The quick answer
Go to Setup > Accounting > Shipping, open the Preferences subtab, check International Shipping under Carrier Basics and click Submit. Then reopen the item. Without that preference, an inventory item's Manufacturing group on the Purchasing/Inventory subtab only offers Manufacturer, MPN and Manufacturer Country, even when the item form has the other fields set to show. With it on, the same item also shows Producer, Manufacturer Address, Manufacturer City, Manufacturer State, Manufacturer Zip, Manufacturer Tax Id and Manufacturer Tariff. They're native fields, so you don't need custom fields for customs data. In this example, Torque Wrench TW-250 gets its manufacturer's address in Brno, tax ID CZ27481935 and tariff code 8204110030.
The screenshots show sample data. The company, user, item and manufacturer names are fictional. Use your own item and manufacturer details when following the steps.
Before you start
Kestrel Tool Works imports Torque Wrench TW-250 from Vltava Forge Works in the Czech Republic. Customs paperwork for that kind of shipment asks who made the goods, where the manufacturer is, the manufacturer's tax ID and the tariff classification. The item already has the manufacturer's name, MPN and country. There was nowhere to put the rest. If you still need to set up the item itself, start with creating an inventory item.
You need a role that can open Set Up Shipping and edit items. This example uses Administrator. International Shipping is an account-wide preference, so check with whoever owns your shipping setup before you change it.
International Shipping is one of the shipping preferences that need the Shipping Label Integration feature. Check that it's enabled under Setup > Company > Enable Features, on the Transactions subtab, before you start. It was already on in this example, so the walkthrough doesn't show that page. Menu paths can differ by role and account configuration.
01. Check the item's manufacturer fields
Go to Lists > Accounting > Items and open Torque Wrench TW-250. On the Purchasing/Inventory subtab, the Manufacturing group shows Manufacturer Vltava Forge Works, MPN VFW-TW250 and Manufacturer Country Czech Republic. Supply Chain Future Horizon and Preferred Location sit in the same group in this account, but there's no field for the manufacturer's address, tax ID or tariff code.
02. Rule out the item form
A missing field usually means the form hides it, so check that first. Go to Customization > Forms > Entry Forms. Export Inventory Item Form is the preferred inventory item form in this account. Click Edit next to it.
Open the Fields subtab, then Purchasing/Inventory. Manufacturer Address 1, Manufacturer City, Manufacturer State, Manufacturer Zip, Manufacturer Tax Id and Manufacturer Tariff are all in the Manufacturing field group, with Show checked and Display Type Normal. Producer is set the same way.
The form is fine, so click Cancel without changing anything. Show makes a field eligible to appear. A standard field that depends on a feature or preference still stays off the item until that's turned on.
03. Turn on International Shipping
Go to Setup > Accounting > Shipping. The Set Up Shipping page opens. Click the Preferences subtab. Under Carrier Basics, International Shipping is cleared.
Check International Shipping and click Submit. The setting applies to the whole account, not one item.
04. Reopen the item
Go to Lists > Accounting > Items and open Torque Wrench TW-250 again. If the item was already open in another tab, open it again from the list rather than working in the old page. The Manufacturing group now also has Producer, Manufacturer Address, Manufacturer City, Manufacturer State, Manufacturer Zip, Manufacturer Tax Id and Manufacturer Tariff. Nothing on the form changed.
On the form, the address field is listed as Manufacturer Address 1. On the item it's labeled Manufacturer Address.
05. Enter the manufacturer's customs details
Click Edit. In the Manufacturing group, enter:
- Manufacturer Address: 14 Kovarska Street
- Manufacturer City: Brno
- Manufacturer State: South Moravia
- Manufacturer Zip: 60200
- Manufacturer Tax Id: CZ27481935
- Manufacturer Tariff: 8204110030
Manufacturer Tariff holds the item's HS or HTS code, usually 4 to 15 characters. Enter it without decimal points. Your carrier or the destination country can have stricter rules. This example leaves Producer cleared. Check it when your company is the producer of the item for the USMCA certificate of origin.
Click Save.
06. Check the saved item
The item opens in view mode. On Purchasing/Inventory, the Manufacturing group shows Vltava Forge Works, VFW-TW250 and Czech Republic, together with 14 Kovarska Street, Brno, South Moravia, 60200, Tax Id CZ27481935 and Tariff 8204110030.
That's where this walkthrough stops. The values are now on the item, where supported international shipping and customs document processes can use them. Whether a particular document, such as a commercial invoice or certificate of origin, picks them up depends on your carrier integration and the document you choose on the fulfillment. Saving them doesn't create a document, and a carrier can still reject an invalid tariff code later.
If a field is still missing after International Shipping is on, your account may use a different item form. Open that form's Fields > Purchasing/Inventory list and check Show and Display Type for the field.
Common questions
Why does my NetSuite item only show Manufacturer, MPN and Manufacturer Country?
International Shipping is off. Producer, Manufacturer Address, City, State, Zip, Tax Id and Tariff belong to that preference, so the item doesn't draw them, even when the item form has them set to show. Turn it on in Set Up Shipping and reopen the item.
Where is the International Shipping preference in NetSuite?
Go to Setup > Accounting > Shipping, click the Preferences subtab and look under Carrier Basics. Check International Shipping and click Submit. It needs the Shipping Label Integration feature, and it applies to the whole account.
Why are fields checked to show on my item form missing from the item?
Show on the form only matters once the field is available in the account. The manufacturer customs fields depend on International Shipping, so they stay hidden until it's on, whatever the form says. If one is still missing after that, check the form's Display Type for it and make sure you're looking at the item through that form.
Do I need custom fields for customs information on items?
Not for the manufacturer's address, tax ID, country or tariff code. NetSuite has native fields for those, and shipping features read the native fields, not custom ones. Build a custom field only for data NetSuite doesn't have a field for, like a broker reference.
What is the Producer checkbox on a NetSuite item?
It records whether your company is the producer of the item for a certificate of origin, such as the USMCA certificate. It doesn't change the manufacturer fields. Torque Wrench TW-250 is made by another company, so Producer stays cleared in this example.
What is the difference between Manufacturer Tariff and Schedule B?
Manufacturer Tariff holds the item's HS or HTS tariff code for customs documents. Schedule B is a separate item field for US export reporting. Filling one doesn't fill the other, so enter Schedule B separately if your exports need it.
Which documents use these manufacturer fields?
They're there for international shipping and customs documents, such as commercial invoices and certificates of origin. Saving them on the item doesn't create a document. Whether a document picks them up depends on your carrier integration and the international documents you choose on the fulfillment.
Do these fields work on item types other than inventory items?
They should also be available on other physical items, such as assemblies, kits and non-inventory items for sale or resale, but not on service items. This walkthrough only shows an inventory item, so open one of your other item types and check its Manufacturing group.