You’ve seen the lists. Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, ISF, customs bond — every “import documents checklist” on the internet hands you the same eight names and a one-line definition for each.
The names were never the hard part. What actually stalls a first China-to-USA shipment is the three questions no checklist answers: who prepares each document, when it has to exist, and what breaks if it’s wrong. This guide is built around those three questions — a document-by-document map you can work through before your cargo moves, whether this is your first shipment or the first one you’re handling properly.
Quick answer: documents required to import from China to the USA
Nine items cover almost every China-to-USA shipment. Everything else you’ll hear about is a variation or a supporting file for one of these.
| Document | Who prepares it | When you need it | If it’s wrong or missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importer number (EIN or CBP-assigned) | You — once | Before anything else is set up | None of the setup below can start |
| Customs bond | You, arranged through the broker / surety | Before the first entry is filed | The entry cannot be filed; ISF filings can be rejected |
| Power of Attorney (POA) | You, signed to your broker | Before the broker’s first filing | The broker legally cannot act for you |
| Commercial invoice (CI) | Your supplier | Draft before booking; final before the entry | Clearance delays, wrong duty base, valuation questions |
| Packing list (PL) | Your supplier | Same | Mismatch flags, exams, receiving disputes |
| ISF (10+2) — ocean only | You’re responsible; broker or forwarder usually files | 24 hours before the vessel loads in China | Penalties, holds, higher exam odds |
| Bill of lading / air waybill | Carrier or your forwarder | Issued at departure; released before delivery | You cannot claim the cargo |
| HTS classification | Proposed by the broker, confirmed with you | At quote stage, again at entry | Wrong duties, reclassification, sometimes AD/CVD exposure |
| Agency documents (FDA / FCC / CPSC…) | You + your supplier, product-dependent | Before shipping — not after arrival | Agency holds stacked on top of customs clearance |
A certificate of origin joins the list only in specific cases — certain product rules or preference claims — not as a routine requirement.
The rest of this guide walks the same map slowly, owner by owner.
Who’s who in the paper trail: supplier, forwarder, customs broker, importer
Five parties produce or touch these documents. Blurring them is where most first-timer confusion starts — “is my forwarder also my broker?” is one of the most common questions in importer communities. The honest answer: sometimes one company wears both hats, and you need to know which hat it’s wearing for each task.
| Party | What they produce | What they need from you |
|---|---|---|
| Your supplier | Commercial invoice, packing list, product details, origin information | Accurate descriptions and values; your consignee instructions |
| Freight forwarder | Booking, house bill of lading, coordination; may file ISF as your agent | Shipment data, ISF information, clear instructions on who files what |
| Carrier (shipping line / airline) | Master bill of lading / air waybill, arrival notice | Nothing directly — works through your forwarder |
| Licensed customs broker | The customs entry, bond arrangement, ISF filing if authorized | POA, your importer number, CI / PL, product details |
| You, the importer | Importer number, customs bond, POA, ISF data, product knowledge | — |
A forwarder arranges transport. A broker files with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Many companies do both; some do one and subcontract the other. Ask once, in writing: “Will you file my ISF and my entry yourselves, or does a partner do it?” The answer tells you who to chase when something needs fixing.
One legal note, then back to practical work: the party legally answerable for the entry is the Importer of Record. Under FOB, CIF or EXW that’s usually you; under DDP it depends on the structure. That chain — IOR, POA, broker, bond — is covered in our DDP import responsibility guide. Here we stay on what you need in hand.
Documents your supplier prepares: commercial invoice and packing list
The commercial invoice and packing list are the two documents your entire entry is built from — and both come from your supplier. That’s the uncomfortable part: a mistake made at a desk in ShangHai surfaces as your problem at the port of Los Angeles.
Commercial invoice requirements for US customs clearance
CBP reads the CI first. It needs more than a product name and a total:
- Full legal names and addresses of seller and buyer
- Invoice number and date
- Line-item descriptions that mean something. “Stainless steel insulated bottles, 500 ml” works; “household goods,” “gift,” or “parts” invites a document request. Vague descriptions are among the most common triggers for delays.
- HTS codes at line level (the 6-digit international code is enough — your broker maps it to the full 10-digit U.S. code)
- Quantity, unit price and total per line, with currency
- Country of origin for each item
- The Incoterm and named place (e.g., FOB Shanghai)
Packing list requirements — and how it must match the invoice
- Carton / pallet count, and gross and net weight per line — not just totals. Brokers and CBP ask for line-level net weight more often than suppliers expect.
- Dimensions per carton, and marks matching what’s printed on the cartons themselves
- Totals that match the CI exactly. Quantity, weight or value discrepancies between the two are a classic mismatch flag.
Working with a China supplier on customs paperwork
Three patterns are normal and fixable: product names written too generically out of habit, value conventions that differ between the proforma and commercial invoices, and Chinese-English inconsistencies between documents. The practical rule: ask for the draft CI and PL before you book, not after the vessel sails. Reviewing a draft costs one email; correcting after the entry is an amendment, and amendments invite scrutiny.
