The Paperwork That Travels With Machined Parts From Vietnam
The machining is the easy part. What catches first time importers is the document set: which pieces of paper exist, who issues them, and which one is missing at the moment the container is already on the water. This is the shape of it.
The documents that move with the goods
| Document | Issued by | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | The shop | Declares what is being sold and for how much. Customs values the shipment from this |
| Packing list | The shop | What is in each box or pallet, with weights and dimensions |
| Bill of lading or air waybill | The carrier | Contract of carriage and, for sea freight, title to the goods |
| Certificate of origin | A chamber of commerce or an authorised body | States where the goods were made, which can change your duty rate |
| Material certificate | The material supplier, passed on by the shop | Proves the alloy is what the drawing called for |
| Inspection or dimensional report | The shop, or a third party you appoint | Evidence the parts measure what they should |
| Fumigation certificate | The packer | Needed when goods travel on untreated wood pallets |
The first three always exist. The rest exist if you ask for them, in writing, before production finishes.
Where the handover happens
The document set does not change much, but who arranges what does, and that is set entirely by the shipping term you agreed. Under EXW you or your forwarder collect from the shop and handle export clearance. Under FOB the shop delivers to a Vietnamese port and clears export, and you take over once the goods are on board. Under DAP the shop delivers to your address and you pay duty and taxes on arrival. The full comparison of all four terms covers where risk passes and what each one hides.
For a first shipment, DAP removes the most moving parts. You pay for that convenience inside the unit price, and you lose visibility of the freight cost, so it is worth switching to FOB once you know the volume is real.
Where importers actually get stuck
Asking for the certificate of origin too late. It is issued against the export declaration. Once the goods have shipped and the declaration is closed, obtaining one is slow, and in some cases you simply cannot get it. Put it in the purchase order.
HS code disagreement. The shop picks a code to declare on the Vietnamese side. Your broker may classify the same part differently on arrival. Agree the code before shipping, because a mismatch triggers questions and questions cost days.
Undervalued invoices. A shop that has been asked by other customers to declare a lower value may offer to do the same for you. Say no in writing. The exposure is yours, not theirs.
Wood packaging. Untreated wood pallets are refused in many countries. Specify heat treated ISPM 15 stamped pallets, or plywood, in the purchase order. The export packing guide covers the rest of the specification, including corrosion protection, which is the other complaint that arrives with every first sea shipment.
Material certificates that do not match. Ask for the mill certificate with the first article, not with the shipment. If the alloy is wrong you want to know before 500 pieces exist.
Incomplete descriptions on the invoice. “Metal parts” is not a description. It invites inspection. The invoice should say what the part is, the material and the quantity, in words that match the HS code.
The three fields that decide what you pay
Duty is calculated from three things, and only one of them lands on the supplier’s invoice by default.
Classification. The commodity code decides the rate. Your broker classifies the goods on the import entry and the supplier classifies them on the export declaration. If the two differ, questions follow. Agree the code before shipping and put it in the purchase order.
Customs value. Normally the transaction value, adjusted by whatever your country’s rules add or remove. Under a delivered price that includes freight, the freight element may be deductible if it is itemised. If it is buried in one number it is not, and you pay duty on your own freight. Ask for the invoice to show goods value and freight separately.
Origin. Which country the goods are deemed to come from, and whether you can claim a preferential rate for it. That is what the certificate of origin exists to prove, and it is the field most often handled too late.
Get those three right and the landed cost model becomes reliable rather than approximate.
For duty and origin in depth, see import duty on machined parts from Vietnam.
A realistic sequence for a first sea shipment
- Purchase order confirms drawing revision, quantity, Incoterm, HS code, packaging spec and which documents you require.
- Shop runs a first article and sends measurements and photos. You approve in writing.
- Batch runs. Shop sends draft commercial invoice and packing list for you to check before anything moves.
- You or your broker confirm the documents are correct and consistent with each other.
- Goods move to the port. Shop applies for the certificate of origin.
- Carrier issues the bill of lading. Copies go to you and to your broker.
- Goods arrive. Broker clears, you pay duty and taxes, goods are released.
Most of the risk in that list sits in steps 3 and 4, which cost you an hour and save you weeks.
What to keep for next time
Save the finished document set for every shipment. The second order is far quicker when the HS code, packaging spec and document list are copied from something that already cleared customs without a query.
If you are still choosing a shop, send the drawing and we will pass it to up to three machine shops in Vietnam that fit the part. They quote you directly, including the shipping term you ask for.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the import duty?
You do, in your own country, under EXW, FOB and DAP alike. None of the three common terms puts import duty and taxes on the seller. Only DDP does that, and most shops will not quote it because it makes them the importer of record in a country whose rules they do not know.
Do I need a customs broker?
For anything moving by sea, in practice yes. For a small air courier shipment the courier usually clears it for you and bills the duty afterwards. A broker is worth having from the first sea shipment, not the third.
What is a certificate of origin for?
It states where the goods were made. Depending on your country and any trade agreement in force, it can change the duty rate you pay. Ask for it before the goods ship. Getting one issued after the fact is slow and sometimes impossible.
Need a quote for a part like this?
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