Printable Version Commodity Description

The customs clearance process begins with the descriptions on the Air Waybill. By completing your Air Waybills carefully - and by taking special care to provide clear, accurate and detailed commodity descriptions - you will help us to reduce clearance and delivery times.

Unacceptably vague, ambiguous, inaccurate or incomplete descriptions may result in shipments being held in customs or rejected, leading to delays and possible penalties.

What is an acceptable description?

An acceptable description provides the precise information for customs to identify and verify the shapes, physical characteristics and packaging of each shipment. A good description needs to answer the following questions: What is it? How many? What is it made from? and What is its intended use?

Under customs regulations, general descriptions such as "electronics" are not detailed enough but descriptions of "CD players" or "computer monitors" are acceptable. Blank descriptions and vague, unhelpful expressions should be avoided, such as "general merchandise", "samples", "promotional materials", "parts" and "see commercial invoice". Look at the table below for examples.

Faster, easier shipping with FedEx

At FedEx we will do "whatever it takes" to ensure that your shipments are delivered on time. By completing your Air Waybills correctly and in line with customs regulations, you can help us to avoid any delays.

If you need assistance with completing your Air Waybills, or for any other information about our services please contact Customer Service.

As per customs request, please remember that the shipment descriptions on your Air Waybills must always be in English.

Poor description (vague and unacceptable)	Good description (specific and acceptable)
Caps	Baseball caps Bottle caps Hub caps
Docs/ Documents	Business Correspondence
Electronics	Laptop computers Mobile telephones
Flooring	Ceramic tiles Plastic flooring Wood flooring
Rubber articles	Rubber hoses Rubber conveyor belts
Wires	Electric wires Automotive harness
Spare Parts / Parts / Spares	Mechanical Parts for Printer, Drive Gear
Samples	Heaters for Domestic Cookers
Return Items	Scrap Circuit Boards Returned for Analysis
Sensors	Car Tire Pressure Sensors
Cd-rom	Internal PC Cd-Rom Unit
Charger	Cell Phone Charger and Adapter
Promotional Material	Pens, T-Shirt, PVC Shopping Bags
Dangerous Goods	Paint, Corrosive Chemicals
Personal Items	Peronal Use Only-Not for Resale100% Cotton Women's Shirt
See Invoice	Detailed Description of Goods Required
Various Items	Pens, Pencils, Post-Its, Paper Writing Tablets
Clothing	Men's 100% Wool Pants