israeli-export-shipping-kit

name	israeli-export-shipping-kit
description	Generate the full export document set for Israeli exporters: commercial invoice (HE+EN), packing list, bill of lading / AWB / CMR, proforma, and origin documents (EUR.1, invoice origin declaration, US-Israel Origin Invoice Declaration, CIFTA Form B239). Use when user asks about exporting from Israel, Incoterms (FOB, CIF, DDP, EXW), EUR.1 certificate, approved exporter status, US-Israel FTA certificate of origin, commercial invoice template, or packing list. Do NOT use for import calculations (use israeli-customs-duty-calculator) or domestic VAT bookkeeping (use il-invoice-organizer).
license	MIT
compatibility	Works with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, OpenCode, Codex, Antigravity, Gemini CLI. Python 3.8+ for helper scripts.

Israeli Export Shipping Kit

Problem

Shipping a product out of Israel triggers a paperwork chain: commercial invoice, packing list, transport document (B/L, AWB or CMR), and an origin proof matched to the destination's FTA (EUR.1 for EU/UK, US Origin Invoice Declaration for the USA, Form B239 for Canada). Getting any of these wrong delays clearance or denies preferential duty. Exporters also routinely pick the wrong Incoterm and end up absorbing freight or insurance they meant the buyer to pay.

Instructions

Step 1: Choose the Incoterm

Incoterms 2020 (ICC) defines 11 three-letter trade terms. Pick once and write it on every document alongside the named place.

Mode	Code	Name	Seller delivers until...
Any	EXW	Ex Works	Buyer collects at seller's premises
Any	FCA	Free Carrier	Seller hands goods to buyer's carrier
Any	CPT	Carriage Paid To	Seller pays freight to named destination
Any	CIP	Carriage and Insurance Paid To	Like CPT, seller also buys insurance
Any	DAP	Delivered at Place	Seller delivers, buyer unloads
Any	DPU	Delivered at Place Unloaded	Seller delivers AND unloads (replaced DAT)
Any	DDP	Delivered Duty Paid	Seller pays import duty and clears
Sea	FAS	Free Alongside Ship	Alongside the vessel at named port
Sea	FOB	Free on Board	On board the vessel
Sea	CFR	Cost and Freight	Seller pays sea freight, risk transfers at loading
Sea	CIF	Cost Insurance and Freight	CFR plus marine insurance

Rule of thumb:

• FOB/CFR/CIF are for bulk sea cargo only. Do not use them for containers or air freight; use FCA/CPT/CIP.
• Avoid EXW with international buyers unless the buyer explicitly handles export clearance from Israel.
• DDP is risky for small exporters: you become responsible for Israeli export formalities AND foreign import clearance.

Step 2: Draft the commercial invoice

Required fields (bilingual HE + EN is recommended for Israeli customs):

• Exporter (shipper): Israeli business name, address, VAT ID, phone, email
• Consignee (buyer): full name, address, country, tax/VAT ID
• Invoice number and date
• Purchase order / buyer reference
• Incoterm + named place (e.g. "FOB Haifa" or "DAP Berlin")
• Country of origin (Israel, for goods wholly or substantially produced in Israel)
• Item lines: description (HE + EN), HS code, quantity, unit price, total
• Currency (USD, EUR, GBP or ILS)
• Totals: subtotal, freight, insurance, total invoice value
• Declaration of origin (when claiming FTA preference, see Step 4)
• Exporter signature, stamp, printed name

Israeli exports are zero-rated for VAT: the standard rate is 18 percent, but exports carry a 0 percent rate. The invoice must still show the VAT line explicitly as 0 for the Tax Authority. The 0 percent rate under Section 30(a)(1) of the VAT Law is CONDITIONAL on proof that the goods actually left Israel: keep the customs export entry (רשימון יצוא) and the transport documents on file. Without that proof the Tax Authority can deny the 0 percent and assess VAT at 18 percent.

Step 3: Build the packing list

• Same header as the invoice (exporter, consignee, invoice number)
• Per-package: package number, dimensions, gross weight, net weight
• Per-item per-package: quantity, description, HS code
• Marks and numbers (visible on the cartons)
• Total number of packages, total gross weight, total net weight

