Export Packing List Template
An export packing list is the price-free record of every package in a shipment: marks, contents, net and gross weight, and size, with volume = packages × L × W × H. The filled sample below totals 15 packages, 2,871.00 lb gross and 8.310 m³.
Net weight is at or below gross on every line.
Totals update from the package lines as you type. Jump to the document.
Edit the sample export packing list
Every field feeds the document. Size, volume and the totals fill in from the package lines as you type.
Totals calculate in your browser, and drafts save on this device only.
How to Make an Export Packing List in 8 Steps
- Start from the commercial invoice. Copy its number and date, the buyer PO and the parties, so the two documents are bound together.
- Add exporter, consignee and notify party. Use the same legal names and addresses as the invoice and the transport document.
- Fill the route. Vessel or flight, voyage, ports of loading and discharge, final delivery, container and seal.
- Pick your units. Pounds and inches, or kilograms and centimeters. Weigh and measure in the unit you choose.
- Write one line per package group. Marks, package count, kind, description, quantity, then net and gross weight for the whole line.
- Measure one package. Enter length, width and height. The line volume is packages × L × W × H.
- Check the totals. Packages, net, gross and volume add up on their own. Compare them with the invoice and the booking.
- Sign and print. Add the signatory, then Print / Save as PDF. Keep the PDF with the shipment file.
The formulas: line volume = packages × L × W × H; tare = gross − net. Each total is the sum of its lines. One inch is exactly 2.54 cm, and one cubic foot is about 0.0283 m³.
The Export Packing List Format, Part by Part
These 10 blocks are what a forwarder, carrier or broker looks for. The template above has a field for each.
| Part | Fields | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Title, packing list number and date, invoice number and date, buyer PO | Ties the list to one invoice and one order. |
| Parties | Exporter, consignee, notify party | Must read the same as on the invoice and the bill of lading. |
| Transport | Vessel or flight, voyage, ports, final delivery | Lets the forwarder and broker match the list to a booking. |
| Equipment | Container number and seal number | Shows which box the goods were stuffed into and how it was sealed. |
| Origin | Country of origin of the goods | Should not contradict any origin claim made elsewhere in the file. |
| Package lines | Marks and numbers, count, kind, description, HS code, quantity, unit | Lets an inspector find one package without opening the rest. |
| Weights | Net and gross weight per line, plus totals | Forwarders use the weights to plan loads and work out freight costs. |
| Size | L × W × H per package, volume per line, total m³ or ft³ | Forwarders use it to plan space in the container or aircraft. |
| Totals | Total packages and what they count, net, gross, volume | The figures every other document in the file should agree with. |
| Sign-off | Marks summary, handling notes, signatory, place, date | Shows who prepared the list and when. |
Worked Example: Charlotte, NC to Rotterdam via Savannah
A Charlotte outdoor brand ships one order to a Rotterdam retailer from the Port of Savannah, GA. The load is mixed: pallets, loose cartons and one crate. This is the sample that loads in the template.
| Line | Pkgs | One package (in) | Volume | Net (lb) | Gross (lb) | Tare (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet, NOORDKADE / 1-4Insulated camping coolers, 45 qt. 6 cartons per pallet, 6 coolers per carton (24 cartons) | 4 | 48 × 40 × 52 | 6.544 m³ | 1,728.00 | 1,968.00 | 240.00 |
| Carton, NOORDKADE / 5-14Stainless steel water bottles, 32 oz, 48 per carton, loose loaded | 10 | 24 × 16 × 14 | 0.881 m³ | 432.00 | 465.00 | 33.00 |
| Crate, NOORDKADE / 15Folding camp tables, timber crate with internal bracing | 1 | 50 × 30 × 36 | 0.885 m³ | 360.00 | 438.00 | 78.00 |
| Totals | 15 | — | 8.310 m³ | 2,520.00 | 2,871.00 | 351.00 |
One pallet is 48 × 40 × 52 = 99,840 in³, which is 1.6361 m³. Four pallets round to 6.544 m³. Each line is rounded once to 0.001 m³, then the lines are added.
Switch the sample to Air cartons and the same math gives 12 cartons, 162.80 kg and 1.008 m³. The Import to Long Beach sample comes to 11 packages and 6.816 m³.
Package Volume for Common Pallet and Carton Sizes
Computed with the same function as the template. Sizes are examples; measure your own packages.
| Package (example size) | L × W × H | m³ each | ft³ each | m³ for 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard US pallet, 48 in high | 48 × 40 × 48 in | 1.510 | 53.33 | 15.102 |
| Standard US pallet, 60 in high | 48 × 40 × 60 in | 1.888 | 66.67 | 18.878 |
| Standard US pallet, 72 in high | 48 × 40 × 72 in | 2.265 | 79.99 | 22.653 |
| Carton, 12 in cube | 12 × 12 × 12 in | 0.028 | 0.99 | 0.283 |
| Carton, 18 × 18 × 24 in | 18 × 18 × 24 in | 0.127 | 4.48 | 1.274 |
| Pallet, 120 × 100 cm, 150 cm high | 120 × 100 × 150 cm | 1.800 | 63.57 | 18.000 |
| Pallet, 120 × 80 cm, 150 cm high | 120 × 80 × 150 cm | 1.440 | 50.85 | 14.400 |
| Carton, 60 × 40 × 40 cm | 60 × 40 × 40 cm | 0.096 | 3.39 | 0.960 |
Need a container count rather than a document? The CBM calculator and the container loading calculator take it from here.
