Packing List for Export: Weights, Volumes, Marks and Numbers
How to prepare an export packing list: net, gross and tare weights, VGM, volumes, shipping marks and numbering, with a full example and the checks banks make.
Key takeaways
- The packing list describes how the goods are packed: package by package, with contents, weights, dimensions and marks.
- Forwarders, carriers, customs, the buyer's warehouse, insurers and banks all use it, for different checks.
- Gross weight = net weight + packaging; the container's verified gross mass also adds the container tare.
- Totals of packages, weights and volume must agree with the invoice, the transport document and the certificate of origin.
- Under a letter of credit, any entity may issue it unless the credit says otherwise, but its data must not conflict with the other documents.
The packing list is the most practical document of a shipment. Nobody pays against it, yet the forwarder books space with it, the carrier plans stowage with it, customs pick packages to open with it, the buyer's warehouse counts the goods with it and, when a pallet goes missing, the insurer and the carrier settle the claim with it. A packing list with wrong weights or missing marks creates trouble at every one of these steps.
This lesson explains what a packing list must contain, how to calculate and present net, gross and tare weights and volumes, how the container's verified gross mass relates to it, how to number and mark packages, and how the packing list must agree with the invoice and the transport document — including under a letter of credit.
What is a packing list and who uses it?
A packing list is a document issued by the exporter that lists, package by package or by group of identical packages, what each package contains, how it is packed, its weight and dimensions and the marks that identify it. Unlike the commercial invoice, it normally shows no prices, which lets you hand it to forwarders and warehouses without disclosing your margins.
| User | What they use it for |
|---|---|
| Freight forwarder and carrier | Booking, choosing containers or trucks, load planning, the transport document |
| Export and import customs | Checking the declaration, selecting packages for physical inspection |
| Buyer's warehouse | Receiving and counting, storing, distributing to customers |
| Insurer and surveyor | Establishing what was lost or damaged in a claim |
| Banks | Checking consistency with the other documents when the credit requires a packing list |
What should a packing list contain?
| Field | Status | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Title, number and date | Mandatory | Usually the same reference as the invoice |
| Exporter and consignee | Mandatory | As on the invoice and transport document |
| Invoice and order references | Recommended | Links the packing list to the invoice |
| Transport details | Recommended | Mode, ports or places, vessel or flight, container and seal numbers |
| Package numbers | Mandatory | E.g. 1 to 40, each package with a unique number |
| Marks | Mandatory | The shipping marks painted or labelled on the packages |
| Type of package | Mandatory | Carton, bundle, crate, drum, bag, pallet |
| Contents of each package | Mandatory | Item, reference, quantity per package |
| Net weight per package and total | Mandatory | Goods only |
| Gross weight per package and total | Mandatory | Goods plus packaging |
| Dimensions and volume | Recommended | Length x width x height; total in cubic metres |
| HS code and origin | Optional | Useful when customs inspect by line |
| Special handling | Optional | Fragile, keep dry, temperature range, stacking limits |
| Signature | Recommended | Required by some customs and some credits |
Net, gross, tare and verified gross mass
| Term | Meaning | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Net weight | Weight of the goods without any packaging | Invoice, packing list, certificate of origin |
| Gross weight | Goods plus all packaging (cartons, pallets, strapping) | Packing list, transport document, export declaration |
| Tare | Weight of the empty container or vehicle | Container door, carrier records |
| Verified gross mass (VGM) | Gross weight of the cargo plus dunnage, securing material and container tare | VGM declaration to the carrier before loading |
Since 1 July 2016, SOLAS chapter VI, regulation 2 requires the shipper of a packed container to provide its verified gross mass to the carrier and terminal before loading, obtained either by weighing the packed container (method 1) or by weighing all packages and contents and adding the container tare (method 2, subject to national rules). The packing list is the basis of method 2, which is one more reason to weigh, not estimate.
Volumes, dimensions and why they matter
Volume determines what fits in a container or truck and, for many shipments, the freight price. Calculate each package's volume as length x width x height in metres and add them up. In LCL sea freight, carriers usually charge per 'weight or measure', where one cubic metre is compared with one tonne and the higher figure is charged. In air freight, the chargeable weight is the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight (see air waybill). Wrong dimensions therefore lead to wrong quotes and surcharges at the terminal.
