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The packing list is the document that describes the physical shipment: how many pieces, packed how, weighing what, marked how. Customs uses it to verify what arrives against what was declared. Warehouses use it to check receipts. Insurers use it after a loss. It is the least glamorous document in the file and the one that stops the most containers.
What it must contain
- Shipper and consignee, matching the commercial invoice
- Invoice number and date, so the two documents tie together
- Total number of packages and the type: cartons, pallets, crates, drums
- Contents of each package, with quantities
- Net weight and gross weight per package and in total
- Dimensions per package, and total volume
- Marks and numbers as they physically appear on the cargo
- Container and seal number, where known at the time of issue
Prices do not belong on a packing list. Value lives on the commercial invoice, and mixing the two creates problems when the consignee's customer sees a document they were not meant to see.
What US customs asks for
For goods entering the United States, 19 CFR 141.86 puts the packing detail on the invoice side. Each invoice must state in adequate detail what merchandise is contained in each individual package, and it must carry the marks and numbers of the packages. Quantities are stated in the weights and measures of the exporting country or of the United States, and when the invoice or entry does not disclose the weight or measure needed to ascertain duties, the consignee pays for weighing and measuring before CBP releases the goods. A packing list that gives the contents of each package therefore satisfies a customs requirement that the invoice would otherwise have to meet on its own.
Piece count is the field that matters
Everything else can be approximate in appearance. The piece count cannot. When a consolidator receives cargo at the warehouse it tallies pieces, and that tally goes onto the house bill and into the manifest. If your list says 40 cartons and the tally says 38, the manifest reports 38, the invoice says 40, and the entry has a discrepancy that has to be explained before release.
The cargo declaration CBP receives through AMS carries weights and piece counts, and for containerized cargo it lists each bill of lading against the container number and the seal number (19 CFR 4.7a). The piece count on the packing list is the source for that line. See AMS filing for ocean freight for the filing deadlines.
On consolidated containers this affects everyone in the box, which is why consolidators check tallies carefully and why shipments with sloppy documentation get less flexibility on cut-offs.
Weights: net, gross and verified
Net weight is the goods. Gross weight is the goods plus packaging plus pallet. Both belong on the list. For full containers, the verified gross mass of the packed container is a separate SOLAS requirement submitted before loading, and it has to be consistent with what your documents claim. The limits and the VGM obligation are covered in container weight limits.
Weight on the export filing
For goods leaving the United States, the Electronic Export Information requires the shipping weight in kilograms under 15 CFR 30.6. The shipping weight includes the weight of the commodity and of normal packaging such as boxes, crates and barrels, and it is required for exports by air, vessel, rail and truck. For containerized vessel cargo the filing also carries the container number and the seal number. The shipping weight on the filing is the gross weight on the packing list expressed in kilograms, so the list has to state it in kilograms or in a unit that converts cleanly. The filing citation goes to the carrier at least 24 hours before loading (19 CFR 192.14).
Marks and numbers
Shipping marks link the paperwork to the boxes on the floor. They should appear on the cargo and on the list identically, and they should include the house bill or order reference. Cargo arriving at a consolidation warehouse without visible marks cannot be matched to a shipper, because a warehouse handling several shippers' freight has no other way to identify yours.
Country of origin marking
Marks for the paperwork are different from the origin mark on the goods. Under 19 CFR 134.11, every article of foreign origin, or its container, imported into the United States must be marked legibly, indelibly and permanently with the English name of the country of origin, unless a legal exception applies. The packing list states the origin of each line so the warehouse can check the marking before the goods ship.
Wood packaging and pallets
Wooden pallets, crates and dunnage are regulated as cargo even when the goods inside are not. For imports into the United States, wood packaging material has to be treated in accordance with 7 CFR part 305 and carry a permanent mark approved by the International Plant Protection Convention, in a visible location on each article and preferably on at least two opposite sides (7 CFR 319.40-3). The mark includes a unique graphic symbol, the ISO two-letter code of the country that produced the wood packaging, and a unique number and treatment code. Put pallet type and treatment mark on the packing list. A missing or illegible mark is checked at the port, not at your dock. The rules are explained in ISPM 15 wood packaging requirements.