If your supplier offers a “lower-value invoice”
At some point, a supplier may offer to write the CI at a lower value “to save you duties.” Be clear about what that offer actually is: the declaration to CBP is yours, not theirs. If the value is understated, the reassessment, penalties and compliance record attach to the importer of record — you. CBP keeps its own value benchmarks by commodity, and unusually low declarations trigger document requests and exams. A supplier who offers this is telling you something about how they handle rules generally.
One more distinction that confuses first-timers: the proforma invoice is the pre-production quote you pay against; the commercial invoice is the final document customs clears against. Same shape, different job — and the values should match, or your broker will ask which one is real.
Documents your forwarder or carrier issues: bill of lading and air waybill
The bill of lading (ocean) or air waybill (air) is issued after departure — it’s your receipt, your cargo title, and eventually your pickup authorization. If your forwarder consolidates your cargo, you’ll see a house B/L from them riding under the carrier’s master B/L; both exist, and the house one is what your paperwork revolves around.
Check the draft before the vessel sails, not after: the consignee’s legal name must match your bond and EIN records exactly, the notify party must be someone who answers email, and the cargo description should be consistent with your CI. The full draft-checking workflow — with the mistakes that actually bite — is in our FOB shipping guide.
At destination, the chain runs arrival notice → delivery order → pickup. Whoever is named consignee controls that chain, which is why the name on the draft matters more than it looks.
What you must set up before the cargo ships: EIN, customs bond, POA, ISF
Four things sit on the importer’s side, and they have a hard dependency order. This is the part first-timers say they can’t find written down anywhere — so here it is, in order.
Step 1: Your importer number (EIN or CBP-assigned number)
U.S. business: your EIN from the IRS — free and online. Foreign company without a U.S. entity: CBP assigns you a number through CBP Form 5106. Everything below keys off this number, which is why it comes first.
Step 2: Your customs bond — single-entry vs continuous
A bond is required for formal entries — generally shipments valued over $2,500, and any shipment that touches a partner government agency. Two flavors:
- Single-entry bond — covers one shipment, sized to the shipment’s value plus duties. Right for a first or occasional import.
- Continuous bond — covers every entry for a year. Once you import regularly, the math usually favors it.
You don’t buy it from CBP — your broker or a surety arranges it — but it’s issued in your name, against your importer number. Hence step 1.
Step 3: The customs broker power of attorney (POA)
A one-page power of attorney authorizes a licensed broker to act for you (19 CFR 141.46). One per broker, signed once. Signing it doesn’t drag you into day-to-day customs work — it’s what legally lets the broker file.
Step 4: ISF (10+2) data — who files the ISF and when
For ocean freight, the Importer Security Filing is due 24 hours before the vessel loads in China under CBP’s “10+2” rule. The ten importer-side elements split three ways:
| Data comes from | Elements |
|---|---|
| You | Importer of record number · consignee number · ship-to party |
| Your supplier | Manufacturer name and address · seller · country of origin · HTS-6 per line · container stuffing location · consolidator |
| The carrier side | The “+2” vessel and container elements — not your job, but they explain why filings have to “match” |
Who files it: the importer of record is responsible, and nearly everyone delegates to the broker or forwarder. But filed isn’t the same as matched — the ISF has to pair with the carrier’s AMS filing, and operationally you’ll hear people talk about match receipts (1Y / 3Z). The mismatches that actually happen are mundane: a wrong house B/L number, ship-to confused with consignee, a wrong country of origin. All fixable by amendment before arrival; none fixable by ignoring them.
Why the order is hard, not optional: no importer number → no bond; no valid bond → ISF filings get rejected; no POA → the broker can’t file the entry. A buyer in a recent inquiry to us put it perfectly: “I need to find out what we still need to get you so we can get our bond.” Start at step 1 and the rest is paperwork. Start anywhere else and you chase your tail.
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Get a China–USA shipping quoteWhen each document is due: the China to USA import document timeline
The same map, read by the clock:
| Stage | What must exist | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Before booking | PI confirmed; CI / PL draft reviewed; HTS confirmed; EIN + bond + POA in place | You + supplier + broker |
| 24 hours before vessel loading (ocean) | ISF filed with complete data | Broker / forwarder files; you supplied the data days earlier |
| Before arrival | CI, PL and B/L final and consistent; bond verified; agency filings done if regulated | Broker files the entry |
| Before delivery | Arrival notice acknowledged; delivery order issued; duties arranged | Forwarder / broker / you, per your quote’s scope |
Flying instead? ISF is ocean-only, but air shipments still need the CI, PL, air waybill and a brokered entry. Courier parcels (DHL / UPS / FedEx) run under the carrier’s own brokerage — expect an email asking for your EIN and a POA the first time, which confuses exactly the people this guide is for. And note the $800 de minimis shortcut is gone for China-origin goods, so small parcels increasingly face the same paperwork logic as freight (background in our China to USA guide).
When documents go wrong: clearance delays, ISF penalties, and exams
Four failure modes cover most first-year pain. For each: what happens, who to call, how it gets fixed.
