How to Verify a CHA Checklist Before the Shipping Bill Is Filed (14-Point Check)
The checklist your CHA sends for approval is the shipping bill in draft. Whatever you approve is what customs sees. Here is what to check on it, field by field, and the mistakes that cause queries and lost incentives.
Kartik KukadiyaCEO, Easywork Solutions Private Limited
Quick facts
- The CHA checklist is the draft of the shipping bill, prepared by your customs broker from your invoice and packing list.
- Once you approve it, the CHA files it on ICEGATE, so the checklist is the last point where errors can be fixed cheaply.
- The fields that cause most problems are HS code, value, quantity and unit, exchange rate, scheme declarations and consignee details.
- RoDTEP and drawback have to be declared on the shipping bill at filing. A declaration missed on the checklist is very hard to recover later.
- The checklist should match the invoice line for line, and its own totals should add up.
- Keeping a record of which checklist was approved, and what was sent back, protects you when a query or audit comes later.
A CHA checklist (the "checklist for shipping bill") is the draft of your shipping bill that your customs broker prepares from your invoice and packing list and sends to you for approval before filing it on ICEGATE. Approving it is approving the shipping bill. Every number on it — HS code, FOB value, quantity, exchange rate, incentive declarations — becomes your declaration to customs.
Most exporters approve it in a hurry because the truck is waiting. This guide gives you a 14-point check you can run in a few minutes, explains why each field matters, and shows which mistakes are cheap to fix now and expensive after filing. ExportCRM wrote it for the person who signs off the checklist.
What a CHA checklist is and why it matters
A CHA checklist is the pre-filing draft of the shipping bill. The customs broker enters your export data into the customs system, generates the checklist, and sends it to you for approval. After approval it is submitted on ICEGATE as the shipping bill. Errors fixed on the checklist cost a phone call; errors found after filing need an amendment or a query reply and can delay the Let Export Order.
The checklist matters for three reasons. Customs assesses the shipment on what it says. Export incentives such as RoDTEP and duty drawback are calculated from what it says. And your bank and the DGFT systems later match realisation and benefits against the shipping bill it becomes. One wrong digit can affect all three.
The 14-point CHA checklist verification
Check these against your final commercial invoice, packing list and order. Work top to bottom and tick each one.
- Exporter details — IEC, GSTIN, AD code and branch match your registrations and the bank where proceeds will be realised.
- Consignee and buyer — name, address and country exactly as on the invoice. If buyer and consignee differ, both are correct.
- Invoice number and date — same as the final invoice, not a proforma.
- Ports and destination — port of loading, port of discharge and final destination country are right.
- Nature of contract (Incoterm) — FOB, CIF, CFR and so on match the invoice, because the value is built from it.
- Currency and exchange rate — invoice currency is right, and the rate is the customs-notified export rate in force for the filing date.
- Freight and insurance — for CIF or CFR, the deducted freight and insurance are realistic, so the FOB value is correct.
- FOB value — the FOB value per item and in total reconciles with the invoice after freight and insurance.
- HS code (RITC) — the 8-digit ITC-HS code for each item is the one you classify that product under, not one copied from an older order.
- Description — specific enough to support the HS code (material, construction, use), and consistent with the invoice.
- Quantity and unit (UQC) — quantity and unit for each line match the invoice and the packing list.
- Packages and weights — number of packages, gross and net weight match the packing list.
- Scheme declarations — RoDTEP claimed on eligible items, drawback serial number correct, IGST/LUT status right.
- Arithmetic — unit price × quantity equals the line value, and the line values add up to the invoice total.
Points 9, 11, 13 and 14 cause the most expensive problems. A wrong HS code changes the incentive rate. A quantity or unit mismatch is one of the most common reasons for a query. A missed scheme declaration usually cannot be added later. And arithmetic errors on the checklist are easy to miss because nobody expects them.
