Export Packing List Template Generator
Build a shipping packing list with marks and numbers, package counts, kinds of package, HS codes, quantities, net and gross weights, dimensions and an editable exporter signature block.
Your consignment details stay in your browser. Fill the form, check the preview, then print or save as PDF.
This is the export document, not a travel checklist. It carries physical detail — what is in which package — and it carries no prices.
Build an export packing list in your browser
Enter exporter, consignee, notify party, route, container and package detail. Every line takes marks, package count, package kind, description, HS code, quantity, net weight, gross weight and dimensions. The preview updates live and prints cleanly.
No consignment data leaves your browser. The draft is stored locally on your device when browser storage is available.
A quantity document, deliberately
Freight forwarders read this document to work out weights and freight cost. Customs officers read it to check the contents of one carton without unpacking a whole container. Neither job needs a price, so this generator has no money fields at all.
Source: International Trade Administration, Packing List Overview, trade.gov (checked 14 August 2026).
Which Export Document Does What
Four documents describe the same consignment and get confused for each other constantly. The split below is the one that matters when a shipment file is assembled.
| Document | What it carries | Who reads it | Prices? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial invoice | The values of the goods, terms of sale and payment detail. | Customs valuation, the buyer, the bank. | Yes |
| Packing list (this page) | The physical detail: packages, marks, weights, dimensions. | Freight forwarder, carrier, customs inspector, receiving dock. | No |
| Bill of lading | The carrier transport contract and receipt for the goods. | Carrier, consignee, whoever collects the cargo. | Freight only |
| Delivery note | Seller-to-receiver paperwork for checking quantities on arrival. | Receiving team, domestic in feel. | No |
Why the Packing List and Commercial Invoice Must Agree
Counts, weights and descriptions appear on both documents. When they disagree, nobody can tell which one is wrong, and the consignment stops until somebody finds out.
Package counts
If the invoice says 11 packages and the list says 55, an inspector cannot tell whether cartons were double-counted or 44 packages are missing.
Gross weight
The carrier already holds a weight for the box. A packing list that disagrees with it puts your paperwork against the terminal weighbridge.
Goods description
Different wording on the two documents reads as two different consignments. Keep the description identical, word for word, on both.
Invoice reference
The packing list should name the invoice it belongs to. Without it, the pair has to be matched by hand from container numbers.
| The mismatch | What it looks like at the border | What it usually costs |
|---|---|---|
| Package count differs | The declared count cannot be reconciled with the manifest. | Questions to the broker, and a hold until the file is corrected. |
| Gross weight differs | Documented weight disagrees with the weight the terminal recorded. | Re-weighing, amended documents, possible delay to loading. |
| Description differs | The classification on the invoice does not fit the goods described. | Reclassification review, and a duty consequence that follows it. |
| Marks not on the packages | The inspector cannot find the package the document points at. | Wider examination, because a targeted check is impossible. |
| No invoice reference | The two documents do not obviously belong together. | Manual matching, and a slower path through the broker. |
| Origin differs | Origin on the list contradicts the origin claim elsewhere. | Preference claim queried, supporting evidence requested. |
Marks and Numbers: What Actually Goes In
Marks and numbers are not a description and not a reference number of your choosing. They are what is physically printed on the outside of the packages, reproduced on the document so the two can be matched by eye.
