Guide ยท Weights and volume
Gross weight vs net weight: definitions, tare and why entries get queried
Net weight is the weight of the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus all their packing, so it is never below net. The difference is tare. Entries get queried when the two are swapped, mixed up with container weight, or different between documents.
Net, gross and tare
Net weight (N.W.) is the goods without packing. Forms differ on what "packing" means: some count a retail box or bottle as part of the goods, others want the bare goods only, sometimes called net net. Say which basis your list uses, and check the definition on the declaration your broker files.
Gross weight (G.W.) is the goods plus all packing: inner packs, cartons and, where goods ship on them, pallets. Tare is the weight of that packing, so N.W. plus tare equals G.W. A 20-carton row with N.W. 240.00 kg and G.W. 270.00 kg carries 30.00 kg of packing, 1.50 kg per carton. A container also has its own tare, printed on its door, and that is a different number.
General information, not customs or legal advice. Weight definitions and tolerances differ by country and by declaration; confirm yours with your broker.
Check the weights on a list in six steps
Confirm the unit and the basis
kg or lbs, and whether each weight is for one carton or the whole row. A header such as "G.W. (kg)" settles the first. If the list is in pounds, see lbs to kg on shipping documents before adding anything.
Test every row
Gross must be at least net, and the gap should look like packing. Gross equal to net on a carton row usually means one figure was copied over the other.
Add the rows
Sum N.W. and G.W. separately and compare with the declared totals. A few grams from rounding is normal; whole kilograms are not.
Decide about pallets
State whether G.W. includes the pallets, and use the same basis on the bill of lading.
Compare with the transport document
Gross weight on the list should read the same as on the booking and the draft bill or air waybill. Packing list vs invoice vs bill of lading shows which numbers must agree.
Fix it at the source
Ask the supplier for a corrected list. Do not change a declared total to make the rows tie.
Weight terms side by side
The same word can mean different things on different documents. This is how the common terms are normally used.
| Term | What it covers | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Net weight (N.W.) | The goods alone, on the basis the form defines | Packing list; sometimes the invoice and the entry |
| Gross weight (G.W.) | Goods plus all packing | Packing list, bill of lading, air waybill, entry |
| Tare weight | The weight of the packing: G.W. minus N.W. | Worked out from the list |
| Container tare | The empty container's own weight | Printed on the container door |
| VGM | Verified gross mass of the packed container: cargo gross plus container tare | Shipper's declaration to the carrier for sea containers |
| Chargeable weight (air) | The greater of actual gross and volumetric weight | Air waybill and airline charges |
Why entries get queried
Carriers and customs systems compare weights across documents, and an unexplained difference can cause a query or an amendment.
- Gross below net. Swapped columns or a mistyped figure. It cannot be right for the same goods.
- Per-carton weights in a total column. 12.5 kg typed where the row total, 250 kg, belongs, or the reverse.
- Units mixed or missing. Part of a list in lbs and part in kg, or no unit written at all.
- Totals that are not the sum. A row changed after the totals were typed. Packing list errors that cause customs holds covers this and the other usual mismatches.
- Different bases on different documents. The list excludes pallets and the bill includes them, or a weighbridge figure replaces the factory's on one document only.
How CargoSheet helps
CargoSheet adds up the N.W. and G.W. columns of a list, converts lbs to kg, and compares the sums with the declared totals, allowing 0.05 kg for rounding. It flags a row with G.W. below N.W. and a row with a weight missing. It does not know any authority's weight definition and never sees the transport document. Try the packing list to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See pricing.
Questions
- What is the difference between gross weight and net weight?
- Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus all packing: inner packs, cartons and any pallet or crate that ships with them. Gross is never below net.
- What is tare weight?
- The weight of the packing, found by subtracting net from gross. For a container, tare is the empty container's own weight, a separate figure printed on the door.
- Can gross weight be lower than net weight?
- Not for the same goods, because packing adds weight. When it appears lower, a figure is mistyped or two columns are swapped, and the row needs correcting at the source.
- Does gross weight include the pallet?
- That depends on how the shipper counts and on the document. Many lists include the pallet when goods ship palletised, but not all do. State the basis on the list and keep it the same on the bill of lading.
- Is the gross weight on the bill of lading the same as the VGM?
- Not necessarily. The bill normally carries the cargo's gross weight, while the VGM for a sea container adds the container's own tare. Your carrier's instructions say which figure goes where.
- Which weight is used for duty?
- Most duty rates apply to value, but some tariff lines charge per unit of weight, and the tariff defines which weight. Ask your broker whether net weight matters for your goods.
Check a packing list against its own totals
Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account.