Guides · Checked 29 October 2026

Shipping marks: what to put on export cartons and pallets

Shipping marks, also called "marks and numbers", are the identification printed on every export package. A typical mark gives the buyer's code, the order number, the destination port, the package number out of the total (for example "C/No. 1-110"), and usually the country of origin. They must match the packing list, the commercial invoice and the bill of lading.

What shipping marks are for

Marks let everyone handling the cargo match each package to its paperwork. The Transport Information Service (TIS) of the German Insurance Association says complete marking helps prevent mishandling, misdelivery, losses and customs fines. TIS splits complete marking into a shipping mark (identification), an information mark (origin, weight, dimensions) and handling instructions.

Under the Hague-Visby Rules, as scheduled to the UK Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, the bill of lading records the leading marks the shipper supplies in writing. Those marks must be "stamped or otherwise shown clearly upon the goods" or their coverings, and must stay legible until the voyage ends. The shipper is treated as guaranteeing that the marks, numbers, quantity and weight are accurate.

What goes in a carton or pallet mark

Buyer's code or short name. TIS gives the initials of the receiver's company as an example. NI Business Info (Invest Northern Ireland) advises keeping packages anonymous, because brand names or hints of valuable contents attract theft.
Order or PO number.
Destination. The port or place is enough; a full address is not needed. NI Business Info warns about places that share a name with somewhere in another country.
Package number and total, such as 5/12 or "Package 7 of 20". On a packing list the cartons often appear as a range: "C/No. 1-110".
Country of origin. TIS says it is often mandatory and must follow each importing country's rules, though it is occasionally left off by contract.
Weights and dimensions. According to TIS, packages of 1,000 kg gross or more must show their weight, standards recommend weight marking below that too, and dimensions are given in centimetres.

Handling marks and ISO 780 symbols

Handling pictograms are standardised in ISO 780:2015, Packaging — Distribution packaging — Graphical symbols for handling and storage of packages, which the Swedish Institute for Standards lists as valid. It covers packages holding any goods, excludes instructions specific to dangerous goods, and says the symbols should be used only when necessary. Symbols described by TIS and NI Business Info include:

Fragile (a wine glass): handle with care, never tip or sling.
Top (this way up): the arrows must always point upward.
Keep dry, keep away from heat, and temperature limits written as "…°C max." / "…°C min.".
Centre of gravity: use it only when the centre is off-centre, on two upright sides at right angles to each other.
Stacking limit ("… kg max."), sling here, clamp here, use no hooks, do not use forklift here.

TIS recommends contrasting, usually black, marking, with symbols black on white where possible.

Where to put marks on cartons and pallets

More than one face. Other goods may be stacked around a package, so NI Business Info advises putting marks and handling labels on several faces.
Durable and water-resistant. Adhesive labels are fine and often easier to read.
Symbols in the right place. Centre-of-gravity marks go on two adjacent sides. "Do not use forklift here" goes only on the sides where forks must not enter.
Pallets. Treat a pallet that travels as one unit as a package: give it the same identification and its own number, and mark several faces.

Matching the packing list, invoice and bill of lading

The U.S. International Trade Administration lists package marks among the details on an export packing list. It also says the commercial invoice should reflect what the packing list shows. TIS warns that customs may object when marks and documents differ. Check that:

the carton range on the marks matches the package totals on the packing list, the commercial invoice and the bill of lading: 110 cartons means "C/No. 1-110";
the weights on the marks match the packing list figures;
the order number is the same everywhere.

In Quotepad, each goods line holds HS code, origin, packages, net and gross weight and volume, with totals. The "Shipping marks" field prints line by line on the packing list and on one line on the invoices; the quotation, pro forma and invoices come from the same record. To size the load, estimate shipment volume from your carton dimensions.

Country-of-origin marking for the United States

Under 19 CFR 134.11, every article of foreign origin, or its container, must be marked with the English name of its country of origin. It must be legible, indelible, permanent and conspicuous to the "ultimate purchaser".