| On the package | What it is | Why it earns its space |
|---|---|---|
| HARBOURLINE | Consignee mark | Identifies the buyer without a full address on the carton. |
| SGP | Destination | Routes a stray package back toward the right consignment. |
| PO-99271 | Order reference | Lets the receiving dock match goods to an expected order. |
| 1-11 | Package range | Makes a short shipment obvious before anything is unpacked. |
| MADE IN VIETNAM | Origin marking | Origin marking rules vary by destination — check yours. |
| Umbrella / glass symbols | Handling marks | Communicates keep-dry and fragile without any language. |
Net, Gross and Tare — and the Weight the Carrier Holds
| Weight | What is included | Worked figure | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net weight | The goods alone, with no packaging. | 1,064.00 kg | Duty calculations that assess on net mass. |
| Tare weight | Cartons, pallets, crates, dunnage and securing material. | 110.00 kg | The difference between net and gross. |
| Gross weight | Goods plus all of that packaging. | 1,174.00 kg | Freight rating, terminal handling, stowage. |
| Container tare | The empty container, marked on its own door plate. | Read off the box | Added to cargo gross to reach the packed weight. |
Formula: tare = gross − net. In the example, 1,174.00 − 1,064.00 = 110.00 kg of cartons, pallets and crate timber. A packing list that reports the same figure twice for net and gross is almost always a mistake.
The VGM connection
For containers moving by sea, the shipper is responsible for providing a verified gross mass, and that figure is a condition of loading the container onto the ship.
Two permitted methods
Weigh the packed container on calibrated equipment, or weigh every package and add the container tare using an approved method.
Why they must agree
Method two builds the VGM out of exactly the package weights on this list. A gross weight here that contradicts the VGM contradicts your own submission.
Source: International Maritime Organization, Verification of the gross mass of a packed container (SOLAS regulation VI/2, in force 1 July 2016), checked 14 August 2026. Confirm what applies to your own lane, mode and carrier.
Why the Breakdown Beats a Single Total
Targeted examination
If the list says the glassware is in package 11, package 11 gets opened. The pallets stay sealed.
Untargeted examination
With one lump total there is nothing to target, so more packages come open and more time is spent.
Damage claims
Per-package weights give a claim its baseline. Without them, proving what was in a crushed carton is guesswork.
What to Include in an Export Packing List
| Field | What goes in it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Packing list number | Your own sequential reference for the document. | Lets amendments be tracked against a version. |
| Invoice number and date | The commercial invoice this list belongs to. | Binds the pair together in the shipment file. |
| Notify party | Broker or agent to be told of arrival. | Avoids a consignment sitting unclaimed at destination. |
| Container and seal number | The box and the seal fitted at stuffing. | Evidence the container was not opened in transit. |
| Country of origin | Where the goods were produced. | Should not contradict any origin claim you make elsewhere. |
| Kind of package | Carton, pallet, crate, drum, case, bag, bale, roll or bundle. | Tells the handler what equipment the consignment needs. |
| HS code | The tariff heading you have classified the goods under. | Should match the invoice and the entry exactly. |
| Dimensions or volume | Package dimensions and the cubic metres they come to. | Drives stowage planning and volumetric freight charges. |
| Total packages | Handling units presented to the carrier. | The count the carrier signs for at receipt. |
| Package count basis | What that total is actually counting. | Stops a pallet-versus-carton count being read as a shortage. |
Mixed Consignment, Ho Chi Minh City to Long Beach
An overseas homeware supplier ships to a US retailer. The consignment is mixed: palletised cartons, loose cartons and one timber crate. That mix is where package counts go wrong.
Parties
Exporter: Mekong Homeware, Ho Chi Minh City. Consignee: Harbourline Retail, Long Beach, CA. Notify party: the destination broker.
Route
Loaded at Cat Lai, Ho Chi Minh City. Discharged at Long Beach. Delivered to a warehouse in Ontario, California, in one 20 ft container.
References
Packing list PL-VN-2026-0418 against commercial invoice INV-VN-2026-0418 and purchase order PO-99271.
