Invoice and Packing List

Always work with a Foreign Buying Office who will assist with invoicing, packing, shipping and payments.

Tender the shipment to The Neiman Marcus Group's Freight Forwarders/Customs Brokers. 

Follow the invoice and packing list guidelines in this document for the merchandise to be delivered quickly without shipping and clearing delays.

• Submit one copy of the documents to the Foreign Buying Office for review.
• Submit one copy of the documents with the original CITES, if required, to the freight forwarder to accompany the shipment.

Invoice Requirements

1. Print one invoice for all the merchandise in the shipment for each department.  The invoice must be written in English and include a detailed description of each article in the shipment.
2. The vendor’s commercial invoice must always state the following:

• Purchase order number(s)
• Department number
  • An invoice may list multiple purchase order numbers but only one department number.  Prepare a separate invoice for each department in the shipment.
• Vendor's and buyer's style number, color, size, quantity, unit of measure and gender: men’s, women's or children’s
• The manufacturer's factory name and address to determine the Manufacturer Identification Code (MID).  The MID code is a mandatory requirement by U.S. Customs.
• Country of origin of the article
• Invoice currency
• Payment terms
• For apparel, state the following:
  • Fiber content based on the weight composition
  • Garments are knit or woven
  • For knitted items, state the number of stitches per linear centimeter
  • State the value of each piece in a set.  The combined values of the pieces must equal the total value of the set.
• If the merchandise contains any animal or plant product, the following must be stated on the commercial invoice:
  • Common name
  • Scientific name, Genus and species
  • Country of origin of the species
  • Source, raised in captivity or captured in the wild
• State the number of cartons in the shipment
• State the accounts payable address:

3. Every item of wearing apparel must have a label disclosing the country of origin, fiber content name, name of manufacturer, and the fabric care instructions.  The information on the label must be consistent with the information provided on the vendor’s commercial invoice and must be written in English.  For additional information, see U.S. Government and State Regulations: Labeling Requirements

4. Supporting documents must be provided with the commercial invoice, if applicable:

• Original CITES Permit (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species).  The CITES permit, issued by the Wildlife Authority in the country of export, must be obtained BEFORE the goods are shipped to the United States.
• Failure to obtain the CITES permit can result in the seizure of the merchandise by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  If a vendor does not obtain an accurate CITES for a shipment, the vendor will be responsible for any fines and penalties assessed by the U.S. Government.
• An Interim Footwear Declaration (IFI) form is required for shipments of shoes.  The document should state specifics of the manufacturing process and composition.
• Documents required for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stating the contents of foodstuff, items used for serving food and beverages, cosmetics and bath and body products.
• Documents required for the Lacey Act, identifying wood and the composition of wooden components of products in the shipment.

Packing Lists

1. Merchandise must be packed by store and department.  A carton can only contain merchandise for a single store and a single department.
2. A packing list must be printed for each store, by carton and include the following information: 

• Be written in English.
• State the purchase order(s) and department number
• State the vendor's and buyer's style number
• Give a complete description of the goods
• State the sizes
• State the color description and the manufacturer numeric color code
• State the quantities for each style and for the total number of pieces shipped
• List the sequential carton number on each packing list
• List the contents of each carton
• State the gross weight and net weight of each carton
• State the carton measurements
• List the manufacturer’s name and address
• State the packing list number and date
• Sequentially number pages of the packing list  (Example:  1/3, 2/3, 3/3)
• State the store number and alpha code or name as follows: