Export Documentation Checklist for US and EU Markets (2025)
The complete 2025 export documentation checklist for shipping to the US and EU. Every document explained, plus the differences between the two markets and the easiest way to keep your documents current.
Documentation rejection is one of the most expensive delays in international trade. A container of correctly-manufactured product sitting at a port because one document is missing or wrong can cost demurrage, missed delivery windows, and a buyer who finds another supplier next quarter.
This 2025 export documentation checklist covers everything you need to ship to the United States and the European Union — what each document is for, when it's needed, and where the two markets diverge.
The Common Core: Documents Every Shipment Needs
Whether you're shipping to the US, EU, or anywhere else, every commercial export needs these documents.
1. Commercial Invoice
The commercial document of the transaction. Must include exporter and importer details, full product description, HS code, country of origin, value per unit and total, currency, payment terms, and Incoterms (FOB, CIF, DAP, etc.).
2. Packing List
A line-by-line list of what's in each carton or container. Includes net and gross weight, dimensions, number of pieces, marks and numbers. Customs uses this to verify the shipment matches the invoice without opening every box.
3. Bill of Lading (B/L) or Air Waybill (AWB)
Issued by the carrier. The legal title document for sea freight (B/L) or air freight (AWB). The buyer typically needs the original B/L to collect the goods at destination.
4. Certificate of Origin (C/O)
States the country in which the goods were manufactured. Required for preferential tariff treatment under free trade agreements, and increasingly required regardless to support due diligence (forced labour regulations, sanctions compliance).
5. Product Specification Sheet
The technical description of the product. Often requested by customs, by the buyer's compliance team, and required if the product is regulated (electronics, cosmetics, machinery, chemicals).
Documents Required to Export to the United States
In addition to the common core, the US has specific requirements:
Importer Security Filing (ISF) / "10+2"
For ocean shipments to the US, the importer must file the ISF at least 24 hours before the cargo is loaded onto the vessel at origin. Late filings = $5,000 per violation.
US Customs Entry (CBP Form 7501)
Filed by the importer (or their customs broker) when the goods arrive. The exporter typically doesn't file this directly but must supply complete invoice and packing list data to enable it.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) — for any chemical or product containing chemicals
US OSHA HazCom 2012 requires GHS-formatted SDSs (currently transitioning to GHS Rev. 8). A Safety Data Sheet in a non-GHS format will be rejected.
FDA-related documentation — for food, cosmetics, drugs, medical devices
- Prior Notice (food shipments): required before arrival
- FDA Registration Number: importer of food, drug, cosmetic, or device facilities
- FCE/SID: for low-acid canned foods and acidified foods
- Cosmetic ingredient declarations and label compliance
FCC documentation — for electronics that emit RF
- FCC ID and Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) for unintentional radiators
- Required test reports from an accredited lab
CPSIA — for children's products
Children's Product Certificate (CPC) based on third-party testing of all applicable standards (lead content, lead in paint, ASTM F963 toy safety, etc.).
UFLPA Compliance (Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act)
For any product with cotton, polysilicon, or tomatoes (and increasingly other categories), US Customs presumes products from the Xinjiang region are made with forced labour. Importers need supply chain documentation tracing materials to non-restricted regions.
Documents Required to Export to the European Union
The EU has a separate set of requirements — and they're getting stricter every year.
EORI Number
Both the exporter and importer need an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number. Without it, the shipment doesn't move.
CE Marking and Declaration of Conformity (DoC)
For most regulated products (electronics, machinery, toys, PPE, medical devices). The Declaration of Conformity is the document; CE Mark is the physical mark on the product. The DoC must list every applicable directive and harmonised standard.
Safety Data Sheet — under EU CLP Regulation
The EU has its own GHS implementation (CLP — Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008). SDSs must be in the language(s) of every Member State the product is sold in.
REACH Compliance Documentation
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. For chemicals manufactured or imported in volumes >1 tonne/year, registration is required. For articles, a REACH SVHC declaration may be required.
Battery Regulation 2023/1542
For products with batteries (including embedded batteries). Requires due diligence reporting, carbon footprint declaration (for industrial and EV batteries), and removability/replaceability information.
EUDR — Deforestation Regulation
For products containing wood, cattle, soy, palm oil, coffee, cocoa, rubber, or derivatives. Requires geolocation data for the production plot and a due diligence statement.
CBAM — Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
For cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen. Quarterly reporting of embedded emissions required (transitional period until 2026, then financial obligations begin).
EU Customs Declaration (Import Declaration / SAD)
Filed by the importer through TARIC (the EU's tariff database). Exporter supplies the invoice, packing list, HS code, and CoO that feed into this.
Phytosanitary Certificate / Sanitary Certificate
For plants, plant products, animal products, and food.
Where the US and EU Diverge
| Topic | US | EU |
|---|---|---|
| SDS format | GHS Rev. 7 / 8 (OSHA HazCom) | GHS via CLP — multi-language |
| Product safety mark | FCC, UL, NRTL listings | CE Mark + DoC |
| Chemicals regulation | TSCA + state laws (Prop 65, etc.) | REACH + CLP |
| Forced labour due diligence | UFLPA | EUDR + Forced Labour Regulation 2027 |
| Carbon disclosure | State-level (e.g., California SB-253) | CBAM |
| Electronic registration | ACE / ISF (10+2) | EORI + TARIC |
The EU is consistently the more documentation-heavy market, and the volume of required disclosures continues to grow.
The Real Cost of Manual Documentation
For a manufacturer or exporter shipping to both markets across even 20–30 SKUs, the documentation footprint is enormous: a current SDS, spec sheet, DoC, certificate of origin, and CBAM disclosure per product per shipment. Done in Word, this is a multi-day exercise per shipment, and every revision risks a version drift.
Generate, Don't Re-Type
SpecIQ was built so that you enter your product into a Product Hub once and generate every export-ready document — spec sheet, SDS (GHS, GHS Rev. 8 for US, CLP for EU), compliance declarations, technical datasheets — in minutes, in the language and format your destination market requires.