Packing List — Detailed Template
A packing list tells everyone downstream what is physically in the shipment: how many packages, what each one weighs, what is inside it, and how it is marked. The consignee checks the delivery against it, the freight forwarder plans stowage from it, and customs uses it alongside the commercial invoice to verify that the declared goods are the goods present.
| Item # | Description | Qty | Unit | Net Wt (KG) | Gross Wt (KG) | Dims (CM) | Pkgs | HS Code | Marks & Numbers | Pkg Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parties, ports, container and line items carry across every document.
What belongs on a packing list
Per line: a description, the quantity and unit, the number of packages and their type, net and gross weight, and the marks and numbers stencilled on the outside of the cartons. Dimensions and volume matter when the forwarder is planning a consolidation. An HS code is not strictly a packing-list field, but including it saves your broker cross-referencing back to the invoice.
Net weight, gross weight and tare
Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus their packaging. Tare is the packaging by itself, the difference between the two. Carriers bill on gross, customs sometimes assesses on net, and a packing list that reports one where the other was expected causes a reweigh. If you state all three they cannot be confused.
Marks and numbers
These are the identifiers painted or labelled on the outside of each package: the consignee reference, a lot letter, the destination port, and handling symbols. They are how a warehouse finds your forty cartons among four thousand. Keep them short, keep them consistent with what is actually on the boxes, and repeat them on the packing list exactly.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the packing list — detailed generator →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a packing list — detailed, field by field →
Exporters
Make the invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for a shipment in one go, without typing the consignee's address four times.
Freight forwarders
Turn a client's spreadsheet into a clean set of documents that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the details you already have.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the details once for every document | Yes | Retype for each document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| Download formats | PDF, Excel, Word | PDF only |
| Try it without 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 a packing list in international shipping?
A shipping document that itemises the contents of a consignment: descriptions, quantities, weights, dimensions and package counts, line by line. It is used by customs authorities, freight forwarders and the consignee to verify and process the cargo. It carries no prices. That is the commercial invoice's job.
+Is a packing list required for customs clearance?
In most countries, yes. Customs brokers use it alongside the commercial invoice and the bill of lading to verify contents, determine duties and release the shipment. Even where it is not strictly mandatory, shipping without one slows clearance because the officer has no independent check on the invoice.
+What is the difference between a packing list and a commercial invoice?
The packing list details physical contents and packaging: quantities, weights, dimensions. The commercial invoice states the financial terms: unit prices, total value, payment terms and Incoterms. Both are required in international trade and they must agree on quantities.
+Do I need an HS code on my packing list?
Not always legally required, but strongly recommended. HS codes help customs classify goods accurately, which speeds clearance and reduces the risk of an incorrect duty assessment. If they are on the invoice already, repeating them costs nothing.
+Should the packing list go inside the shipment or with the documents?
Both. One copy travels in a document wallet on the outside of a nominated carton so the receiving warehouse can check off the delivery, and one goes with the shipping documents to the broker. Losing the physical copy is common. Losing both stalls the delivery check.
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Create a packing list — detailed