Sequence we follow

Cnf: the decision our desk makes at booking

On a Section 337 sample shipment to a US law firm, cnf is handled as a sequence rather than a single form. This is the order our compliance desk works through it.

First: the commercial invoice and packing list

Last comes the commercial invoice and packing list. We confirm it at the handover to the first carrier and note the outcome in the declaration worksheet. If the shipment is queried later, the answer is already in the file instead of being assembled from an email thread.

We log this in the declaration worksheet so the destination side reads the same version we do.

Then: the consignee and importer of record details

Cnf is checked against the consignee and importer of record details. On a Section 337 sample shipment to a US law firm, our compliance desk records the outcome in the declaration worksheet before the booking is confirmed, because a change after that point needs a carrier amendment. The destination broker receives that same version, not a later reconstruction.

Doing it here costs minutes; fixing it after departure costs days.

Finally: the insurance certificate where cover is arran

The second check is the insurance certificate where cover is arranged. We compare it against the commercial invoice and the booking confirmation; when the two disagree we hold the file and ask the shipper for a corrected copy. That is a short pause at origin and a much longer one at destination.

If a value changes at this point we reissue the file instead of sending a correction by email.

The failure point we see most often: The commercial invoice carries one description while the packing list carries another; the broker then has to ask which version is authoritative.

Have this ready before filing: Carrier schedule, cutoff times and the free-time terms at destination.

Keep the steps in this order and the record stays consistent from origin to delivery.

Questions importers ask us

Is this the same for air and ocean shipments?

The principle is the same but the cutoff is not. Air cargo is screened and built into a ULD hours before departure, while ocean files follow the shipping instruction cutoff, usually several days before sailing.

Can you quote this as part of a door-to-door rate?

Yes. Tell us the origin, destination and Incoterm and we will show the origin charges and destination charges on separate lines rather than folding them into one figure.

Can Hovmar review cnf for our next shipment?

Send the commercial invoice, packing list and intended routing before cutoff. Our Shenzhen desk will check the file and flag gaps while they are still easy to fix.

Where this fits in your shipment

Planning a shipment from Shenzhen?

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Notes from the Hovmar Logistics team in Shenzhen. Confirm current requirements with your licensed broker before filing.