Note: This is a condensed excerpt. See 19 CFR 141.81 – 141.89 for complete invoice requirements.
19 CFR §141.81 Invoice for each shipment.
A commercial invoice shall be presented for each shipment of merchandise at the time the entry summary is filed, subject to the conditions set forth in these regulations. Except in the case of installment shipments provided for in §141.82, an invoice shall not represent more than one distinct shipment of merchandise by one consignor to one consignee by one vessel or conveyance.
§141.82 Invoice for installment shipments arriving within a period of 10 days.
(a) One invoice sufficient. Installments of a shipment covered by a single order or contract and shipped from one consignor to one consignee may be included in one invoice if the installments arrive at the port of entry by any means of transportation within a period of not to exceed 10 consecutive days.
(b) Preparation of invoice. The invoice must be prepared in the manner provided for in this subpart and, when practicable, must show the quantities, values, and other invoice data with respect to each installment, the date of shipment of each installment, and the car number or other identification of the importing conveyance in which it was shipped.
(c) Pro forma invoice. If the required invoice is not filed with the first entry of an installment series, a pro forma invoice must be filed with each entry made before the required invoice is produced, and in accordance with §141.91 a bond must be given, or charge against a continuous bond made, for the production of the required invoice. Liquidated damages will accrue in the case of each entry if more than 6 months expire without the production of an invoice for such entry.
(d) Informal entry. Any bona fide installment valued at not over $2,500 (except for articles valued in excess of $250 classified in Chapter 99, Subchapters III and IV. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States) may be entered on an informal entry in accordance with subpart C of part 143 of this chapter, in which case such installment need not be considered in connection with invoice requirements for the balance of the series.
§141.83 Type of invoice required.
(a)-(b) [Reserved]
(c) Commercial invoice. (1) A commercial invoice shall be filed for each shipment of merchandise not exempted by paragraph (d) of this section. The commercial invoice shall be prepared in the manner customary in the trade, contain the information required by §§141.86 through 141.89, and substantiate the statistical information required by §141.61(e) to be given on the entry, entry summary, or withdrawal documentation.
§141.84 Photocopies of invoice for separate entries of same shipment.
(a) Entries at one port. If by reason of accident or short shipment a portion of the quantity covered by one invoice fails to arrive, or if for any other reason only a portion of the quantity covered by one invoice is entered under one entry, a photocopy of the commercial invoice used in connection with the first entry, covering the quantity to be entered under another entry, may be used in connection with the subsequent entry of any portion of the merchandise not cleared under the first entry.
(b) Entries from foreign-trade zone at one port. A photocopy of the invoice filed with the first entry for consumption from a foreign-trade zone of a portion of the merchandise shown on the invoice will not be required for any subsequent entry for consumption from that zone at the same port of a portion of any merchandise covered by such invoice, if a pro forma invoice is filed and identifies the entry first made and the invoice then filed.
(c) Entries at different ports. When portions of a single shipment requiring a commercial invoice are entered at different ports, the importer may submit to the port director where the original invoice or latest photocopy of the original invoice is on file, two photocopies of the latest of such invoices to be certified as to merchandise previously received, and the official seal affixed thereto.
(d) Pro forma invoice. In a case in which a portion of the shipment is entered at the first port on a pro forma invoice, an entry at a subsequent port may be made by means of a new pro forma invoice which may cover only the merchandise then entered.
(e) Photocopy to satisfy bond for invoice. A properly certified photocopy of a commercial invoice presented within 6 months after the date of entry may be accepted to cancel the charges against the bond given for the production of the commercial invoice.
§141.85 Pro forma invoice.
A pro forma invoice submitted in accordance with any provision of this chapter shall be in substantially the following form: [ see 141.85 to view form]
§141.86 Contents of invoices and general requirements.
