Packing List — Simple Generator
Minimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
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| Item # | Description | Qty | Unit | Pkgs | Pkg Type | Gross Wt (KG) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
About this document
A simple packing list records what is in a shipment, how many packages it fills and what it weighs. It leaves out the HS codes, per-item dimensions and marks that a detailed list carries. That makes it the right choice for a straightforward consignment and the wrong one where customs or a bank will scrutinise the paperwork.
When the short version is enough
Samples, spare parts, courier shipments and goods moving between two parts of the same company rarely need a full itemised list. What the consignee actually checks is whether the right number of boxes arrived, and whether the weight matches the airway bill. Adding columns nobody reads makes the document harder to check. It is not more rigorous.
When to use the detailed list instead
Move up to the detailed packing list when a letter of credit is involved, when the goods are split across containers, or when customs at destination is likely to open the shipment. Anything that will be reconciled line by line against a commercial invoice benefits from HS codes and per-line weights, because the officer doing the reconciling has no other way to match them.
It still has to agree with the invoice
Short does not mean approximate. The quantities on the packing list and the commercial invoice are read together, and a shipment invoiced for 500 pieces and packed as 480 is stopped regardless of how simple the paperwork is. The packing list is also what the freight forwarder plans stowage from, so the weights need to be real rather than estimated.
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Keep building your document set
- Commercial InvoiceGoods, values and payment details.
- Packing List — DetailedPackages, weights and dimensions.
- Certificate of OriginThe declared origin of your goods.
- Bill of LadingShipper, consignee and cargo details.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionInstructions for your freight forwarder.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe verified weight of a packed container.
Questions
+What is the difference between a simple and a detailed packing list?
The simple version records contents, package counts and weights. The detailed version adds HS codes, per-item dimensions, marks and numbers, and package types. Both are valid packing lists. The detailed one exists for shipments that will be inspected or financed.
+Does a packing list need prices?
No, and it usually should not have them. Prices belong on the commercial invoice. Keeping them off the packing list is deliberate. The packing list often travels with the goods where anyone handling them can read it.
+Is a packing list required by customs?
In most countries, yes, alongside the commercial invoice. Even where it is not strictly mandatory, shipping without one slows clearance, because the officer has no independent check on what the invoice claims.
+Who prepares the packing list?
The exporter, usually at the point of packing, since that is the only moment the actual contents and weights are known. Preparing it from the order rather than from what was packed is how discrepancies get built in.
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