5 Ways a Shipping Manifest Helps with International Shipping

Shipping internationally? Delivery notes, bills of lading, packing lists, and shipping manifests are all important shipping documents that are used in the transportation of goods within international shipping.

The shipping manifest is among the most important documents and lists the itemized list of goods to be transported to verify the total number of items or boxes. This shipping document also includes vital information like the number of items, the package type, and the sender and recipient details.

This blog will explain the five ways a shipping manifest helps with international shipping and how it helps customs authorities.

Serves As Customs Documents When Arriving At Ports Of Entry

Customs documentation refers to documents that must be submitted at customs clearance to be cleared into the importing country by customs authorities. A shipping manifest is among the documents that customs authorities require in order to be released from customs.

Your shipping manifest confirms the correct amount of parcels that arrived in the importing country and all the details that may pertain to the items contained inside the shipment. Without the necessary customs documentation, your parcel cannot be cleared by customs your parcel may be sent back to the sender or your parcel may be held up at customs.

Used To Track What Comes On And Off A Ship At Any Given Point

Your shipping manifest includes a complete list of all the items contained in your shipment. For instance, if there are 5 items within your shipment but only 4 items arrive in the importing country, the customs authorities will be able to pick up on this error using the shipping manifest.

A shipping manifest also includes the reference number of each shipment that can be tracked during transit.

Verifies That the Merchandise Matches the Document

Shipping manifests verify the merchandise that arrived in the importing country matches the shipping document. For instance, if one item out of several items in a shipment is incorrect and doesn’t match the shipping manifest, customs authorities will notify the sender of the error.

Instead of the recipient receiving the wrong item, the customs authorities can uncover this error before sending it off for final delivery.

Related blog: 10 International Shipping Documents You Should Know About

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Helps Carriers Know What Items Need to Be Transported

Besides just listing an itemized list of items in a shipping manifest, this document also includes information that can be helpful for carriers, such as the following:

• Quantity and type of package sent
• Merchandise description
• Number of items transported

This information above can be used by the shipping carrier so they can generate an invoice for the shipment. The information also verifies the merchandise inside a parcel matches a document to prevent any errors.

Helps File A Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Goods Claim if Necessary

Shipping manifests help file a shipping claim for any lost, stolen, or damaged goods while in transit. For instance, this document includes the condition of the items (i.e. fragile) and whether the shipment includes shipping insurance.

In the case of a damaged, lost, or stolen package, you can use a shipping manifest as proof and verify the shipping information on the document.

Generate Shipping Manifests Automatically with Easyship

By now, you should know everything about how shipping manifests help with international shipping. Shipping manifests serve as customs documentation when a parcel arrives in the importing country, help verify the items within a shipment, and help carriers know what items need to be transported.

In order to prevent any shipping errors, using a shipping platform can help you minimize any errors before shipping overseas. With tools like automated label generation, you can make sure you have all the information needed so there are no customs hold-ups.

With Easyship, you gain instant access to features and benefits that ensure you have a seamless shipping experience overseas. The following features are some of the many features you can benefit from when signing up for a free Easyship account:

• Duties & Taxes Visibility: Easyship works out all duties and taxes for your international shipments to easily handle your international orders. Calculate your duties for overseas shipments here
• Automatic Label Generation: Printed labels for shipping, packing slips, and customs declarations are all generated for your shipments with Easyship
• Shipping Policy Generator: Our shipping policy generator helps merchants and crowdfunding campaigns generate their shipping policy by providing tracking and insurance options, plus other vital information for your shipping process

Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and create your optimized shipping strategy with automated label generation for shipping manifests

Shipping Manifests FAQ

What is a shipping manifest?

This shipping document also includes vital information like the number of items, the package type, and the sender and recipient details.

Who issues the shipping manifest?

The carrier issues the shipping manifest prior to sending out the item.

What’s the difference between a shipping manifest vs. a packing list?

A packing list only contains the list of contents within a shipment, while a shipping manifest includes an itemized list of items, the shipping details, the type of package being transported, and more.

If you found this article informative, you may enjoy the following:

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