In plain English
It is the seller's written statement of what was sold and on what deal. It identifies the goods, gives their price, and sets out the sale terms. It is used especially for international shipping and customs.
In context
Here, "commercial invoice" means the seller-to-buyer document that states the goods, their price, and the terms of sale for the shipment being submitted for customs purposes.
- Situation
- Completing customs, import, export, duty, declaration, and clearance administration
- What it communicates
- names a required document in the customs submission checklist.
Meaning limits
This term names the seller's sales document, not the shipment itself or the customs filing as a whole.
Examples
“Before the export crates were loaded, the seller revised the commercial invoice to show the correct model numbers, unit prices, and delivery terms for the buyer.”
“For customs, the clerk placed the commercial invoice in a clear pouch on the outside of the carton.”