Marks and numbers
Each package carries shipping marks that link it to the documents: usually the consignee's initials or name, the order or invoice reference, the destination, and the package number in the form '7/40'. Add handling symbols where needed. The marks on the packing list must be exactly those on the packages and, for containerised cargo, the bill of lading will show them together with the container and seal numbers. See export packaging and shipping marks for marking practice.
Worked example: steel pipes from Annaba to Abidjan
An Algerian pipe mill ships 760 welded steel pipes (OD 114.3 mm, wall 4.0 mm, length 6 m, HS 7306.30) to a distributor in Abidjan, in two 40-foot containers. Pipes are packed in hexagonal bundles of 19, strapped with steel bands. Each pipe weighs about 65.3 kg.
| Container / seal | Bundles | Pipes | Net weight | Gross weight | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGHU 765432-1 / seal 0458812 | 1 to 20 | 380 | 24,814 kg | 24,940 kg | 34.5 m³ |
| MSCU 908172-4 / seal 0458813 | 21 to 40 | 380 | 24,814 kg | 24,940 kg | 34.5 m³ |
| Total | 40 bundles | 760 pipes (4,560 m) | 49,628 kg | 49,880 kg | 69.0 m³ |
Each bundle: 19 pipes, net 1,240.7 kg, gross 1,247 kg, approximately 6.05 x 0.57 x 0.50 m. Marks: ABJ / SP-2026-061 / 1-40, with the bundle number on a metal tag. With a container tare of 3,750 kg, the VGM of each container is 28,690 kg, within the maximum gross weight shown on the container's CSC plate.
The invoice shows 760 pipes, 4,560 metres, net 49,628 kg and gross 49,880 kg; the bill of lading shows '2 x 40' containers said to contain 40 bundles steel pipes, gross weight 49,880 kg'; the certificate of origin repeats 40 bundles and the same weights.
How the packing list must agree with the other documents
Compare these totals before releasing any document:
- number and type of packages: packing list, invoice, transport document, certificate of origin, insurance certificate;
- gross weight: packing list, transport document, VGM declaration, export declaration;
- net weight: packing list, invoice, certificate of origin;
- marks, container and seal numbers: packing list, transport document;
- description: the packing list may describe goods in general terms, but not in terms that conflict with the invoice.
Under a letter of credit
Under UCP 600 and ISBP 821, a requirement for a packing list is met by a document that fulfils its function — giving information on the packing of the goods — whether titled 'packing list', 'packing note' or similar. Unless the credit names the issuer, any entity may issue it, and it need not be signed or dated unless the credit says so. What banks do check is that its data does not conflict with the invoice, the transport document and the credit. If the credit asks for a 'neutral' packing list, do not show your company name or the buyer's prices on it; if it asks for a 'detailed' packing list, give contents per package.
Common mistakes
- Estimated weights copied from a previous order instead of actual weights.
- Gross weight lower than net weight, or identical to it, when packaging clearly weighs something.
- Package numbering that does not run continuously, or two packages with the same number.
- Marks on the packing list that do not match the marks physically on the cargo.
- Totals that do not equal the sum of the lines.
- Forgetting container and seal numbers, which customs need to match the packing list with the manifest.
- A different number of packages on the packing list and the bill of lading because pallets were counted on one and cartons on the other. State both: '22 pallets containing 1,320 cartons'.
Putting it into practice
On Incoforms, the packing list is generated from the same goods lines as the invoice: cartons, quantities per carton, net and gross weights and volumes are calculated and totalled, and the same totals appear on the bill of lading, CMR and certificate of origin. It is numbered from the shipment reference and can be printed with or without prices, with your logo, signature and stamp.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a packing list and a commercial invoice?
The commercial invoice states what the buyer pays for: goods, prices and total. The packing list states how the goods are packed: number and type of packages, what each contains, weights, dimensions and marks. It usually shows no prices. Customs and carriers use the packing list for physical handling and inspections.
Is a packing list mandatory for export?
Most customs administrations, carriers and buyers expect one for any shipment of more than one package, and many letters of credit require it. Even when not legally required, it is the document customs use to select and check packages, so shipping without one invites delays.
What is the difference between net weight and gross weight?
Net weight is the weight of the goods alone, without packaging. Gross weight is the weight of the goods with all their packaging (cartons, crates, pallets, strapping). For a container, the verified gross mass also includes the container's tare weight.
Who should sign the packing list?
The exporter normally issues and signs it. Under a letter of credit, a packing list need not be signed or issued by a particular party unless the credit says so; if it requires a 'signed packing list' or one issued by a named party, follow the credit.