The ultimate purchaser is generally the last person in the US to receive the article in its imported form (19 CFR 134.1). Where a container must carry the origin, it is the one in which the goods ordinarily reach that person (19 CFR 134.22). A master carton opened in a warehouse may not count.
Clear abbreviations and variant spellings are accepted (19 CFR 134.45). CBP says "E.C." and "E.U." are not acceptable.
"Made in" is needed when "USA", a US place name or another locality appears and could mislead. "Made in [country]" or similar wording then goes close by, in comparable size (19 CFR 134.46). A container that shows a US importer's address needs the origin near that address, for example "Contents made in France" (19 CFR 134.22).

Example marks (illustrative)

Carton mark, side panel (code, order number and figures invented):

ABC
PO NO. 4500-1182
LOS ANGELES, USA
MADE IN CHINA
C/NO. 1-110
G.W. 18.6 KG  N.W. 17.2 KG
MEAS. 60 x 40 x 35 CM

Illustrative drawing of a 60 by 40 by 35 cm export carton with the carton mark above printed on its front and side faces and a this-way-up symbol; numbered labels name the buyer code, order number, destination, country of origin, carton numbers, weights and dimensions — Illustrative drawing by Quotepad, not a photo of a real shipment: the carton mark above on two faces of the carton, with each line labelled.

Pallet mark for pallet 3 of a 5-pallet shipment, on two adjacent faces:

ABC
PO NO. 4500-1182
LOS ANGELES, USA
MADE IN CHINA
PALLET NO. 3/5
CONTAINS C/NO. 45-66
G.W. 432 KG
MEAS. 120 x 100 x 145 CM

Pallet 3 holds 22 cartons (45 to 66 inclusive): 22 × 18.6 kg = 409.2 kg, plus an assumed 22.8 kg for pallet and wrap, gives 432 kg. The packing list shows the same carton range.

Common mistakes

Carton numbers that skip or repeat, or totals that differ from the packing list.
Ambiguous destinations, brand names, or marking that smudges or peels.
"MADE IN E.U." on goods for the US, or a US address with no origin statement nearby.
A single centre-of-gravity mark, or handling symbols on every box "just in case".

Frequently asked questions

What is a shipping mark?

The identification printed on each export package: usually a buyer code, order number, destination port, package number out of the total, and country of origin. The bill of lading records the same marks.

What should a shipping mark on a pallet include?

The carton identification plus the pallet's own number (such as 3/5), its carton range, origin, gross weight and dimensions, on more than one face.

What does C/No. 1-110 mean?

Cartons numbered 1 to 110. Each carton shows its own number; the packing list shows the range.

Do shipping marks have to match the documents?

Yes. The bill of lading records the marks the shipper supplies, and the shipper is treated as guaranteeing them. Customs may object if marks and documents differ.

Do cartons shipped to the US need "Made in"?

The English name of the origin country must be visible to the ultimate purchaser. "Made in" wording is required when a US or other place name could mislead, such as next to a US importer's address.

Sources

Transport Information Service (German Insurance Association, GDV), "Marking of packages", tis-gdv.de/tis_e/verpack/markier/markier-htm/ (opened 29 October 2026).
NI Business Info (Invest Northern Ireland), "What to mark on your package for export", nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/what-mark-your-package-export (opened 29 October 2026).
Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS), "ISO 780:2015 Packaging — Distribution packaging — Graphical symbols for handling and storage of packages", sis.se/en/produkter/…/iso7802015/ (opened 29 October 2026).
legislation.gov.uk, "Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, Schedule (Hague-Visby Rules)", legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/19/schedule (opened 29 October 2026).
U.S. International Trade Administration, "Common Export Documents", trade.gov/common-export-documents (opened 29 October 2026).
eCFR, "19 CFR Part 134 — Country of Origin Marking" (§§ 134.1, 134.22, 134.46), ecfr.gov/current/title-19/chapter-I/part-134 (opened 29 October 2026).
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, "19 CFR § 134.11", law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/19/134.11 (opened 29 October 2026).
Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, "19 CFR § 134.45", law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/19/134.45 (opened 29 October 2026).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Marking of Country of Origin on U.S. Imports", cbp.gov/trade/rulings/informed-compliance-publications/marking-country-origin-us-imports (opened 29 October 2026).

This guide is general information, not legal or customs advice. For marking rules on a specific shipment, check with the buyer's freight forwarder or a customs broker.