Packing Declaration Generator
A packing declaration tells quarantine authorities what your goods are packed in and how that packing was treated. It is about the packaging rather than the cargo — pallets, crates, dunnage and the container itself — because untreated timber carries pests, and that is what biosecurity agencies are looking for.
We declare that any solid wood packing material used in this consignment, shipped in container , has been treated and marked in accordance with ISPM 15, is bark free, and is free from live pests, soil, plant and animal material.
We further declare that the container and its contents are free from soil, seeds, plant residue, animal material and any other quarantine-risk contamination, and that the container was inspected and found clean prior to packing.
Your entries are kept as you move between documents — the parties, ports, container and line items carry across.
Timber packaging and ISPM 15
Solid wood packaging used in international trade generally must be heat treated or fumigated and stamped with the ISPM 15 mark. The declaration states whether timber was used and, if so, that it complies. Plywood, particle board and other processed materials are manufactured in ways that already destroy pests, so they are usually treated as compliant without the stamp.
Container cleanliness
Australia and New Zealand in particular ask whether the container is free of soil, plant material, seeds and pests. Containers that previously carried agricultural cargo are the usual problem. A container that fails inspection at destination is offloaded and cleaned at the importer's cost, and the delay is measured in days rather than hours.
Get it from whoever packed the goods
The declaration describes physical facts about the packing, so it should be made by whoever did the packing. Where a third-party warehouse or consolidator packed the container, ask them for the timber treatment details rather than assuming. Signing a declaration about packaging you never saw is the common way this goes wrong.
Want a blank one to complete by hand? Download the packing declaration template →
Exporters
Issue the invoice, packing list and origin paperwork for a shipment in one sitting, without re-keying the consignee address four times.
Freight forwarders
Produce a clean set of documents for a client who sent you a spreadsheet, and hand back PDFs that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the particulars you already hold, without waiting on the shipper's software licence.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the shipment once, every document fills in | Yes | Re-key per document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| PDF built in your browser | Yes | Upload, then download |
| Works before you create an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+What is ISPM 15?
An international standard for treating wood packaging so it does not carry pests. Compliant timber is heat treated or fumigated and marked with a stamp showing the country, the treatment and the facility. Most countries require it for solid wood packaging.
+Do I need a packing declaration if I use plastic pallets?
You may still need the declaration, but it will state that no timber packaging was used. Declaring the absence of timber is a valid and common answer, and it is often the quickest route through quarantine.
+Which countries require one?
Australia and New Zealand are the strictest and the ones exporters meet most often. Many other countries enforce ISPM 15 without requiring a separate declaration document, relying on the stamp itself.
+What happens if the declaration is wrong?
The container is typically held, inspected and, if untreated timber is found, fumigated or re-exported at the importer's cost. Because the charges land on the importer, this is a fast route to a commercial dispute as well as a delay.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
The generator on this page is the product, prefilled and editable. Fill it in and download the finished PDF — then decide.
Create a packing declaration