Free packing list template: Word, Excel and PDF
Prefer to fill in a file? Download a blank packing list in the same layout as the generator: a printable PDF and the Word version in A4 or US Letter, and an Excel version that adds up the packages, net and gross weight and volume for you. Free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Word (.docx), A4Word (.docx), US LetterExcel (.xlsx)Blank PDF, A4Blank PDF, US Letter
Want to see one filled in first? Open the sample packing list (PDF): the packing list for the example shipment from Ningbo to Hamburg, made with this generator, with HS codes, weights and totals completed.
The blank files hold bracketed placeholders and no example data. For HS codes per line, automatic totals, your logo and a PDF, use the generator above.
What an export packing list is for
An export packing list itemises the contents of each package in a shipment, whether the package is a carton, a crate or a pallet, with weights and measurements. The U.S. International Trade Administration says it is considerably more detailed than a domestic packing list and that it is not a substitute for the commercial invoice: the two documents travel together and should agree.
Different people read it for different reasons. Your freight forwarder uses it to work out weights and freight costs and to book space. Customs officers in your country and the buyer's use it to check what a particular package contains. The buyer's warehouse uses it to receive the goods and to find a missing carton. That is why a packing list carries packages, weights, volume and marks, and leaves out prices.
The generator above opens with the packing list for a CIF Hamburg shipment of 110 cartons. Change the goods, or start blank; the same record prints the commercial invoice with prices. The export document guides cover packing slips, shipping marks and invoices.
What to put on a packing list
| Detail | Who needs it | Field in the generator |
|---|---|---|
| Shipper, consignee, invoice number and date | Everyone: ties the list to the invoice and the order. | Seller and buyer, document number, invoice reference |
| Description of the goods in each line | Customs and the buyer's warehouse. | Product / description, HS code and origin (printed under the description) |
| Quantity and unit | The buyer, to check the delivery against the order. | Quantity, unit |
| Number of packages per line | The carrier and the receiving warehouse. | Packages |
| Net and gross weight per line | The forwarder for freight; customs where duty depends on weight. | Net wt, gross wt (kg) |
| Volume or dimensions | The forwarder, to book container space or price LCL freight. | Volume, m³; dimensions in the packing note |
| Shipping marks and carton numbers | Customs and the warehouse, to find a given carton. | Shipping marks (printed line by line) |
| Totals | The bill of lading and the invoice are checked against them. | Calculated automatically |
Weights and volume are entered for the whole line, not one carton. The totals row adds the lines.
Make it match the commercial invoice
The packing list, the commercial invoice and the bill of lading describe the same shipment, so packages, weights and marks must agree. Customs treats a difference as a reason to look closer, and a bank checking documents under a letter of credit treats it as a discrepancy. For goods entering the United States, 19 CFR § 141.86(e) requires each invoice to state in adequate detail what each individual package contains; a packing list with numbered cartons and marks is the usual way to do that.
Building both documents from one record avoids most mismatches. In Quotepad the commercial invoice and the packing list are the same draft: Packing list switches the view, the number changes from CI-2026-014 to PL-2026-014, and Back to commercial invoice switches back. Change a weight once and both documents show it. See also packing slip vs packing list and how to write shipping marks.
Weights and volume
Net weight is the goods alone; gross weight is goods plus packing, the figure the carrier weighs and charges on. Give both for every line, in kilograms, with the volume in cubic metres. Sea freight for less-than-container loads is usually charged per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is greater, so the volume matters as much as the weight. To estimate cartons per container and the chargeable volume, work out the shipment volume first and enter the result per line.
Keep the units consistent across documents. If the invoice says 1,038 kg gross, the packing list and the bill of lading should say 1,038 kg too, not 1,040 kg rounded.
Copies, signatures and attachment
The ITA suggests putting the packing list inside the carton or package, or attaching it to the outside with a copy inside. Send a copy to the forwarder before the cargo is delivered, and include it with the shipping documents for the buyer. Some destinations ask for more than one copy, and a few buyers want it signed; the generator's signature or stamp prints above the "For and on behalf of" line on every document.
Frequently asked questions
What is an export packing list?
A document that lists, package by package, what a shipment contains, with weights and measurements. The U.S. International Trade Administration says forwarders use it to work out weights and freight costs and customs officers use it to check what a given package contains. It is more detailed than a domestic packing list.
What is the difference between a packing list and a commercial invoice?
The commercial invoice states what was sold and for how much; customs uses it to assess duties. The packing list states how the goods are packed: packages, weights, volume and marks, usually without prices. The ITA notes that a packing list is not a substitute for a commercial invoice, so a shipment normally has both, and they should agree.
Does a packing list show prices?
Usually not, and the packing list from this generator prints none. Prices belong on the commercial invoice; the packing list goes to warehouses and carriers who have no need to see them.
Is an HS code required on a packing list?
There is no general rule that it must be. The HS code is mainly needed on the commercial invoice, but some buyers, brokers and destinations like to see it on the packing list too. The generator prints the HS code and origin under each description; ask the buyer's customs broker what the destination expects.
What is the difference between net weight and gross weight?
Net weight is the goods alone. Gross weight is the goods plus their packing, cartons and pallets, and it is the weight the carrier charges on. Give both for every line; the totals row adds them up.
Should the packing list go inside or outside the package?
The ITA suggests putting it inside the carton or package, or attaching it to the outside with a copy inside. Send a copy to your forwarder before the goods are collected and include it with the shipping documents for the buyer.
Can I make the commercial invoice from the same data?
Yes. Press Back to commercial invoice: the same record shows the prices, charges and declaration as CI-2026-014. Change a weight or a mark once and both documents show it.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
Not unless you sign in. The packing list, your saved drafts, your logo and signature stay in this browser's local storage on this device, and the PDF is built on your device. If you sign in, which is optional, your saved drafts, logo and signature also sync with your account. The site also sends anonymous usage counts with no form content, which you can turn off in the footer.
Sources
- U.S. International Trade Administration, "Packing List", trade.gov/packing-list (opened 29 October 2026).
- U.S. International Trade Administration, "Common Export Documents", trade.gov/common-export-documents (opened 29 October 2026).
- 19 CFR § 141.86(e), packing list requirement for U.S. entries, via Cornell Legal Information Institute, law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/19/141.86 (opened 29 October 2026).
This page is general information, not legal or customs advice. Ask your forwarder and the buyer's customs broker what the carrier and the importing country require.