What is required to ship cargo out of the US, i.e. a rig?

Q: What is required to ship cargo out of the US, i.e. a rig?

A: The seller has the responsibility of organizing several documents. There are some instances where freight forwarders complete the majority of the paperwork that is needed as well, however, the shipper or customer is responsible for having all the paperwork done.

The United States uses a Shipper’s Export Declaration (SED, Commerce Form 7525-V), which the shipper or freight forwarder needs to complete.  This document allows customs to control the shipments going out of the country. 

A Bill of Lading is a “contract” between the shipper and the forwarder.  There are two types: 1) straight B/L non-negotiable and 2) negotiable/shipper’s order bill of lading (permits the sale/purchase/trade of the item).  Make sure to note the Bill of Lading Number, as this number allows all parties to track the shipment during the entire process up to delivery.
The Certificate of Origin confirms that the item being shipped is from the shipper’s country. The guidelines for this document can be different depending on each country.  In North America, the NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement) Certificate of Origin is used.

Commercial Invoice  is a document that is used for all shipments, which contains the items being shipped and all parties that are involved (seller and shipper). The commercial invoice must also contain other specifics on the cargo, such as country of origin, INCO terms, PO#, value, HTS code, etc. 

Export Packing List contains the list of items with their values and the individual net, legal, tare, and gross weights.  This is used to inspect the shipment at entry points.  Please note that if the cargo is crated, a copy of the packing list must be inside and another copy must be affixed outside.  All cargo must have a copy of the packing list affixed to it.

In the case of a rig or other machinery equipment ( a rig, a crane, etc.), a Certificate of Inspection may be required.  This certificate provides approval that the cargo has been inspected in order to enter the destination country.

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