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CI

CI, short for commercial invoice, is a sales document from a seller to a buyer that states the goods being sold, their value, and the terms of sale, especially for customs purposes in international trade.

In plain English

It is the seller's bill to the buyer for the goods in the sale. It sets out what goods are being sold, what they are worth, and the agreed terms of sale. In international trade, it is used especially for customs.

In context

Here, CI denotes the sales document the paperwork checklist is requesting, which states the goods being sold, their value, and the terms of sale for customs use in international trade.

Situation
Coordinating freight quotes, booking, consolidation, handoff, and transport documents
What it communicates
labels the invoice document requested in the paperwork checklist.

Meaning limits

The term itself identifies this document type only and does not by itself confirm any separate status, approval, or accuracy.

Examples

“For the export order, the seller emailed the buyer a CI listing the parts, their total value, and the delivery terms for customs.”

Core meaning

“The coordinator could not complete the paperwork checklist because the CI for the shipment was still missing.”

In context