Net, Gross and Tare Weight on a Packing List
Net weight
The goods alone. In the sample, 2,520.00 lb across 3 lines.
Gross weight
Goods plus cartons, pallets, crates and dunnage: 2,871.00 lb. Forwarders and carriers work from this figure.
Tare
Gross − net = 351.00 lb. The crate line carries 78.00 lb of timber on its own.
Verified gross mass
For packed containers by sea, the shipper must give the carrier a verified gross mass before loading.
Two methods
Weigh the packed container, or weigh every package and add the container tare by an approved method.
Why the list matters
The second method builds on the package weights. A list that disagrees with your own submission invites questions.
Source: International Maritime Organization, Verification of the gross mass of a packed container (SOLAS regulation VI/2). Confirm what applies to your lane and carrier.
Packing List vs Commercial Invoice vs Bill of Lading
Four documents describe the same goods. The packing list is the one about packages.
| Export packing list | Commercial invoice | Bill of lading | Packing slip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it carries | Packages, contents, weights, sizes, marks | Goods, quantities, prices, terms of sale | Carrier receipt and contract of carriage | Items in one parcel for the receiver |
| Prices? | No | Yes | Freight terms only | Usually no |
| Who issues it | Exporter or shipper | Seller or exporter | Carrier or its agent | Seller or warehouse |
| Who reads it | Forwarder, carrier, customs, receiving dock | Customs, buyer, bank | Carrier, consignee, bank | End customer |
| Typical use | Cross-border freight | Cross-border sales | Ocean freight | Domestic parcels and ecommerce orders |
What must agree with the invoice
Package count
The invoice, the list and the booking should all say 15 packages for the sample, not a mix of pallets and cartons.
Gross weight
2,871.00 lb here is the figure the forwarder books and the carrier holds.
Description
Word the goods the same way on both documents. Different wording reads as different goods.
References
The list names the invoice it belongs to. Without that, the pair is matched by hand.
The International Trade Administration says freight forwarders use the packing list to work out weights and freight costs, and customs officials use it to check the contents of a specific package: Packing List, trade.gov.
Marks and Numbers: What Goes on the Packages
Marks are what is printed on the outside of each package, copied onto the list so the two can be matched by eye.
| On the package | What it is | Why it earns its space |
|---|---|---|
| NOORDKADE | Consignee mark | Names the buyer without a full address on every carton. |
| ROTTERDAM | Destination | Routes a stray package back to the right shipment. |
| PO-NK-4471 | Order reference | Lets the receiving dock match goods to an expected order. |
| 1-15 | Package range | Makes a short shipment obvious before anything is opened. |
| MADE IN USA | Origin marking | Origin marking rules vary by destination, so check yours. |
| Umbrella and arrow symbols | Handling marks | Say keep dry and this way up without any language. |
6 Packing List Mistakes to Avoid
Counting pallets and cartons both
4 pallets carrying 24 cartons is 4 handling units or 24 cartons, never 28. State the basis.
Net equal to gross
Copying one weight into both columns says the packaging weighs nothing. The live summary flags a line where net is above gross.
Per-package weight in a line column
The weight columns are line totals. Multiply a per-carton weight by the count before you enter it.
Mixed units
Inches measured, centimeters selected. Set the dimension unit first, then measure in that unit.
Marks typed but never printed
Marks on the document that are not on the cartons make a targeted check impossible.
Prices creeping in
A price column turns the list into a half-invoice. Values belong on the commercial invoice.
Export Packing List in Excel, Word or PDF?
Most templates online are static files. Each format has a trade-off.
Excel (.xlsx)
Formulas can sum weights, but they break when rows are copied, and CBM is usually typed by hand.
Word (.docx)
Easy to edit. Totals are typed by hand, so they drift from the lines.
Static PDF
Looks tidy, but adding a line means redrawing the table.
This browser template
Lines, totals and volume stay in step, and Save as PDF gives you the file.
To get a file, press Print / Save as PDF and pick "Save as PDF" as the printer. The preview is exactly what prints.
Where This Template Stops
Dangerous goods
Hazardous shipments carry their own declarations, packing rules and marks. They sit outside this template.
Letters of credit
A credit sets its own document wording and copies. Read your own LC and follow it.
Declarations
The declaration field starts empty. You supply any wording your buyer, bank or broker asks for.
Classification
HS codes come from your own classification or your broker. This page fills none in.
No guarantee. This template does not make a document meet any customs, carrier, bank or retailer rule. Requirements vary by destination, mode and goods; check with the party that sets them.
Tools for the Rest of the Shipment File
Export Packing List Questions
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