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Customs Documentation

ActiveTradeMUSTFREE

What it does

Generate commercial invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin in a single API call. Provide shipper, consignee, and item details, and POTAL generates all required customs documents with proper formatting and regulatory compliance.

Required Fields for 100% Accuracy

10 required / 12 total

Field	Type	Required	Description	Example
`doc_type`	string	!	Document typeOptions: commercial_invoice, packing_list, certificate_of_origin, customs_declaration, certificate_of_compliance, phytosanitary_certificate	`commercial_invoice`
`shipment.shipper.name`	string	!	Shipper company name	`Acme Corp`
`shipment.consignee.name`	string	!	Consignee/buyer name	`US Buyer LLC`
`shipment.items[].hs_code`	string	!	HS code for each item	`6109.10`
`shipment.items[].description`	string	!	Item description	`Cotton t-shirts`
`shipment.items[].value`	number	!	Item value	`500`
`shipment.items[].quantity`	number	!	Quantity	`100`
`shipment.items[].weight`	number	!	Weight in kg	`25`
`shipment.items[].origin`	string	!	Country of origin (ISO code)	`CN`
`shipment.destination`	string	!	Destination country	`US`
`shipment.incoterms`	string	opt	Incoterms (default: DDP)	`DDP`
`shipment.currency`	string	opt	Currency code (default: USD)	`USD`

Tips for Best Accuracy

✓All item fields (hs_code, description, value, quantity, weight, origin) are required
✓HS codes should be at least 4 digits — warnings are generated for shorter codes
✓Values above $100,000 trigger validation warnings

Common Mistakes

✗Missing item-level origin field — each item needs its own origin country
✗Providing hs_code with fewer than 4 digits — use at least 4 digits for accuracy
✗Forgetting doc_type — it determines which document template is generated

How to use it

Prepare shipment data

Collect shipper info, consignee info, item details (HS code, description, value, quantity, weight).

Generate documents

POST /api/v1/customs-docs/generate with the complete shipment data.

Download documents

The response includes structured document data for commercial invoice, packing list, and certificates.

Export as PDF

Use the /documents/pdf endpoint to convert document data into printable PDF format.

API Reference

POST/api/v1/customs-docs/generate

Request

{
  "shipper": {
    "name": "Acme Corp",
    "address": "123 Main St, Shanghai",
    "country": "CN"
  },
  "consignee": {
    "name": "US Buyer LLC",
    "address": "456 Oak Ave, New York",
    "country": "US"
  },
  "items": [
    {
      "hs_code": "6109.10",
      "description": "Cotton t-shirts",
      "value": 500,
      "quantity": 100,
      "weight": 25,
      "origin": "CN"
    }
  ],
  "destination": "US",
  "incoterms": "DDP",
  "currency": "USD"
}

Response

{
  "documents": {
    "commercial_invoice": {
      "invoice_number": "INV-2026-001",
      "total_value": 500,
      "items": [
        "..."
      ]
    },
    "packing_list": {
      "packages": 1,
      "total_weight": 25,
      "items": [
        "..."
      ]
    },
    "certificate_of_origin": {
      "origin": "CN",
      "certifier": "Self-certified"
    }
  },
  "timestamp": "2026-03-29T12:00:00Z"
}

cURL

curl -X POST https://potal.app/api/v1/customs-docs/generate \
  -H "X-API-Key: pk_live_your_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"shipper":{"name":"Acme Corp","country":"CN"},"consignee":{"name":"US Buyer","country":"US"},"items":[{"hs_code":"6109.10","description":"Cotton t-shirts","value":500,"quantity":100,"weight":25,"origin":"CN"}],"destination":"US"}'

Related Features

🌐Customs Forms

Auto-generate CN22, CN23, and customs declaration forms

🛠️PDF Reports

Generate PDF trade documents: invoices, packing lists, certificates

🌐Compliance Certificates

Generate compliance and origin certificates for customs clearance

🌐Pre-shipment Check

Comprehensive screening before shipping: cost + compliance

🌐ICS2 Pre-arrival

EU ICS2 pre-arrival safety and security declaration support

Having issues?

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