Preparing Shipper's Letters of Instruction manually is time-consuming and error-prone, requiring careful attention to export control regulations, customs requirements, and freight forwarder authorizations. A single mistake in ECCN classification, valuation, or EEI filing authorization can result in shipment delays, regulatory penalties, or customs holds that cost thousands in demurrage fees.
Preparing a compliant Shipper's Letter of Instruction requires navigating complex export regulations, precise commodity classifications, and multiple regulatory frameworks. Manual drafting takes hours, risks costly errors in export control classifications, and creates compliance vulnerabilities that can result in penalties, shipment delays, or denied export privileges.
CaseMark automates SLI creation by extracting data from your shipping documents, applying current export regulations, and generating comprehensive instructions that satisfy U.S. Census, BIS, and customs requirements. Our AI ensures accurate party identification, proper export control classifications, and complete compliance certifications in minutes instead of hours.
This workflow is applicable across multiple practice areas and use cases
Corporate counsel for manufacturing and distribution companies regularly prepare SLIs for international shipments as part of routine export operations and supply chain management.
Manufacturing companies with international operations need compliant export documentation for cross-border transactions, making this workflow essential for in-house legal teams managing trade compliance.
M&A due diligence requires review of export compliance documentation and SLI records to assess regulatory risk and verify proper customs procedures for companies with international operations.
Acquiring companies with import/export operations necessitates examination of trade compliance documentation to identify potential liabilities and ensure target companies maintain proper export controls.
Asset purchases involving inventory or equipment transfers across borders require proper SLI documentation to ensure compliant international movement of purchased assets.
Cross-border asset transactions require export documentation and customs compliance, particularly when physical goods are transferred internationally as part of the purchase agreement.
A Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI) is a formal document that authorizes a freight forwarder to arrange international transportation and prepare export documentation on behalf of the shipper. It serves as both a contractual authorization and a compliance instrument under U.S. export control laws. The SLI is required because it establishes the legal relationship between shipper and forwarder, provides essential information for Electronic Export Information filing, and creates a compliance record demonstrating adherence to export regulations. Customs authorities and carriers rely on the SLI to verify shipment details and regulatory compliance.
A compliant SLI must include complete legal identification of the shipper, consignee, and freight forwarder with full addresses and contact details. It requires detailed commodity descriptions sufficient for tariff classification, Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers, commercial values, quantities, and weights. Export control classifications (ECCN, USML category, or EAR99 designation) must be specified along with license numbers or exemption citations. The document must include EEI filing instructions, comprehensive authorization language empowering the forwarder to act on the shipper's behalf, and detailed compliance certifications regarding accuracy, export control compliance, and denied party screening.
CaseMark incorporates current Export Administration Regulations, International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and Foreign Trade Regulations requirements into every generated SLI. The system validates export control classifications against current Commerce Control Lists, checks for required license disclosures, and ensures proper EEI filing language based on shipment characteristics. CaseMark includes all mandatory compliance certifications, applies correct regulatory citations for exemptions, and structures the document to satisfy both U.S. Census Bureau statistical requirements and customs documentation standards. The AI continuously updates its regulatory knowledge base to reflect the latest compliance requirements.
Yes, CaseMark can generate SLIs for shipments requiring export licenses under either EAR or ITAR. When you upload an export license document, CaseMark extracts the license number, validates it against the commodity description, and incorporates the proper license citation into the SLI. The system ensures that the commodity description matches the licensed items, includes all required license conditions and provisos, and generates appropriate certification language confirming that the shipment is authorized under the specified license. For ITAR-controlled defense articles, CaseMark applies the heightened documentation standards and includes all required State Department license references.
CaseMark identifies discrepancies between uploaded documents and flags them for your review before generating the final SLI. The system cross-references party names, addresses, commodity descriptions, values, and quantities across commercial invoices, packing lists, and purchase orders to detect inconsistencies. When conflicts are found, CaseMark alerts you to the specific discrepancy and requests clarification about which information is correct. This validation process prevents the creation of an SLI with internal contradictions or information that conflicts with other shipping documents, thereby avoiding customs holds and compliance issues that arise from documentary inconsistencies.