What is a CI – commercial invoice?
A commercial invoice is a customs document. It is used as a customs declaration provided by the person or corporation that is exporting an item across international borders. There is no standard format however, the document must include the following specific pieces of information: The seller’s name and address, the buyer’s name and address, the ship-to name and address, the commodities being sold/shipped, the country of manufacture, and the harmonized codes (HS codes) for those goods, the quantities for each commodity being shipped, the value of each commodity, the currency of those values. Some countries require that the commercial invoice to be signed with a pen ( preferably blue or colors other than black so it can be confirmed as an original signature) and stamped with an official company stamp. A commercial invoice is not to be confused with a ProForm invoice. A proforma invoice is used for the creation of sales at the request of the buyer before the placement of the order, whereas a commercial invoice is used for confirmation of sale.
