Commercial · Regulatory · Preference · Compliance
Delhi + all 6 export ports
GSP (US) · UK CETA · UAE CEPA · AI-ECTA (Australia)
All major international banks supported
Complete pack within 5 working days of shipment
<0.5% on 5,000+ containers/year
The four categories of export documentation
Export documentation splits into four functional categories, each governed by different rules and consumed by different downstream stakeholders. A complete export documentation package typically contains 12-18 individual documents across these categories.
CHA-managed customs — the operational spine
Every export from India goes through Indian customs before the container can be sealed and loaded on the vessel. This process is managed by a Customs House Agent (CHA) licensed by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. Asia Sourcing operates through a network of licensed CHA partners at all six active export ports — Delhi ICD, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Mundra (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kolkata (West Bengal), and Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).
The CHA files the Shipping Bill on ICEGATE (Indian Customs' electronic gateway), coordinates the customs examination if the container is selected for inspection, and secures the Let Export Order (LEO) that permits the container to be loaded onto the vessel. Our CHA relationships include priority queue access at Delhi ICD and Nhava Sheva — critical for peak-season programmes where customs backlogs otherwise add 3-5 days to lead time.
Preference programmes and tariff optimisation
India has active preference programmes with several buyer geographies that can reduce destination-country tariff by 3-15% depending on category. Claiming these preferences requires documentary proof that the goods meet the origin rules of the specific programme — this is where preference documentation matters.
- USA — GSP (Generalized System of Preferences): India retains GSP on most home décor, textile and handicraft categories. Claim requires GSP Form A executed by the exporter.
- UK — India-UK CETA (in negotiation, likely 2026): once operational, will require CETA Certificate of Origin.
- UAE / GCC — India-UAE CEPA: reduces tariff to 0% on most home décor and textile categories. Requires CEPA Certificate of Origin.
- Australia — India-Australia ECTA (in force): reduces tariff on most home décor, textile, furniture and handicraft categories. Requires AI-ECTA COO.
- EU — India-EU FTA (in negotiation): future operational date unclear.
LC handling — the banking coordination layer
Letters of Credit (LC) are the standard payment instrument for retail-volume buyer programmes exporting from India. The LC discipline is unforgiving: any documentary discrepancy (dates, quantities, description mismatches, signature errors) causes the LC to be non-honoured by the buyer's issuing bank, delaying payment 30-60 days and adding banking fees.
Our LC coordination workflow: the buyer's LC is received by our nominated Indian bank (typically HDFC, ICICI, State Bank of India, or Axis Bank at the port of shipment); we produce documents that exactly match the LC's stated requirements; documents are couriered to the buyer's issuing bank; payment is realised on the LC's tenor (typically at-sight or 30-60-90 days after shipment). LC discrepancy rate on our 5,000+ containers/year is under 0.5% — an industry-best number.
Frequently asked
ExportDocumentationSupport—commonquestions.
What documents are included in a standard export documentation package?
12-18 documents typical: Commercial (PI, invoice, packing list, LC docs), Regulatory (shipping bill, bill of lading, insurance certificate, COO, fumigation certificate), Preference (GSP Form A / REX / CEPA COO / CETA COO / AI-ECTA COO as applicable), Compliance (FDA prior notice, REACH SVHC declaration, LFGB migration certificate, CPSIA test report, Prop-65 declaration as applicable).
How do you handle LC discrepancies?
Discrepancy prevention is the goal — our documentation team pre-checks every document against the LC's stated requirements before dispatch. Discrepancy rate on our 5,000+ containers/year is under 0.5%. When discrepancies do occur, we work with the buyer's issuing bank on discrepancy waiver protocols.
What preference programmes do you claim on our behalf?
US GSP (Form A), India-UAE CEPA COO, India-Australia AI-ECTA COO, India-UK CETA (once ratified), India-EU FTA (once ratified). We monitor programme eligibility on a per-SKU basis and claim automatically where applicable.
Do you handle the CHA relationship directly or does the buyer engage CHA separately?
We handle the CHA relationship on the buyer's behalf. Our CHA network covers all six active Indian export ports. The buyer sees one document package, one point of contact, one accountable team. CHA fees are pass-through with no markup.
How long does export documentation take from container-loaded to complete pack?
5 working days from container-loaded to complete documentation pack. LC documents dispatched by courier within 2 working days of LEO issuance. Complete document package emailed to the buyer within 5 working days.
What happens if Indian customs holds our container for inspection?
Random customs inspection happens on 5-8% of containers by policy. Our CHA network handles the inspection coordination; typical delay is 1-3 days. Container examination results in either release (95%+ of cases) or query (5% requiring additional documentation). We manage the query response on the buyer's behalf.
Can we get export documentation support without commissioning the full buying-agent engagement?
Yes — export documentation is available as a standalone service for buyers running their own sourcing but wanting professional documentation support. Fee model: percentage of FOB or fixed per-container fee, depending on volume.
How is documentation different for hospitality (FF&E) projects vs retail?
Retail: standardised SKU-level documentation, LC-based payment, 40-ft container as the shipping unit. Hospitality FF&E: project-milestone documentation (often tied to phased delivery to construction sites), progress-payment structures, sometimes air-freight for critical-path components. Our documentation workflows are pre-configured for both models.
Where this fits
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