Marks
HARBOURLINE / SGP / PO-99271 / 1-11, plus a made-in mark and handling symbols on the crate.
| Marks | Pkgs | Kind | Description | Qty | Net kg | Gross kg | Dimensions | CBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HARBOURLINE / SGP / 1-4 | 4 | Pallet | Ceramic dinner sets, 24 per carton, 12 cartons per pallet | 1,152 sets | 864.00 | 936.00 | 1.20 × 1.00 × 1.15 m | 5.520 |
| HARBOURLINE / SGP / 5-10 | 6 | Carton | Bamboo serving boards, 40 pieces per carton | 240 pcs | 108.00 | 120.00 | 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 m | 0.504 |
| HARBOURLINE / SGP / 11 | 1 | Crate | Glassware, timber crate with internal bracing | 96 pcs | 92.00 | 118.00 | 1.10 × 0.80 × 0.90 m | 0.792 |
| Totals | 11 | Mixed | Three package groups | — | 1,064.00 | 1,174.00 | — | 6.816 |
| Total field | Value | How it was reached |
|---|---|---|
| Total packages | 11 | 4 pallets + 6 cartons + 1 crate, counted as handling units. |
| Package count basis | Stated on the document | The 48 cartons riding on the pallets are not counted again. |
| Total net weight | 1,064.00 kg | 864.00 + 108.00 + 92.00. |
| Total gross weight | 1,174.00 kg | 936.00 + 120.00 + 118.00. |
| Tare weight | 110.00 kg | 1,174.00 − 1,064.00. |
| Total volume | 6.816 CBM | 5.520 + 0.504 + 0.792. |
Per-package volume: 1.20 × 1.00 × 1.15 = 1.380 CBM per pallet, so 4 pallets give 5.520. Cartons: 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 = 0.084 each, so 6 give 0.504. The crate is 1.10 × 0.80 × 0.90 = 0.792.
The HS code column stays as entered by the exporter. A wrong tariff heading flows straight into a customs entry, so this page fills none in for you.
Single Container or Consolidated Load
Full container, one shipper
One list covers the box. Put the container and seal number on it and the totals describe the whole load.
Consolidated container
Your goods share a box. Your list covers your consignment only, so the totals are yours, not the container's.
Multiple containers
Most forwarders prefer one list per container, so a single box can be checked on its own.
Where This Template Stops
Dangerous goods
Hazardous consignments carry their own declarations, classification, packing rules and marking. Those sit outside this generator entirely.
Letters of credit
A credit specifies its own required wording, fields and issuer. The credit terms govern — read your own LC and follow it.
Declarations
The declaration field is blank on purpose. We do not write an attestation on your behalf; you supply the words you stand behind.
Reference data
HS codes, container tare weights and origin markings come from your own classification and from the container itself.
Nothing on this page should be read as confirmation that the output satisfies a customs, carrier, chamber-of-commerce, bank or retailer requirement. Those requirements vary, and they are yours to check.
How to Use This Packing List Generator
- Start from the invoice.Enter the commercial invoice number and date first, so the two documents are bound together.
- Add the three parties.Exporter, consignee and notify party, with the contact detail the destination broker needs.
- Fill the route.Vessel or flight, voyage, port of loading, port of discharge and final delivery.
- Record container and seal.Take both from the box itself, not from the booking confirmation.
- Build the package lines.One line per package group: marks, count, kind, description, HS code, quantity, weights, dimensions.
- Enter the document totals.Total packages, net weight, gross weight, volume, and what the package count counts.
- Check against the invoice.Compare package counts, gross weight and descriptions across both documents before sending.
- Sign and print.Write your own declaration, add the signatory and place, then print or save as PDF.
Common Packing List Mistakes
Counting cartons and pallets both
48 cartons on 4 pallets is 4 handling units, or 48 cartons — never 52. State which basis you used.
Net equals gross
Copying one weight into both fields tells the reader the packaging weighs nothing, which is never true and looks careless.
Marks invented at the desk
Marks typed into the document but never printed on the cartons make targeted examination impossible.
Prices creeping in
A unit price column turns a packing list into a half-invoice and gives the reader value data they did not ask for.
Build the Rest of the Shipment File
Export Packing List Questions
Shipping Across Borders?
Locad connects warehousing, cross-border movement and last-mile delivery so export consignments leave with documentation that matches what is on the pallet.