Six EXIM Documentation Mistakes That Delay Cargo

Most clearance delays trace back to avoidable paperwork errors. These are the ones we see most often.

1. Description mismatches across documents

The goods description on the invoice, packing list, and bill of lading must agree. Customs systems compare these fields, and a discrepancy that seems trivial to the shipper reads as a red flag to an assessing officer.

2. Incorrect HS classification

Classification determines duty, licensing, and whether restrictions apply. Choosing a code because it attracts lower duty rather than because it describes the goods creates exposure that surfaces later, usually with penalties attached.

3. Incoterm confusion

Incoterms define where risk and cost transfer. Quoting one term and contracting on another leaves both parties assuming the other arranged insurance or clearance. Write the term and the named place explicitly.

4. AD Code not registered at the port

An IEC alone is insufficient. The AD Code must be registered at the specific port of clearance, and completing that registration takes time that first-time importers routinely have not allowed for.

5. Missing or mismatched certificates of origin

Preferential duty claims depend on a valid certificate of origin matching the consignment exactly. An expired or inconsistent certificate turns an anticipated concession into full duty liability at assessment.

6. Late filing

Filing after arrival compresses every downstream step and can attract charges. Advance filing once the IGM is lodged costs nothing extra and removes an entire category of delay.

The pattern behind all six

Each of these is a coordination failure rather than a technical one. Catching them requires someone reviewing the document set as a whole before filing — which is precisely what a document check at the point of lodgement is for. This is the same document review built into our customs clearance and brokerage service at JNPT.