Formatting that helps the people who use it
One line per package type with a running total, not a wall of text. A summary block at the top: total packages, total net weight, total gross weight, total volume. A separate line for pallets if they are being shipped as part of the load. If the shipment is multi-container, a list per container. These are not customs requirements, they are the difference between a document that is used and one that is retyped.
| Pkg | Type | Contents | Qty | Net kg | Gross kg | L x W x H cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-20 | Carton | Stainless steel fittings | 2,000 | 360 | 400 | 60 x 40 x 40 |
| 21-24 | Pallet | Ceramic tile, 40 boxes each | 160 boxes | 3,600 | 3,760 | 120 x 100 x 100 |
| Total | 3,960 | 4,160 | 24 packages | |||
The table is a layout example, not a shipment. The totals row is what the consolidator, the broker and the exporter's filing agent read first, so it is where arithmetic errors do the damage.
Dangerous goods lines
When part of the shipment is hazardous material, the packing list lines for those packages have to match the shipping paper. The shipping description under 49 CFR 172.202 states the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class and packing group, followed by the total quantity by mass or volume and the number and type of packages, for example "12 drums". Limited quantity packages carry the words "Limited Quantity" or "Ltd Qty" after the basic description (172.203(b)). Write the same quantity and package type on the packing list, so the dangerous goods declaration and the list tell the same story. The class-by-class rules are in dangerous goods by ocean.
When the list and the cargo disagree
- Short count. The CFS tally is lower than the list. The house bill reports the tally and the invoice reports the list, so the entry carries a discrepancy.
- Weight difference. The consolidator reweighs at the CFS and bills on its own figure. Our guide to chargeable weight shows how that figure is set.
- Unmarked cargo. The warehouse cannot match the piece to a shipper and holds it.
- Different description. The list says "tile" and the invoice says "ceramic floor tiles". Use the same words on both and on the manifest.
Timing: send it at booking
The packing list feeds three filings with deadlines counted from loading. The ocean carrier's cargo declaration is due at CBP 24 hours before the cargo is laden at the foreign port (19 CFR 4.7(b)(2)). The importer security filing carries the same 24-hour deadline for seller, buyer, manufacturer, ship-to party, country of origin and commodity number, and the container stuffing location and consolidator are due 24 hours before arrival at a US port (19 CFR 149.2). For goods leaving the United States, the export filing citation goes to the carrier 24 hours before loading. A packing list sent after the container is stuffed misses all three, so the document is issued when the cargo is booked and updated when the count changes. See ISF filing requirements for the importer side.
FAQ
Is a packing list legally required?
Customs, carriers and consolidators all expect one, and letters of credit call for it. For US imports, 19 CFR 141.86 requires the invoice to state what each package contains, which the packing list supplies. The destination country's customs authority sets its own rule.
Should prices appear on the packing list?
No. Values belong on the commercial invoice. The packing list describes the physical shipment.
What is the difference between net and gross weight?
Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight includes packaging and the pallet. The export filing reports shipping weight, which is the commodity plus normal packaging, in kilograms.
Does the packing list need to match the invoice exactly?
The parties, references, descriptions and quantities must agree. Discrepancies between the two are a standard trigger for customs questions.
Who issues the packing list?
The shipper. A forwarder can format it, but the content has to come from whoever packed the goods.
Do wooden pallets need to be on the packing list?
Yes. State the pallet type and the treatment mark. US import rules require wood packaging to carry the IPPC-approved mark and to be treated under 7 CFR part 305.
When should the packing list be issued?
At booking, and again whenever the piece count or weight changes. The cargo declaration and the ISF are due 24 hours before loading, and both draw on the same counts, weights and descriptions.
What happens if the CFS count is lower than the list?
The manifest reports the CFS tally while the invoice reports the list, so the entry carries a discrepancy that has to be explained before CBP releases the cargo. Correct the list or locate the missing pieces before the vessel sails.
Shipping consolidated cargo where documentation errors are expensive? Send us your document set and we will check it against the lane.
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