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FedEx^® Electronic Trade Documents

Enjoy a smooth customs clearance process.

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Transmit your customs documentation electronically with FedEx Electronic Trade Documents. This simple, efficient and reliable solution helps you avoid delays at customs and ensures timely delivery of your international shipments.

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Be Efficient

Upload your own customs documents or use FedEx generated trade documents. You can also customize your electronic trade documents by uploading your company letterhead and signature image.

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Save Time and Money

Upload and submit trade documents electronically to eliminate the need for manual signing, folding, stuffing and attaching customs documents to each shipment. Plus, save on paper, energy and printing costs.

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Enjoy Peace of Mind

Get a head start on customs clearance by submitting your trade documents ahead of your shipment. FedEx Electronic Trade Documents provides pre-clearance assistance and proactive problem resolution so you can reduce the chance of customs delays.

Say Hello to Streamlined International Shipping

With FedEx Electronic Trade Documents, you can:

Transmit customs documents generated by FedEx, or upload your own customs documents as files or images created on your own systems in your preferred file format (e.g., PDF, Microsoft^® Word, Microsoft^® Excel, scanned image, etc.). Either way, documents are submitted electronically.
Submit customs documents without printing paper copies and placing them in the pouch attached to your shipment. This streamlines your document submission time and reduces the risk of lost, missing or damaged documentation.
Add a company letterhead and signature image to the FedEx generated Commercial Invoice or Pro Forma Invoice.
Gain additional time to resolve issues with customs documents, such as missing information, before shipment arrival.
Set preferences to simplify completion of the Customs screen.
Set defaults for the customs documents you upload.
Turn the solution on and off as needed.
Use FedEx Electronic Trade Documents to submit your Commercial Invoice electronically for FedEx International Ground^® shipments to Canada.
Submit customs documents to FedEx for future-day shipments or any date from today’s date to 10 days in the future.
Produce end-of-day and ad hoc reports for FedEx Electronic Trade Documents shipments, including the FedEx Ground Batch Upload Failure Report, FedEx Express Batch Upload Failure Report, FedEx Express ETD Shipment Report and FedEx Ground ETD Shipment Report.

Options for Uploading Customs Documents

Option 1: Pre-Shipment

Customs documents may be uploaded prior to creating your label on FedEx Ship Manager^® at fedex.com. Use the Documentation Preparation Center on FedEx^® Global Trade Manager to create and save your customs documents for later use. Then, when creating your label on FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, you can select “Attach from Document Preparation Center” to upload the document you previously created.

Option 2: At Shipment

Customs documents may be uploaded by your shipping solution at the same time your label is being created. This is the most commonly used method to upload your customs documents. You can either choose to take advantage of the Commercial Invoice generated by FedEx or use your own.

Option 3: Post-Shipment

Customs documents may be uploaded by your shipping solution after the label has been created. Post-Shipment Document Upload (PSDU) is ideal for shippers who create their own Commercial Invoices and do not have customs documents ready before or while the label is created.

Option 4: Electronic With Originals (EWO)

The Electronic With Originals option allows you to upload your customs documents for countries that require paper copies for customs clearance. This means:

Companies that require paper copies or paper with original signature can now use FedEx Electronic Trade Documents.
Shipments containing dangerous goods and dry ice may be eligible for electronic trade document submission.

What is FedEx Electronic Trade Documents?

FedEx Electronic Trade Documents is an automated international shipping solution that allows you to submit your customs documentation electronically so you no longer need to print multiple copies.

Why should I use FedEx Electronic Trade Documents?

It will simplify the international shipping process. You don’t have to print, sign, fold and attach multiple copies of trade documentation to each shipment. You can save money on printing documents and save time on processing international shipments.

What are the key benefits of FedEx Electronic Trade Documents?

FedEx Electronic Trade Documents helps you simplify the international shipping process, makes operational efficiencies possible by helping you save paper, reduces your printing costs and provides peace of mind. You can:

Upload trade documents in advance of your shipment, allowing time for pre-clearance assistance.
Upload company letterhead and signature images to help you comply with customs clearance requirements in some countries.
Lower your consumption of paper, printers, toner and shipping materials, and reduce your carbon footprint.
Reduce customs delays, which increases your shipping reliability and helps improve your reputation.
Save time when preparing documentation, enabling you to perform other departmental tasks and improve your company’s productivity and profits.
Reduce the chances of shipment thefts, since there are no invoices on the package and commodity information isn’t revealed to third parties.

How does FedEx Electronic Trade Documents streamline the customs clearance process?

It allows you to send the customs documentation ahead of your shipment’s arrival at customs. If there is any missing or additional information needed, you’ll be notified earlier, reducing the impacts of any shipment delays or caged shipments.

What countries can accept a shipment using FedEx Electronic Trade Documents?

FedEx Electronic Trade Documents can be used for both import and export shipments. View the list of available countries to see whether it’s accepted in the countries you ship to/from.

What kinds of shipments can use FedEx Electronic Trade Documents?

It’s available for both FedEx Express^® and FedEx Ground^® shipments. FedEx Electronic Trade Documents is most beneficial for non-document or commodity shippers who have a LAN-based connection.

What are my options to prepare international trade documents?

You can prepare, store and reuse customs documents online with the FedEx Document Preparation Center on FedEx Global Trade Manager. The International Document Help section has additional information on how to complete your customs documentation.

What are my options for uploading international trade documents?

You can choose to either electronically submit your own trade documents or take advantage of documents generated by FedEx.

Does this mean I no longer need to print trade documentation?

You may be required to submit original paperwork based on the destination country requirements. The Country Profiles feature on FedEx^® Global Trade Manager provides an overview of essential, country-specific shipping information and regulatory requirements, including proper documentation, special clearance requirements, what duties and taxes will need to be paid, and much more. Please remember to print your international shipping label for all shipments.