Sourcing glossary
Commercial invoice
Also known as: CI, Customs invoice
The seller's final invoice for a shipment, stating the parties, goods description, quantity, unit price, total value, currency and Incoterm, which customs uses to assess duty on import.
The commercial invoice is the core document of every import entry. Customs reads the declared value, product description and country of origin from it, so it must show the price you actually paid. Under-valued invoices, sometimes offered by Chinese suppliers "to save duty", expose the importer to penalties and seizure, not the supplier.
Make sure descriptions are specific ("women's knitted cotton sweater", not "garments"), that quantities match the packing list and bill of lading, and that the Incoterm is stated, because it tells customs which costs are included in the price. It is not the same as a proforma invoice, which is a quote issued before production. See how to calculate landed cost.
Related terms
Guides that use this term
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Is Your Order Too Small to Import from China? A Break-Even Test
Why 20 units or a US$100–500 budget rarely pays to import from China: per-shipment fixed costs, a simple break-even test, and six options for small buyers.
Updated 2026-10-19 · 7 min read
Compliance
Buying Branded Goods from China: Counterfeits, Trademarks and Customs
Why Chinese sellers offer 1:1 replicas, what customs does with counterfeit imports in the US, EU and South Africa, and the legal ways to sell branded or own-brand goods.
Updated 2026-10-19 · 8 min read
QC
Factory Audit in China: What It Checks, What It Costs and When to Order One
Factory audits in China: audit vs inspection, the five audit types, what the auditor checks on site, published cost per man-day, how to order one and read the report.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 7 min read
Suppliers
Is My Chinese Supplier a Scam? 12 Patterns and the Checks That Catch Them
The twelve supplier scams importers meet in China, from the bank-account switch to the vanishing deposit, the check that exposes each, and what to do if you already paid.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 8 min read
Suppliers
China's Biggest Wholesale Markets: What Each Sells and Which One to Visit
The wholesale markets that matter for importers, by product: Yiwu International Trade City, Guangzhou's clothing, bag and toy districts, Huaqiangbei, Keqiao and Guzhen.
Updated 2026-10-14 · 6 min read
Part of Tariffs & Compliance.