Export Documentation Cost Calculator — Export Compliance Cost

Calculate the true cost of export documentation per shipment. EEI filing, certificates of origin, letter of credit documents, and compliance labour — know your true export overhead.

Quick answer: Export documentation cost: $50–$200 for simple shipments, $300–$800 for LC transactions with multiple documents. Automating export docs reduces cost by 50–70% vs manual processing.

📄 Export Documentation Cost Calculator

Monthly Export Shipments

% Requiring EEI Filing (AES)

Required for exports over $2,500 / licensed goods

EEI/AES Filing Cost ($)

In-house or 3rd party per filing

% Requiring Certificate of Origin

Certificate of Origin Cost ($)

% with Letter of Credit

LC Documentation Cost ($)

Bill of lading, inspection cert, bank handling

Admin Time Per Shipment (mins)

Admin Hourly Rate ($)

Doc Cost Per Shipment

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Admin Labour Per Shipment

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Annual Export Doc Cost

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How to Use This Calculator

Enter monthly export volume — total international export shipments per month.
Set document percentages — EEI required for exports over $2,500 or licensed goods. CO depends on destination country FTA requirements.
Enter admin time — all time spent on export paperwork per shipment — document preparation, review, and transmission.

Worked Example

40 exports/month, 80% EEI at $35, 60% CO at $25, 20% LC at $250, 45 min admin at $28/hr.

EEI: $28
CO: $15
LC docs: $50
Admin: $21
Total/shipment: $114
Annual: $54,720

Export management software (Amber Road, OCR, Shipping Solutions) reduces admin time by 50–70%, saving $15,000–$25,000/year at this volume while improving compliance accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Electronic Export Information (EEI) via the Automated Export System (AES) is required for: shipments over $2,500 per Schedule B number, any export requiring an export license, items controlled under EAR/ITAR, and shipments to certain restricted destinations. Penalties for non-filing: up to $10,000/violation.

Commercial invoice and packing list (almost always). Bill of lading or air waybill. EEI/AES filing. Certificate of Origin (for FTA duty preference). Shipper's Letter of Instruction (SLI). For LC: additional documentation required per the LC terms (inspection certificates, phytosanitary certificates, etc.).