Missing or wrong commercial invoice
What happens: the shipment sits. Carriers flag it (“a missing commercial invoice is causing a delay” is a message real shippers get more than once), the broker can’t file, storage starts accruing. Who to call: your supplier first — a corrected CI, fast — then your broker with the new file. Fix time: hours if caught before arrival; days plus amendment fees after filing.
ISF late, rejected, or unmatched
What happens: CBP can assess liquidated damages — importers report figures up to $5,000 per violation — and a missing ISF stacks the odds of an exam on top. You’ll hear that late-but-matched filings often pass without penalty while never-filed ones get caught; treat that as luck you shouldn’t rely on, not policy. Who to call: whoever filed it — ask for the filing status and the match receipts. Fix: amendments before arrival are common and unremarkable; the worst version is discovering the problem at the port.
HTS classification errors
What happens: duty reclassification, corrections, and in sensitive categories antidumping exposure that dwarfs the original duty. One rule: don’t self-classify to save time — the risk asymmetry is brutal.
Mismatched documents → exam
When the CI, PL, B/L and ISF tell four different stories, CBP reads the inconsistency as a reason to look at the cargo itself. Exams range from an X-ray to a full devanning, and the costs run on top of the delay. The prevention is boring: one consistent set of numbers across every document.
Special cases: regulated products, FBA, and DDP
Regulated products. FDA, FCC, CPSC, EPA and friends run parallel to CBP, not inside it — their registrations and filings attach to the product and must exist before the goods ship, not after they arrive. Which agencies apply depends on the product category, so confirm that scope before booking.
Amazon FBA. Amazon will never act as your importer of record and won’t supply any customs documents — you import as yourself, then deliver to the fulfillment center. The document set is exactly this guide; what changes is the delivery side (labels, appointments), covered in our FBA shipping cost guide.
DDP shipments. Under DDP the seller or provider runs clearance — but “clearance included” doesn’t tell you who the importer of record is, or whether your EIN and a POA are still needed. Confirm the structure and those questions in writing before you book.
Your pre-shipment US customs document checklist
- EIN (or CBP-assigned number) in hand
- Customs bond arranged — and you know which type you bought
- POA signed with your broker
- ISF data complete — your three elements plus the supplier’s seven
- CI draft reviewed — specific descriptions, line-level HTS, origin, Incoterm
- PL matches the CI — quantities, weights, totals
- B/L draft checked — consignee name matches your bond / EIN records exactly
- Agency filings done, if your product is regulated
- One folder per shipment with everything in it — keep records at least five years
Need to choose the right shipping lane before your supplier books?
Send us your origin city, destination ZIP code, cargo weight / CBM, carton details, product type and target delivery date. We’ll help you compare ocean, air, express and DDP door-to-door options for the transport side — with a clear quote scope and timeline.
Compare shipping optionsFAQ: documents needed to import from China to the USA
Do I need an EIN to import from China to the USA?
If you’re the importer of record — the default under FOB, CIF and EXW — yes: your EIN anchors the bond and the entry. Foreign companies without a U.S. entity get a CBP-assigned number via Form 5106 instead. Under DDP, it depends on the arrangement: confirm in writing who is the importer of record, whether your EIN is used, and whether a POA is required.
Who files the ISF — me, the forwarder, or the broker?
Legal responsibility sits with the importer of record; in practice your broker or forwarder files it as your agent. What you can’t delegate is the data or the deadline — confirm in writing who’s filing, and ask for the match confirmation.
What’s the difference between a proforma and a commercial invoice?
The proforma is the pre-production quote you pay against; the commercial invoice is the final document customs clears against. Same shape, different job — and the values should match, or your broker will ask why.
Do I need a customs bond for air freight or courier shipments?
Bonds attach to formal entries, not to the ocean — air freight needs one the same way. Courier parcels are the one partial exception: the carrier’s own brokerage clears low-value parcels under simplified processes, though they’ll still ask for your EIN and a POA. With de minimis gone for China-origin goods, expect more parcels to go formal, not fewer.
Can my supplier handle all the paperwork?
They handle theirs — the commercial invoice, packing list, origin and product details. They can’t produce yours: the importer number, bond, POA and ISF data all exist in your name. And a supplier offering to “handle everything,” including a conveniently low invoice value, is a red flag, not a favor.
What happens if my commercial invoice is wrong?
Before the entry: a corrected file and a short delay. After the entry: an amendment, possible duty recalculation, and a brighter light on your next shipment. The worst version is a value CBP doesn’t believe — that’s a valuation problem, and it’s yours, not the supplier’s.
Do I need a customs broker to import from China?
Legally you can self-file; practically, first-time importers shouldn’t. The broker’s fee is small next to one ISF penalty or one misclassified entry, and the POA that engages them is a one-page formality.
What documents does my freight forwarder need from me, and when?
At booking: product details, carton data, pickup and delivery addresses. Before loading: ISF data. Before arrival: the final commercial invoice and packing list, and confirmation your bond is live. If a forwarder asks for nothing but payment, ask who the importer of record is.
