Engineering goods are one of India's biggest export lines. Free Press Journal reported that engineering exports rose 21% to $12.2 billion in September 2026. For a small machine shop, an export order brings a new kind of risk: the parts can be perfect and the shipment can still be held because the documents do not match.

Here are the three documents you will meet first, and how to keep them consistent.

1. Proforma invoice: the offer

A proforma invoice is sent before the sale is final. It tells the buyer what they will pay and on what terms.

It usually shows:

  • Seller and buyer details
  • Product description, quantity and unit price
  • Estimated total value and currency
  • Incoterms (for example FOB or CIF), shipping method, origin and destination
  • Payment terms and how long the offer is valid

Buyers use it to confirm costs, arrange payment or a letter of credit, and sometimes to apply for import permits. The key word is estimated: terms can still change.

2. Commercial invoice: the final record

The commercial invoice is the official record of the confirmed sale. Customs uses it to assess value, duties and taxes, and compares it with the packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, purchase order and payment data.

It usually shows:

  • Exporter and importer details, invoice number and date
  • Tax or registration details where required
  • Full description of goods, HS code and country of origin
  • Quantity, unit price, total value and currency
  • Incoterms and payment terms
  • Gross and net weight
  • Signature or stamp where required

3. Packing list: what is physically in the boxes

The packing list describes how the goods are packed, so carriers, warehouses and customs can physically identify and check the cargo.

It usually shows:

  • Shipper and consignee, and the invoice or shipment reference
  • Product description
  • Number and type of packages, carton or pallet numbers
  • Gross and net weight, dimensions and volume
  • Shipping marks and special handling notes

The mismatches that hold shipments

  • Quantities or weights that differ between the invoice and the packing list
  • Vague product descriptions that make classification hard
  • A wrong HS code, or a wrong consignee or notify party
  • Missing Incoterms or country of origin
  • An invoice value or part number that does not match the customer's PO
  • Currency mismatches
  • A proforma used as the final customs document
A simple rule: build all three from the customer's PO, not from memory or from last month's file. The PO's part numbers, revision, quantity, price and Incoterms should appear the same way on every document.

Documents for the quality side

Export customers in engineering often ask for more than trade documents:

  • Certificate of Conformance (CoC): your signed statement that the parts conform to the PO and drawing.
  • Material test certificates that match the grade and standard on the drawing.
  • Inspection reports for the lot, sometimes with each shipment.

Keep the part number, drawing revision and lot or heat number consistent across these and your commercial documents. A mismatch in one makes the customer question all of them.

How SpecReview helps

SpecReview builds a commercial invoice, proforma, packing list and CoC from the customer's PO, so part numbers, quantities and terms carry across consistently. You review and edit before anything is sent. It also produces the quality plan and layout inspection plan from the drawing, so the quality documents line up with the trade ones.