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Export Documents

The United States is the UK's largest single export market by value. Millions of pounds of British goods — food and drink, clothing, homeware, publishing, tech, and more — cross the Atlantic every year, most of them via courier or air freight. The documentation requirements for US exports are different from EU exports in several important ways, and getting them right from the start avoids clearance delays and additional costs at the US border.

The Core Documents for US Exports

Commercial invoice. The commercial invoice is the primary document for US customs clearance. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has specific requirements for what the invoice must contain — more prescriptive in some respects than EU requirements:

• Full name and address of the seller (UK exporter) and buyer (US importer)
• Detailed description of the goods — sufficient for CBP to classify them. "Clothing" is not sufficient; "women's woven cotton blouses, long sleeve" is.
• HTS (Harmonised Tariff Schedule) code — the US equivalent of the UK commodity code. Note that the US uses a 10-digit HTS code which differs from the UK's commodity code in its last four digits; confirm the correct US code for your goods.
• Country of origin — where the goods were manufactured
• Declared value in US dollars
• Quantity and unit of measure
• Currency of transaction

There is no equivalent of the TCA supplier's declaration for US exports — the US has no free trade agreement with the UK. Origin is simply declared on the commercial invoice and used by CBP to assess any applicable duties.

Packing list. Required alongside the commercial invoice. Must match the invoice item for item — quantities, weights, and descriptions should be consistent. See what a packing list must include for the full field list.

Air Waybill (AWB) or Bill of Lading. The transport document issued by the carrier. For air freight and courier shipments, this is the Air Waybill. CBP uses this to track the shipment through the clearance process.

The $800 De Minimis Threshold

The United States applies a de minimis threshold of $800 — the highest of any major economy. Shipments with a declared customs value below $800 enter the USA duty-free and with minimal documentation requirements. For many small UK sellers, particularly those selling through platforms like Etsy, eBay, or Shopify, the majority of individual orders fall below this threshold.

Below $800: CBP processes the entry informally (Section 321 entry). No formal import declaration is required; the carrier handles clearance using the commercial invoice and AWB. No import duty is charged.

Above $800: A formal CBP entry is required, filed by a licensed US customs broker on behalf of the importer. Import duty is assessed at US rates. There is no free trade agreement between the UK and USA, so UK goods pay standard US tariff rates (Column 1 MFN rates). For most consumer goods, these are low — often 0–12% — but vary significantly by product.

FDA Registration for Regulated Products

If your goods fall under US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation, additional requirements apply before your shipment can enter the USA:

• Food and beverages: your facility must be registered with the FDA, and prior notice of shipment must be filed before the goods arrive. Unregistered food shipments are refused entry.
• Cosmetics: currently subject to FDA registration requirements under the Modernisation of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) for facilities and products.
• Dietary supplements: subject to FDA manufacturing and labelling requirements; US-specific compliance is required.
• Medical devices: require FDA 510(k) clearance or other regulatory pathway before sale in the USA.

Standard consumer goods — clothing, homeware, jewellery, stationery, most tech accessories — are not FDA-regulated and do not require registration. If you're unsure whether your product is regulated, check the FDA's product-specific guidance before shipping.

Certificate of Origin: Not Required for Most US Exports

Unlike Middle East exports — where a formal Chamber of Commerce certificate of origin is typically required — the USA does not routinely require a certificate of origin for most standard commercial goods. Country of origin is simply declared on the commercial invoice. A formal certificate may be requested for specific goods or circumstances, but it is not a standard requirement for UK exports to the US.

This makes US export documentation simpler than some other major markets in terms of origin certification. The complexity is instead in the commercial invoice requirements (particularly the HTS code and value in USD) and any FDA registration obligations for regulated product categories. See the full guide to which export documents you need for how US requirements compare to EU and Middle East.

When to Use a US Customs Broker

For shipments above $800, your US buyer will need a licensed US customs broker to file the formal entry. For consumer goods sold direct-to-consumer at lower values, the courier typically handles clearance using the Section 321 de minimis process. If you're selling B2B to US businesses at higher values, or shipping regular commercial volumes, your US buyer should have a customs broker relationship — but as the UK exporter, you still need to provide accurate documentation for the broker to work with.

For high-value, complex, or regulated goods, working with a UK freight forwarder experienced in US trade is strongly recommended for your first shipments. ClearDocs generates correctly structured commercial invoices and packing lists — the core documents that every US shipment needs, regardless of value.