Practical notes on the rules and problems exporters meet in real shipments: who must register what, which documents and labels are needed, and how to avoid holds. Each note is checked against official sources.
Most customs holds come down to data: documents that disagree, descriptions customs cannot classify, values it doubts, or a missing filing, number or permit. The importer or its broker files the declaration, but the exporter produces most of the documents behind it, so both need them right before shipping.
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Under a letter of credit, the bank pays against documents, not against the goods, so the exporter is responsible for presenting documents that match the credit's terms and UCP 600. A single mismatched date, figure or wording can let the bank lawfully refuse to pay, even if the goods shipped exactly as agreed.
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →To sell food in the US, the foreign factory must be registered with the FDA and every shipment needs FDA prior notice before it arrives. The US importer must verify the supplier under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP).
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Every cosmetic product sold in Vietnam needs a notification receipt number from the Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV) before it goes on sale. The notification is filed by a Vietnamese company responsible for placing the product on the market, usually your importer or distributor, using your letter of authorisation and, in most cases, a Certificate of Free Sale (CFS).
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Cosmetics need no FDA approval before sale in the US, except color additives. Under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), the factory registers with FDA and the company named on the label (the responsible person) lists each product, reports serious adverse events and keeps safety evidence. Sunscreens follow OTC drug rules instead.
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Cosmetics sold in the EU fall under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Before sale, a Responsible Person established in the EU must hold a safety-assessed product file and notify the product in the free CPNP portal. For imported goods this is the importer or an EU person it appoints in writing.
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Cosmetics sold in Japan fall under the PMD Act. A Japanese company with a cosmetics marketing licence (the Marketing Authorization Holder, MAH) notifies each product to its prefecture before sale and is legally responsible for it. No pre-approval is needed if the formula meets the Standards for Cosmetics and the label lists all ingredients in Japanese.
Checked against official sources: 2026-09
Read the note →Each note summarises the official rules (laws, regulators and customs authorities) as checked on the date shown, lists its sources and points out recent changes. The notes are practical guidance, not legal advice.
Solved a customs hold, a registration or a labelling problem? Tell us what happened and how you fixed it at the end of any note. With your permission we may add it to the note, without your name or company.
Triplicate is free and keeps getting better. Found it useful? Support Triplicate ♥