Step 4: Produce the origin document matched to the destination

Destination	Document	Who signs	Notes
EU (27)	EUR.1 movement certificate	Israeli Customs stamps the form	Wet-ink signature required; for shipments up to 6000 euros an invoice declaration by any exporter is accepted. Box 7 and every invoice declaration MUST state the place + postal code where origin processing happened (see Gotchas)
EU (27), repeat shipper	Invoice declaration (any value)	Approved exporter	Approved-exporter status granted by Israeli Customs
United Kingdom	EUR.1 movement certificate (or invoice declaration up to 6000 euros)	Israeli Customs / exporter	UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, in force 1 January 2021
United States	US Origin Invoice Declaration	Exporter or manufacturer	Printed and signed on the commercial invoice; Green Form (Form A) retired January 10, 2018 (see references/origin-declaration-template.md for Israel-to-US wording)
Canada	Form B239 (CIFTA CO)	Exporter	Modernized CIFTA in force September 1, 2019; certificate valid 4 years
EFTA, Mercosur, Turkey, Ukraine	EUR.1 movement certificate	Israeli Customs	Same EUR.1 form, different tick-box
UAE	EUR.1 / origin declaration per the CEPA protocol	Israeli Customs / exporter	UAE-Israel CEPA in force 1 April 2023
South Korea	Origin declaration per the KIFTA protocol	Exporter	Korea-Israel FTA (KIFTA) in force 1 January 2023
Vietnam	Origin proof per the VIFTA protocol	Exporter / Israeli Customs	Vietnam-Israel FTA (VIFTA) in force 17 November 2024
Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, Jordan	Origin proof per each bilateral protocol	Per the agreement	Israel also has in-force FTAs with these countries (Guatemala 1 March 2024)

Israel has free trade agreements in force with the EU, USA, EFTA, Canada (CIFTA), Mercosur, UK, Turkey, Ukraine, Jordan, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, South Korea (KIFTA), the UAE (CEPA) and Vietnam (VIFTA). Check the exact origin-document type and rules of origin in the specific agreement before shipping; the table above lists the most common ones.

See references/eur1-application-guide.md for the EUR.1 fields and pitfalls, and references/origin-declaration-template.md for invoice declaration wording.

Step 5: Attach the transport document

Transport mode	Document
Sea	Bill of Lading (B/L) - issued by the carrier or NVOCC
Air	Air Waybill (AWB) - issued by the airline or freight forwarder
Road (to a neighboring country or via a land border)	CMR consignment note per the CMR Convention
Courier (DHL, UPS, FedEx)	Waybill issued by the courier

The transport document must match the Incoterm: under FOB the buyer chooses the carrier and receives the B/L, under CIF the seller buys the freight and may be on the B/L as shipper.

The export entry itself is filed electronically with Israeli Customs through the "Sha'ar Olami" (שער עולמי) system. In practice the freight forwarder or customs broker submits this declaration on the exporter's behalf, drawing on the commercial invoice, packing list, and origin document the exporter provides.

Step 6: Optional documents

• Proforma invoice: sent before shipment, used for advance payment or import license in the destination country.
• Certificate of Inspection (SGS / Bureau Veritas): required by some destination buyers for government tenders.
• Health certificate / phytosanitary certificate: for food, plants, cosmetics.
• Fumigation certificate: for wood pallets under ISPM-15.
• Insurance certificate: for CIF / CIP shipments.

Step 7: Generate the set with the helper script

scripts/generate_invoice.py takes a JSON input (seller, buyer, items, Incoterm) and outputs a bilingual commercial invoice and packing list in markdown, ready for review before you lock the final PDF.

python scripts/generate_invoice.py --input sample_order.json --output invoice.md

Examples

Example 1: EU shipment of 12000 euros to Germany

User: "I am shipping 12000 euros of industrial pumps to Germany. What do I need?"

Actions:

1. Incoterm: negotiate CIP Berlin (paid insurance, road/sea via a forwarder).
2. Commercial invoice HE + EN showing origin Israel, HS code per pump, zero VAT.
3. Packing list with per-carton breakdown.
4. EUR.1 movement certificate stamped by Israeli Customs. Wet-ink signature.
5. Bill of Lading or FCR/AWB from the forwarder.
6. Insurance certificate (required by CIP).
7. Reminder: the value exceeds 6000 euros, so an invoice declaration is NOT enough unless the exporter has approved-exporter status.

Example 2: US shipment of 3000 USD to California

User: "I am sending 3000 USD of cosmetics to a US distributor."

Actions:

1. Incoterm: DAP Los Angeles (door delivery, buyer imports).
2. Commercial invoice HE + EN, zero VAT, full HS codes.
3. Packing list.
4. US Origin Invoice Declaration printed and signed on the invoice. No separate certificate.
5. AWB from the courier.
6. Ensure that Israeli content + direct processing costs meet the 35 percent value-added rule.

Example 3: Small EU shipment under 6000 euros

User: "I am sending 4500 euros of leather goods to Poland."

Actions:

1. Incoterm: DAP Warsaw.
2. Invoice + packing list.
3. Under the 6000 euros threshold, an invoice origin declaration by any exporter is accepted; no EUR.1 needed.
4. Add the declaration wording (see references/origin-declaration-template.md).

Bundled Resources

Scripts

• scripts/generate_invoice.py -- Renders a bilingual commercial invoice and packing list from JSON input (seller, buyer, items, Incoterm). Run: python scripts/generate_invoice.py --help

References

• references/incoterms-2020.md -- Full breakdown of all 11 Incoterms 2020 rules with seller / buyer responsibility tables.
• references/eur1-application-guide.md -- Field-by-field guide to filling and stamping an EUR.1 in Israel.
• references/pem-2026-rules.md -- Current status of the revised PEM Convention and Israel's unratified position.
• references/origin-declaration-template.md -- Exact wording for the US-Israel, EU, UK and CIFTA invoice declarations.

