Customs packing list format
Customs packing list format: what the sheet needs and how to check it
A packing list a broker can use without calling the supplier has every carton accounted for, weights and volume in metric, and totals that agree with the lines. Here is what that means field by field, and the six checks to run before the list goes into an entry.
What a customs-ready packing list is
A packing list states what is in each carton and what it weighs and measures. It is the document that lets the broker key the entry, the forwarder issue the house bill and the warehouse receive against a count. It is customs-ready when those three users can do their work from it without asking the supplier a question.
There is no single international form. Destinations and importers differ in what they ask for, so treat this page as general information and confirm local requirements with your broker. What does not differ is the arithmetic: the lines must add up to the totals the list declares, and gross weight must never be below net.
CargoSheet checks the first half of that sentence. It adds up the lines of one packing list and compares them with that list's own declared totals. It does not check the list against the invoice, the bill of lading or any country's rules.
Field by field
| Field | What it should hold | What CargoSheet does with it |
|---|---|---|
| Marks and numbers | The shipper's marks as printed on the cartons, with port or PO if the shipper uses them. | A merged marks cell is filled down. Carton numbering is checked inside one marks and PO sequence. |
| Carton numbers | Continuous numbering across the shipment, or per PO when each PO restarts at 1. | Ranges are counted: 1-25 is 25 cartons. Overlaps and repeats are flagged. |
| Number of cartons | One declared total for the shipment. | Compared with the sum of the lines. Must match exactly. |
| Description of goods | What is in the carton, with the SKU or style so each line can be traced to the invoice. | SKU goes in front of the description on the customs sheet and has its own column in the full-detail CSV. |
| HS code | Where the list or your broker asks for it. Many shippers keep it on the commercial invoice only. | Copied as written, blank when the list has none. It is not looked up or validated. |
| Quantity and unit | Pieces, sets, pairs or kg, as the invoice states. | Split into a number and a unit. The total adds the numbers; mixed units are noted. |
| Net weight | Weight of the goods without packing, in kg. | lbs converted to kg and flagged. Compared with the declared total within 0.05 kg. |
| Gross weight | Goods plus all packing, in kg. Never below net weight. | A row with G.W. below N.W. is flagged. Compared with the declared total within 0.05 kg. |
| Measurement | CBM per line and in total; carton size where given. | CBM is computed from carton size when the column is missing, and flagged. Over 1 CBM in one carton is flagged. |
| References | Invoice number and date, PO, packing list number and date, shipper and consignee. | PO is read when it is a table column. The rest stays on the original PDF and is not extracted. |
The seven columns of the customs sheet are Marks, Description, HS Code, Quantity, Unit, Net Weight kg and Gross Weight kg. How each is filled is on the converter page; a blank template with the same columns is on the template page.
Six checks before the list goes into an entry
Count the cartons
Add the cartons of every line, counting a range as the number of cartons in it (1-25 is 25). Compare with the declared total. The tolerance is zero.
Add net and gross weight
Sum each column and compare with the declared totals. Allow for rounding on the supplier's side; CargoSheet allows 0.05 kg.
Check gross against net on every row
Gross weight is the goods plus the packing, so it cannot be lower than net. A row where it is lower has a mistyped weight or a swapped column.
Check the volume
CBM is length x width x height of one carton in metres, times the cartons. More than 1 CBM in a single carton is rare and usually a unit error, such as mm read as cm.
Compare with the other documents
Cartons, G.W. and CBM should read the same on the invoice, the packing list and the transport document. CargoSheet reads only the packing list, so this comparison is yours to do.
Send variances back to the supplier
Ask for a corrected list. Do not change a declared total to make the sheet tie; the point of the check is to find the line that is wrong.
Retyping, generic converters and CargoSheet
| Retyping by hand | Generic PDF-to-Excel | CargoSheet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carton count | Ranges counted by hand | Ranges left as text | 25 for 1-25; overlaps and repeats flagged |
| Weight units | Calculator | Left as printed | kg; lbs converted and flagged on the row |
| Declared vs added | Only if someone checks | Not compared | Cartons, quantity, N.W., G.W. and CBM compared; variance shown |
| G.W. below N.W. | Found by eye, if at all | Not marked | Flagged on the row |
| Where a number came from | Retyped; the link to the PDF is lost | Cells with no row logic | Carton range and flags kept on every row |
| Output | Your own layout | Raw cells, one sheet per page | Seven-column customs sheet and a full-detail sheet |
Running the checks on a real file takes a minute: open the converter and load a sample, or upload a PDF. For how the packing list differs from the invoice, see commercial invoice vs packing list.
Customs packing list: questions
- Is there a standard format for a customs packing list?
- No single international format exists. Most customs authorities and brokers expect the same core content: marks, cartons, a description of the goods, quantities, net and gross weight and volume. Exact requirements differ by country and by importer, so confirm them with your broker or the customs authority of the destination. This page is general information, not legal advice.
- What must a packing list show?
- At minimum the parties, the invoice or PO reference, marks and carton numbers, the number of cartons, a description of the goods with quantities, and net weight, gross weight and measurement per line and in total. The table above lists each field and what CargoSheet does with it.
- Does a packing list need HS codes?
- Not always. HS codes are normally declared on the commercial invoice, and many packing lists have no HS column. Some brokers and some destinations ask for them on the packing list as well. CargoSheet keeps the HS Code column when the list has one and leaves it blank when it does not. It does not look codes up or check them.
- Must the gross weight match the bill of lading or air waybill?
- It should read the same. Carriers and customs systems compare weights across documents, and a difference can cause a query or an amendment to the transport document. CargoSheet checks the packing list against its own declared totals; it does not see the transport document.
- Should weights be in kg or lbs?
- Most carriers and customs systems work in kg and CBM, so a metric sheet is the safe default. If the supplier writes lbs, CargoSheet converts at 0.45359237 kg per lb and flags every converted row, so you can see exactly what was changed.
- How are carton ranges and mixed cartons written?
- A range such as 1-25 means cartons 1 to 25, which is 25 cartons. When one carton holds several SKUs, the carton number is repeated or left blank on the second line and that line carries no weights of its own. CargoSheet counts the carton once and still adds the quantity of both lines.
- What is the allowed difference between declared and computed totals?
- There is no tolerance in this tool that comes from a customs rule. CargoSheet uses rounding tolerances only: 0 for cartons and quantity, 0.05 kg for weights and 0.01 for CBM. Outside that, the variance is shown in orange, and what to do about it is your call.
- What is the difference between net and gross weight?
- Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus all packing: inner packs, cartons and any other packing the supplier includes. Gross is never below net, which is why a row with the two the wrong way round is flagged.
- Can I file the sheet CargoSheet produces instead of the supplier's packing list?
- Treat it as a working sheet built from the supplier's document. The supplier's original remains the packing list, and your broker decides what is filed. The sheet is useful for keying the entry, building the house bill and receiving at the warehouse.
- What if the supplier's own totals are wrong?
- Then the sheet will show a variance, which is the point of the check. Ask the supplier to reissue the list. Changing the declared total to make a sheet tie hides the problem, and the next document in the chain will not agree with it.
Run the checks on your supplier's list
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