Written for: Importers and procurement teams
Before the supplier ships
Confirm the document set is complete and internally consistent while you still have commercial leverage. This is the checklist Bromley Logistics runs against every new supplier relationship before the first booking is confirmed, because a gap found here costs nothing to fix. Found at the border, the same gap costs storage, demurrage and a strained relationship with your buyer.
- Commercial invoice with full descriptions and values
- Packing list matching the invoice line for line
- Certificate of origin where preference is claimed
- Product-specific permits and standards certificates
On booking
Fix classification and valuation early so the entry can be lodged before arrival rather than after discharge. Bromley Logistics assigns HS classification at booking stage precisely so that any query is raised while the goods are still with the supplier, not after they have sailed.
Before arrival
Lodge the entry, assess duties and arrange payment so release is issued against the berthing window. Duty and levy amounts should be known and funded before the vessel is even alongside — anything less turns the berthing window into a scramble.
On arrival and beyond
Confirm the release, arrange inland haulage against the free-time window, and archive the full document set for future reference. Keeping a clean, indexed archive per shipment is what makes a post-clearance audit a formality instead of a crisis.
- Confirm customs release before scheduling collection
- Book inland haulage against the free-days window, not after it starts
- File the full document set in an indexed, retrievable archive