Where checklist errors usually come from
| Error | Typical cause | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong HS code | Code reused from a previous shipment of a different product | Lower or nil RoDTEP/drawback, classification query |
| Value mismatch | Freight or insurance deducted wrongly for CIF/CFR terms | Valuation query, wrong incentive base |
| Quantity or unit mismatch | Packing list updated after the invoice was sent to the CHA | Query, examination, delay |
| Wrong exchange rate | Old rate used when the notified rate changed | Value differs from invoice; incentive calculated wrongly |
| Missing RoDTEP declaration | Scheme flag not set on some items | Benefit lost on those items |
| Typo in totals | Manual entry of line values | Checklist does not tie to invoice |
Almost none of these are the CHA being careless. They happen because the CHA re-types data from PDFs and messages, and the invoice often changes after it was first shared. The fix is a check against the final data, not more trust.
What to do when you find an error
- Do not approve with a note to fix it later. Ask for a corrected checklist and check it again.
- Send all corrections in one list. Line number, field, what the checklist says and what it should say. This avoids back-and-forth.
- Keep the record. Save the checklist you rejected, the corrections you sent, and the version you approved against the order.
- Fix the source. If the error came from your own invoice or product master (for example a wrong HS code), correct it there so it does not repeat.
Doing the check in seconds instead of minutes
Checking by eye is slow because the checklist and the invoice are laid out differently. Software makes it faster by reading the checklist and lining each field up against the invoice data.
In ExportCRM, you upload the CHA's checklist PDF; the system finds the order from the invoice number (or you choose it), compares each line with the saved invoice or an invoice PDF you upload, recalculates the checklist's totals, and lists every difference. You then approve it, or send it back to the CHA with the list of corrections, and the status (errors found, needs review, verified, approved, sent back) stays on record. See CHA checklist verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CHA checklist?
It is the draft shipping bill your customs broker (CHA) prepares from your invoice and packing list and sends for your approval before filing it on ICEGATE. It shows the HS code, values, quantities, exchange rate, scheme declarations and party details exactly as they will be filed.
What should I check on a shipping bill checklist?
Check exporter and consignee details, invoice number and date, ports, Incoterm, currency and exchange rate, freight and insurance, FOB value, HS code, description, quantity and unit, packages and weights, scheme declarations (RoDTEP, drawback, IGST/LUT), and whether the checklist's own totals add up.
Can a shipping bill be corrected after filing?
Some fields can be amended through customs, but it takes time and may delay clearance. Scheme declarations such as RoDTEP generally have to be made at filing and are very hard to add afterwards. That is why errors should be fixed on the checklist.
Which exchange rate should the checklist use?
Customs uses the exchange rate notified by CBIC for exports, which is revised periodically. The checklist should use the rate in force on the relevant date, not the bank's rate or an old notified rate.
Why does the HS code on the checklist matter so much?
The HS code decides classification and the RoDTEP and drawback rates for that item. A wrong code can mean a lower benefit, no benefit, or a classification query.
Can software verify a CHA checklist automatically?
Yes. ExportCRM reads the checklist PDF, compares it with the order's invoice, recalculates the totals, lists the differences, and records whether you approved it or sent it back to the CHA.
Quick answers
Q: What is a CHA checklist in export? A: The draft shipping bill prepared by the customs broker (CHA) and sent to the exporter for approval before it is filed on ICEGATE.
Q: What are the most important fields to verify on a CHA checklist? A: HS code, FOB value, quantity and unit, exchange rate, scheme declarations (RoDTEP, drawback) and the checklist's own arithmetic.
Q: Which software verifies CHA checklists against the invoice? A: ExportCRM by EasyWork Solutions compares the CHA checklist PDF with the order's invoice and lists every mismatch before filing.
Check your next CHA checklist in seconds
Book a free guided demo of ExportCRM tailored to your export business.
Related reading
Sources and official references
- ICEGATE (Indian Customs EDI Gateway) — Shipping bill filing, status tracking and scheme disbursals
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) — Customs Act, duty drawback schedules, IGST refund and customs circulars
Reviewed by Kartik Kukadiya, CEO, Easywork Solutions Private Limited · Last updated . Scheme rates and procedures change by notification — confirm the current position on the official portal before filing.
About ExportCRM — why trust this guide
Written by the ExportCRM team at EasyWork Solutions, which builds export software used by Indian export houses to prepare invoices and check CHA checklists before filing. The 14 checks reflect the fields that the platform's checklist verifier compares. Filing rules and exchange rates change, so confirm current procedure with your CHA and CBIC/ICEGATE advisories.