Notes from the export desk

Practical notes on documentation, inspection and trade terms, written for people placing orders.

How to read an HS code before you place an order

The first six digits are the same in every country. The last two or four are not, and that is where duty disputes begin.

An inspection report is only as good as the specification it was written against.

Six documents cover most shipments. Missing one of them can hold a container for weeks.