Handicraft commercial invoice template
Handicraft commercial invoice template: baskets, ceramics and textiles by material and method, with HS code and origin on each line for customs.
Templates by industry
- Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set
- Hand-painted ceramic figurines, per piece
- Handwoven wool shawls, per piece
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Describe the goods
Example: describe "Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set" precisely enough for customs, with HS code, origin, quantity and unit value.
Add the shipment details
Enter the Incoterms, ports of loading and discharge, gross and net weight and packages, and check "Handwoven wool shawls, per piece" matches the packing list.
Sign and send
Sign the declaration and send the invoice to the importer and your freight forwarder or customs broker with the other shipping documents.
Handmade goods rarely fit a single tariff heading, and no two pieces are alike, so “handicrafts, assorted” is the most common and least useful line on an invoice. Customs classifies by material and kind: a bamboo basket, a glazed clay figurine and a wool shawl sit in three different headings. This template asks for each craft to be named by what it is made of and how, and keeps a line per kind so a cooperative can ship mixed cartons.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set, Hand-painted ceramic figurines, per piece, Handwoven wool shawls, per piece: give each line a precise description, its HS code, country of origin, quantity and value.
- Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set
- Name the material such as bamboo or rattan, the weave and the three sizes in the set, so the buyer can count the sets in the carton.
- Hand-painted ceramic figurines, per piece
- Say which clay and glaze were used and that the painting is by hand; figures of the same design vary a little, so give an average size rather than a promise of identical pieces.
- Handwoven wool shawls, per piece
- State the wool content, whether the cloth is handwoven or handloomed, and the size; importers often ask for the fibre content for their labels.
- Parties and terms
- Name the exporter, the importer and, if the goods go to someone else, the consignee, with the Incoterms, the currency and the payment terms.
- Shipment
- Give the ports of loading and discharge, the shipping method, the gross and net weight, the number of packages and the reason for export.
- Scope to agree
- Describe each craft by material, method and size instead of “handicrafts”, name the group of makers if the buyer wants it, and mention any plant-health or treatment certificate for goods made of wood, bamboo or fibre.
Before sending
- Does “Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set” have the HS code and country of origin customs will check?
- Is the value of “Hand-painted ceramic figurines, per piece” the price actually paid, in the invoice currency?
- Do the quantity and weight of “Handwoven wool shawls, per piece” match the packing list?
Show 3 more
- Check the Incoterms, ports, weights and package count against the shipping documents, and the importing country's customs requirements.
- Check each HS code and country of origin with your freight forwarder or customs broker; QuoteBill does not look them up.
- Check the tax rate: it starts at 0% because exports are often zero-rated, so change it if your sale is taxed.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with no tax added.
- Bamboo storage baskets, set of 3, per set (HS 4602.11, origin VN): 200 × $11.00 = $2,200.00
- Hand-painted ceramic figurines, per piece (HS 6913.90, origin VN): 500 × $3.80 = $1,900.00
- Handwoven wool shawls, per piece (HS 6214.20, origin NP): 150 × $16.00 = $2,400.00
Value of the goods $6,500.00, tax $0.00, invoice total $6,500.00.
- Sales order SO-HC-0914.
- Shipment: DAP Los Angeles, from Ho Chi Minh City, VN to Los Angeles, US; gross weight 640 kg, net weight 485 kg, 33 CTNS.
What the document must show
These details make a commercial invoice easier to approve and to file.
- Exporter and importer names and addresses, and the consignee if different
- Invoice number and date
- Each item with description, HS code, origin, quantity, unit price and value
- Incoterms, currency and payment terms
- Ports of loading and discharge, shipping method
- Gross and net weight, number of packages
- A signed declaration
A commercial invoice starts at 0%, because exports are often zero-rated; change the rate if your sale is taxed. The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Frequently asked questions
Do goods made of bamboo or wood need extra papers?
Often, yes: untreated plant material can need a plant-health certificate or a treatment record, and the importing country decides. Ask the buyer’s broker before packing, and mention the certificate on the invoice if one travels with the goods.
How should a cooperative’s shipment be priced when each piece is slightly different?
Invoice by kind with the average price per piece, and keep the pieces per carton in the packing details. Customs wants a value per line, not a promise that the pieces are identical.
How is the sales tax worked out on this commercial invoice?
A commercial invoice starts at 0%, because exports are often zero-rated; change the rate if your sale is taxed. The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending. With nothing added, the total in the worked example above stays at the net amount of $6,500.00.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Read next
Reading for the Handicraft commercial invoice template: Proforma vs invoice and down payment invoice and Unpaid invoice: follow-ups, part payments and statements. The currency converter converts the amounts when you invoice in another currency.