(a) General information required on the invoice. Each invoice of imported merchandise, must set forth the following information:
(1) The port of entry to which the merchandise is destined;
(2) The time when, the place where, and the person by whom and the person to whom the merchandise is sold or agreed to be sold, or if to be imported otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase, the place from which shipped, the time when and the person to whom and the person by whom it is shipped;
(3) A detailed description of the merchandise, including the name by which each item is known, the grade or quality, and the marks, numbers, and symbols under which sold by the seller or manufacturer to the trade in the country of exportation, together with the marks and numbers of the packages in which the merchandise is packed;
(4) The quantities in the weights and measures of the country or place from which the merchandise is shipped, or in the weights and measures of the United States;
(5) The purchase price of each item in the currency of the purchase, if the merchandise is shipped in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase;
(6) If the merchandise is shipped otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase, the value for each item, in the currency in which the transactions are usually made, or, in the absence of such value, the price in such currency that the manufacturer, seller, shipper, or owner would have received, or was willing to receive, for such merchandise if sold in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities in the country of exportation;
(7) The kind of currency, whether gold, silver, or paper;
(8) All charges upon the merchandise itemized by name and amount, including freight, insurance, commission, cases, containers, coverings, and cost of packing; and if not included above, all charges, costs, and expenses incurred in bringing the merchandise from alongside the carrier at the port of exportation in the country of exportation and placing it alongside the carrier at the first United States port of entry. The cost of packing, cases, containers, and inland freight to the port of exportation need not be itemized by amount if included in the invoice price, and so identified. Where the required information does not appear on the invoice as originally prepared, it must be shown on an attachment to the invoice;
(9) All rebates, drawbacks, and bounties, separately itemized, allowed upon the exportation of the merchandise;
(10) The country of origin of the merchandise; and,
(11) All goods or services furnished for the production of the merchandise (e.g., assists such as dies, molds, tools, engineering work) not included in the invoice price. However, goods or services furnished in the United States are excluded. Annual reports for goods and services, when approved by the port director, will be accepted as proof that the goods or services were provided.
(b) Non purchased merchandise shipped by other than manufacturer. Each invoice of imported merchandise shipped to a person in the United States by a person other than the manufacturer and otherwise than pursuant to a purchase or agreement to purchase must set forth the time when, the place where, the person from whom such merchandise was purchased, and the price paid therefor in the currency of the purchase, stating whether gold, silver, or paper.
(c) Merchandise sold in transit. If the merchandise is sold on the documents while in transit from the port of exportation to the port of entry, the original invoice reflecting the transaction under which the merchandise actually began its journey to the United States, and the resale invoice or a statement of sale showing the price paid for each item by the purchaser, must be filed as part of the entry, entry summary, or withdrawal documentation. If the original invoice cannot be obtained, a pro forma invoice showing the values and transaction reflected by the original invoice must be filed together with the resale invoice or statement.
(d) Invoice to be in English. The invoice and all attachments must be in the English language, or must have attached thereto an accurate English translation containing adequate information for examination of the merchandise and determination of duties.
(e) Packing list. Each invoice must state in adequate detail what merchandise is contained in each individual package.
(f) Weights and measures. If the invoice or entry does not disclose the weight, gage, or measure of the merchandise which is necessary to ascertain duties, the consignee must pay the expense of weighing, gaging, or measuring prior to the release of the merchandise from CBP custody.
(g) Discounts. Each invoice must set forth in detail, for each class or kind of merchandise, every discount from list or other base price which has been or may be allowed in fixing each purchase price or value.
(h) Numbering of invoices and pages—(1) Invoices. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, when more than one invoice is included in the same entry, each invoice with its attachments must be numbered consecutively by the importer on the bottom of the face of each page, beginning with No. 1.
(2) Pages. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, if the invoice or invoices filed with one entry consist of more than two pages, each page must be numbered consecutively by the importer on the bottom of the face of each page, with the page numbering beginning with No. 1 for the first page of the first invoice and continuing in a single series of numbers through all the invoices and attachments included in one entry.
(3) Both invoices and pages. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, both the invoice number and the page number must be shown at the bottom of each page when applicable. For example, an entry covering one invoice of one page and a second invoice of two pages must be paginated as follows:
Inv. 1, p. 1.
Inv. 2, p. 2.
Inv. 2, p. 3
(i) Information may be on invoice or attached thereto. Any information required on an invoice by any provision of this subpart may be set forth either on the invoice or on an attachment thereto.
(j) Name of responsible individual. Each invoice of imported merchandise must identify by name a responsible employee of the exporter, who has knowledge, or who can readily obtain knowledge, of the transaction.
§141.87 Breakdown on component materials.
Whenever the classification or appraisement of merchandise depends on the component materials, the invoice shall set forth a breakdown giving the value, weight, or other necessary measurement of each component material in sufficient detail to determine the correct duties.
§141.88 Computed value.
When the port director determines that information as to computed value is necessary in the appraisement of any class or kind of merchandise, he shall so notify the importer, and thereafter invoices of such merchandise shall contain a verified statement by the manufacturer or producer of computed value as defined in §402(e), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 1401a(e)).
§141.89 Additional information for certain classes of merchandise.
(a) Invoices for the following classes of merchandise, classifiable under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), shall set forth the additional information specified: These specific requirements may change from time to time. Please see 19 CFR §141.89 to determine if your merchandise has specific invoicing requirements.
