The transport document and, for sea freight, a document of title. Usually prepared by the freight forwarder.
4. Certificate of origin. States where the goods were made. Issued in Australia by chambers of commerce and some industry bodies. This is the one that delays shipments — it takes time to obtain and buyers frequently need a specific form, particularly to claim preferential tariff treatment under a free trade agreement.
5. Free sale certificate. Confirms the product is legally sold in Australia. Required by many countries for cosmetics and food, and a common request from importers.
6. Product registration or notification. Country-specific and normally the importer's responsibility, not yours. Worth confirming in writing rather than assuming.
Who does what
| Document | Usually prepared by |
|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | You |
| Packing list | You |
| Bill of lading / air waybill | Freight forwarder |
| Certificate of origin | You, via a chamber of commerce |
| Free sale certificate | You, via the relevant authority |
| Product registration | The importer |
| Customs clearance at destination | Importer's broker |
Get this table agreed with your buyer before the first order. Most first-shipment delays trace back to both parties assuming the other was handling something.
Incoterms, briefly
Incoterms define where your responsibility ends and the buyer's begins. The common ones for a first order:
- EXW (Ex Works) — buyer collects from your door. Least work for you, least attractive to a buyer.
- FOB (Free on Board) — you deliver to the port and clear export. The most common starting point.
- CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) — you cover freight and insurance to the destination port.
- DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) — you handle everything including destination duty. Most work, most risk, and not advisable on a first order to an unfamiliar market.
Quote FOB unless there's a good reason not to. It's the standard expectation and it keeps destination-side risk with the party who understands it.
The three that actually hold shipments
Certificate of origin. Wrong form, missing, or issued too late. Start it early and ask the buyer which form they need.
Labelling that doesn't meet destination requirements. Not strictly a document, but it stops goods at the border more than anything else. Agree the labelling approach before production, not after.
Mismatched paperwork. Invoice says 240 units, packing list says 24 cartons of 12. Someone has to reconcile it, and it happens while your stock sits in a bonded warehouse accruing storage.
Check the numbers across all documents before anything ships. It's ten minutes.
What it costs
Certificate of origin fees, freight forwarding, insurance, and possibly a customs broker. Individually modest, collectively enough that they belong in your FOB pricing rather than being absorbed after the fact.
Work them into the first quote. Discovering them afterwards is how a first export order ends up unprofitable.
Getting help
You don't need to become an expert. You need:
- A freight forwarder. They'll handle transport documents and tell you what's required for a given destination. Worth their fee on the first shipment alone.
- Austrade, for market and documentation guidance.
- Your chamber of commerce, for certificates of origin.
- A customs broker at the destination, usually arranged by the importer.
This is an overview, not compliance advice. Requirements vary by destination and product, and they change.
OGA supplies distributors internationally and provides product specs, claim basis and Australian Made documentation as part of the wholesale pack.
Frequently asked
What documents are needed to export from Australia? Typically a commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (bill of lading or air waybill), and certificate of origin — plus a free sale certificate and destination product registration depending on the country and product.
Who prepares export documents? The exporter prepares the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin; the freight forwarder handles the transport document; the importer normally handles registration and customs clearance at destination.
What is a certificate of origin? A document stating where goods were manufactured, issued in Australia by chambers of commerce. It's often needed to claim preferential tariff rates under a free trade agreement, and it's the document most likely to delay a first shipment.
What is a free sale certificate? Confirmation that a product is legally sold in its country of origin. Many countries require it for imported cosmetics and food.
What Incoterm should I quote for a first export order? FOB is the usual starting point — you deliver to port and clear export, and the buyer takes it from there. DDP puts destination duty and risk on you and isn't advisable into an unfamiliar market.
This is a general commercial overview, not compliance advice. Confirm requirements with Austrade, a freight forwarder or a customs broker. OGA supplies distributors internationally — make an enquiry.