Recommended MCP Servers

MCP	Why	URL
boi-exchange	Converts the Israeli exporter's invoice to USD, EUR or GBP at the Bank of Israel daily rate	https://agentskills.co.il/mcp/boi-exchange

Gotchas

• Agents confuse Incoterm letters. FOB is sea-only; use FCA for container shipments. CIF is sea-only; use CIP for air or multimodal.
• Israel has NOT ratified the revised PEM Convention (in force from 1 January 2025 between the EU and ratifying PEM parties; 2025 a transition year, full application 1 January 2026). Israeli exporters and EU importers must continue using the 2012 rules and the same EUR.1 form they used before. This also means an Israeli EUR.1 is valid for 4 months from issuance (the 2012 rule), NOT the revised-PEM 10-month window.
• EUR-MED certificates are retired under the revised PEM regime and are no longer issued. Never request one.
• EU-Israel Technical Arrangement: to win EU preference, EUR.1 Box 7 and every invoice declaration MUST state the name of the city, village or industrial zone AND the postal code where the origin-conferring processing took place. Goods produced in Israeli settlements in territories brought under Israeli administration since June 1967 are NOT entitled to preferential treatment. Since 16 May 2023 the EU enforces this with import code Y864. A EUR.1 or invoice declaration missing the place + postal code is rejected at the EU border. See references/eur1-application-guide.md.
• An electronic signature on an EUR.1 is rejected by Israeli Customs. Plan time for the original stamped form to travel with the shipment.
• The 6000 euros threshold for an invoice declaration applies to the total invoice value, not per line. A 5999 euros shipment can skip EUR.1; a 6001 euros one cannot (unless the exporter is approved).
• US-Israel FTA requires a SIGNED declaration on the commercial invoice, not a separate certificate. The old hard-copy Green Form (Form A) has not been used since January 10, 2018.
• This skill builds shipping paperwork; it does NOT determine whether goods need an export license. Controlled goods are a separate regime: defense and military items fall under the Defense Export Control Agency (אגף הפיקוח על היצוא הביטחוני) at the Ministry of Defense, and civilian dual-use items fall under the Export Control Agency at the Ministry of Economy and Industry. If the product could be military, dual-use, or otherwise controlled, the exporter must check licensing with the relevant agency before shipping. Do not rely on this skill for that determination.

Reference Links

Source	URL	What to check
ICC Incoterms 2020	https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/	Authoritative text of the 11 rules
US-Israel FTA (Trade.gov)	https://www.trade.gov/us-israel-free-trade-agreement	Origin declaration wording, 35 percent rule
US-Israel CBP page	https://www.cbp.gov/trade/free-trade-agreements/israel/certificate-origin-requirements	US importer-side compliance
CIFTA rules of origin	https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d11/d11-5-6-eng.html	Form B239, 4-year validity, modernized 2019
EU-Israel trade page	https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/israel_en	EU-Israel Association Agreement, PEM status
EU code Y864 (Access2Markets)	https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/news/new-code-y864-goods-imported-eu-preferential-origin-israel-16-may-2023	EU-Israel Technical Arrangement, place + postal code, 1967 territories, code Y864
Israel FTAs in force (overview)	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_trade_agreements_of_Israel	Full list of Israel's FTAs and entry-into-force dates
Revised PEM (Access2Markets)	https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/content/rules-origin-revised-pan-euro-mediterranean-convention	Israel-unratified status, EUR-MED retirement
UK-Israel TPA	https://www.gov.uk/guidance/summary-of-the-uk-israel-trade-and-partnership-agreement	Post-Brexit UK preference, EUR.1 acceptance
Israel Tax Authority	https://www.gov.il/en/departments/israel_tax_authority	Zero-rated export VAT rules
Bank of Israel exchange rates	https://www.boi.org.il/en/economic-roles/financial-markets/exchange-rates/	Daily USD/EUR/GBP to ILS rate for invoicing

Troubleshooting

Error: "EUR.1 rejected at the EU border"

Cause: Electronic signature, missing Israeli Customs stamp, or incorrect box 4 (country / group of countries).

Solution: Request a fresh EUR.1 with a wet-ink signature and a physical Israeli Customs stamp. For repeat shipments, apply for approved-exporter status with Israeli Customs to switch to invoice declarations.

Error: "US buyer says the origin declaration is invalid"

Cause: Missing signature, missing 35 percent origin calculation, or the declaration placed on a non-commercial document.

Solution: Print the exact US Origin Invoice Declaration wording on the commercial invoice, shipping list or proforma invoice. The exporter or manufacturer must sign manually. Keep the value-added calculation on file in case CBP requests verification.

Error: "Freight forwarder says my Incoterm is impossible"

Cause: FOB or CIF chosen for air freight, or DDP chosen without clearing authority in the destination country.

Solution: For air or multimodal, switch FOB/CFR/CIF to FCA/CPT/CIP. For DDP, confirm with the buyer that you have a local tax registration or a fiscal representative in the destination, otherwise switch to DAP.