This Episode, #9, is the 4th of 4 Episodes specifically dealing in detail with Amazon Sourcing from China. It’s also part 7 of the “Amazing FBA Startup System”, which is a very highly structured series of podcasts designed to take you from zero to having a product launched and selling on Amazon.

If you haven’t already listened, you’ll want to at least listen to episodes #6, #7 & #8, which deal with Sourcing from China. Ideally, listen to the whole Startup System, so start from episode #3.

SHOW NOTES FOR EPISODE #9

“PAPERWORK” i.e. Forms/Contracts etc.

Overview

It’s all about the Commercial Invoice (CI), folks!

Everything in the final stages of documentation (meaning anything you or your supplier write to each other, broadly) is leading up to the CI.

After you have finished negotiating on price, product inspection/testing,  payment terms (100% upfront vs 30/70%  split are the usual options) freight terms, &  delivery date, you need to summarise everything in one crystal clear email. The end result of all your documents is the crucial COMMERCIAL INVOICE (See below). After that is agreed, your order is, in theory, set in stone

Of course in practice, you can look at a so-called “final” commercial invoice, realise you or your supplier have made a mistake, and go back to them and get a correction. But it’s a very good discipline for both you and your supplier to get documents right first time. The Chinese have a strong respect for written documents, so use that to your advantage. It’s all about 2 things: clarity of what you are both agreeing; and holding your supplier to that agreement.

So do your best to do any wiggling, renegotiating and corrections before you finally have the Commercial invoice.

Definitions and “final document flow” (see below for actual contents)

* Draft Purchase Order Email – this is of course not a technical term! But I put it in as it is a prelude to the Pro Forma Invoice (see below). So you need to be extremely precise in what you ask to be put in the PFI. See below for an exact list of all the info you need to put in the email.

*  Pro Forma Invoice (PFI) – basically a draft Commercial Invoice (see below). As it is a prelude to the CI, check it very carefully.

* Purchase Order (PO) – your business’s formal request to buy goods. This is a very important document so you need to basically do a “draft PO” by sending a very detailed email to your supplier (details below), so that you get a good quality PFI back and then your actual PO will be accurate.

* Commercial Invoice (CI) -this is the final document to result from all your back and forth before money gets sent to the Supplier and then goods  are manufactured then sent to you or your warehouse.

It is the final and most crucial document. 

The word “Invoice” in normal business life implies a straightforward document. Of course accurate invoicing is important, but there are not too many consequences if there are errors, as they can be corrected with an apology.

However, the CI can’t be corrected once it is printed and fixed to all the cartons of your precious products, and it is the main document that will get goods through U.S. customs -or cause issues and delays if it is wrong.

So it is a much more crucial document than a normal invoice!

My strong advice: check and double check every single detail. Then CHECK AGAIN. Trust me on this. (use the info below as a check list)

CONTENTS OF COMMERCIAL INVOICE (so put all of this in your “Draft Purchase Order”  email,