| name | shippers-letter-of-instruction |
| title | Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI) |
| description | Drafts a U.S.-focused Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI) authorizing a freight forwarder, capturing EEI/AES filing intent, and documenting export-control classifications. Use when drafting SLIs, authorizing forwarders, preparing EEI/AES filings, or documenting ECCN/ITAR/EAR99 classifications for international exports. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/shippers-letter-of-instruction |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | sanctions |
| language | en |
Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI)
Produces a compliance-ready SLI that authorizes the forwarder and aligns export data across commercial invoices and government filings.
Prerequisites
Collect before drafting:
- Parties — legal names, addresses, contacts for shipper (USPPI), consignee, forwarder, intermediate consignee
- Shipment — Incoterms, routing, ports, carrier, dates, insurance
- Commodities — descriptions, part/model numbers, qty, UoM, weights, packaging
- Classification — Schedule B/HS codes, ECCN/ITAR/EAR99 status, license or exemption basis
- Valuation — invoice value, currency, valuation basis
- Screening — restricted party/end-use results, red-flag findings
Quick Start
Draft the SLI in nine sections. Each section maps to a block in the output.
- [ ] Header
- [ ] Party table
- [ ] Shipment details
- [ ] Commodity table
- [ ] Export control classification
- [ ] EEI/AES filing
- [ ] Authorizations
- [ ] Certifications
- [ ] Signature block
Output Sections
1. Header
- Document title, internal reference number, preparation date
- Cross-reference to invoice/PO/packing list
2. Party Table
| Role | Fields |
|---|
| Shipper (USPPI) | Legal name, address, contact, EIN/DUNS |
| Consignee | Legal name, address, contact, importer ID |
| Forwarder | Legal name, address, contact |
| Intermediate Consignee | Legal name, address, contact (if any) |
3. Shipment Details
Incoterms (year), routing, port of export/destination, carrier/mode, ship date, insurance (Y/N + coverage), special handling/hazardous.
4. Commodity Table
Per line item: description (commercial + technical), part/model, HS/Schedule B, qty/UoM, net weight, gross weight, value.
5. Export Control Classification
Per line item: ECCN, license required (Y/N), license number, ITAR/USML category (if any), EAR99 (Y/N).
6. EEI/AES Filing
- Filing responsibility:
Forwarder or Shipper
- Authorization statement (verbatim when forwarder files): "The shipper hereby designates and authorizes the freight forwarder named herein to act as our forwarding agent for export control and customs purposes, including preparation and filing of EEI in AES using our USPPI information and the shipment details provided."
