Every cross-border sale moves on paper. These are the ten documents you will encounter first, in the order they usually appear: what each one is and what it is for. Templates are not available yet; the descriptions are meant so you recognise each document when a counterpart, a bank or customs asks for it.
LOI
Letter of Intent
A non-binding letter in which a buyer states its interest in purchasing a product under outlined conditions — quantity, indicative price, timing. It opens the negotiation and lets the supplier reserve capacity or request an export permit without a signed contract.
LoR
Letter of Request
A formal request for a quotation or for specific information: specifications, availability, price for a defined quantity and Incoterm. It is the document behind a serious first enquiry and the basis on which the supplier issues a proforma invoice.
L/C
Letter of Credit
A commitment from the buyer's bank to pay the seller once the seller presents the documents the credit specifies (bill of lading, invoice, certificate of origin, etc.), within a deadline. It protects both parties: the buyer pays only against documents; the seller is paid by a bank, not by a stranger.
Export permit
An authorisation issued by the exporting country's authority for goods subject to control: food and agricultural products, chemicals, dual-use items, cultural goods. Whether it is needed depends on the product and destination; check before quoting, because obtaining it can take weeks.
Trade references
A short list of customers or suppliers with whom the company has traded, with a contact person who can confirm it. Counterparts and credit insurers ask for them before the first operation. Two or three references in the target region are worth more than ten elsewhere.
Product catalogue
The technical description of what you sell: specifications, packaging, shelf life where relevant, certifications, HS code. A good catalogue answers the buyer's questions before they are asked and is the basis for classifying the goods at customs.
PI
Proforma invoice
A preliminary invoice the seller issues before the sale is concluded: product, quantity, unit price, Incoterm, currency, payment terms and validity. It is not a request for payment; the buyer uses it to open a letter of credit, obtain an import licence or arrange foreign currency.
PL
Packing list
An itemised list of what is physically in the shipment: number of packages, contents of each, net and gross weight, dimensions, marks. Customs, the forwarder and the insurer use it to check the cargo against the invoice; it does not carry prices.
EUR.1
Certificate of origin (EUR.1)
A document certifying the country of origin of the goods. The EUR.1 movement certificate is the form used under the EU's preferential trade agreements: with it, the importer pays a reduced or zero duty. It is issued or endorsed by customs or a chamber of commerce, on the basis of the rules of origin of the agreement.
EUDR
EUDR due-diligence statement
Under the EU Deforestation Regulation, products such as coffee, cocoa, soy, palm oil, cattle, wood, rubber and their derivatives may only be placed on the EU market with a due-diligence statement showing the plot of origin (geolocation) and that the product is deforestation-free and legally produced. Exporters supply the data; the EU operator files the statement.
Downloadable templates and worked examples will follow. Until then, ask your chamber, freight forwarder or bank for the version they use: each one has its own.