19 CFR 141.86 — Contents of invoices and general requirements.

(a) General information required on the invoice. Each invoice of imported merchandise, must set forth the following information: (1) The port of entry to which the merchandise is destined; (2) The time when, the place where, and the person by whom and the person to whom the merchandise is sold or agreed to be sold, or if to be imported otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase, the place from which shipped, the time when and the person to whom and the person by whom it is shipped; (3) A detailed description of the merchandise, including the name by which each item is known, the grade or quality, and the marks, numbers, and symbols under which sold by the seller or manufacturer to the trade in the country of exportation, together with the marks and numbers of the packages in which the merchandise is packed; (4) The quantities in the weights and measures of the country or place from which the merchandise is shipped, or in the weights and measures of the United States; (5) The purchase price of each item in the currency of the purchase, if the merchandise is shipped in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase; (6) If the merchandise is shipped otherwise than in pursuance of a purchase or an agreement to purchase, the value for each item, in the currency in which the transactions are usually made, or, in the absence of such value, the price in such currency that the manufacturer, seller, shipper, or owner would have received, or was willing to receive, for such merchandise if sold in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities in the country of exportation; (7) The kind of currency, whether gold, silver, or paper; (8) All charges upon the merchandise itemized by name and amount, including freight, insurance, commission, cases, containers, coverings, and cost of packing; and if not included above, all charges, costs, and expenses incurred in bringing the merchandise from alongside the carrier at the port of exportation in the country of exportation and placing it alongside the carrier at the first United States port of entry. The cost of packing, cases, containers, and inland freight to the port of exportation need not be itemized by amount if included in the invoice price, and so identified. Where the required information does not appear on the invoice as originally prepared, it must be shown on an attachment to the invoice; (9) All rebates, drawbacks, and bounties, separately itemized, allowed upon the exportation of the merchandise; (10) The country of origin of the merchandise; and, (11) All goods or services furnished for the production of the merchandise (e.g., assists such as dies, molds, tools, engineering work) not included in the invoice price. However, goods or services furnished in the United States are excluded. Annual reports for goods and services, when approved by the Center director, will be accepted as proof that the goods or services were provided. (b) Nonpurchased merchandise shipped by other than manufacturer. Each invoice of imported merchandise shipped to a person in the United States by a person other than the manufacturer and otherwise than pursuant to a purchase or agreement to purchase must set forth the time when, the place where, the person from whom such merchandise was purchased, and the price paid therefor in the currency of the purchase, stating whether gold, silver, or paper. (c) Merchandise sold in transit. If the merchandise is sold on the documents while in transit from the port of exportation to the port of entry, the original invoice reflecting the transaction under which the merchandise actually began its journey to the United States, and the resale invoice or a statement of sale showing the price paid for each item by the purchaser, must be filed as part of the entry, entry summary, or withdrawal documentation. If the original invoice cannot be obtained, a pro forma invoice showing the values and transaction reflected by the original invoice must be filed together with the resale invoice or statement. (d) Invoice to be in English. The invoice and all attachments must be in the English language, or must have attached thereto an accurate English translation containing adequate information for examination of the merchandise and determination of duties. (e) Packing list. Each invoice must state in adequate detail what merchandise is contained in each individual package. (f) Weights and measures. If the invoice or entry does not disclose the weight, gage, or measure of the merchandise which is necessary to ascertain duties, the consignee must pay the expense of weighing, gaging, or measuring prior to the release of the merchandise from CBP custody. (g) Discounts. Each invoice must set forth in detail, for each class or kind of merchandise, every discount from list or other base price which has been or may be allowed in fixing each purchase price or value. (h) Numbering of invoices and pages —(1) Invoices. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, when more than one invoice is included in the same entry, each invoice with its attachments must be numbered consecutively by the importer on the bottom of the face of each page, beginning with No. 1. (2) Pages. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, if the invoice or invoices filed with one entry consist of more than two pages, each page must be numbered consecutively by the importer on the bottom of the face of each page, with the page numbering beginning with No. 1 for the first page of the first invoice and continuing in a single series of numbers through all the invoices and attachments included in one entry. (3) Both invoices and pages. Except when electronic invoice data are transmitted to CBP under the provisions of part 143 of this chapter, both the invoice number and the page number must be shown at the bottom of each page when applicable. For example, an entry covering one invoice of one page and a second invoice of two pages must be paginated as follows: Inv. 1, p. 1. Inv. 2, p. 2. Inv. 2, p. 3 (i) Information may be on invoice or attached thereto. Any information required on an invoice by any provision of this subpart may be set forth either on the invoice or on an attachment thereto. (j) Name of responsible individual. Each invoice of imported merchandise must identify by name a responsible employee of the exporter, who has knowledge, or who can readily obtain knowledge, of the transaction. [T.D. 73-175, 38 FR 17447, July 2, 1973, as amended by T.D. 79-221, 44 FR 46820, Aug. 9, 1979; T.D. 85-39, 50 FR 9612, Mar. 11, 1985; CBP Dec. 09-47, 74 FR 69019, Dec. 30, 2009]

Source: eCFR (Title 19, 2025 Annual Edition). Regulatory text is a U.S. government work. Verify against the official eCFR before relying on it. Not legal advice.

§ 141.86 Contents of invoices and general requirements.