Packing list vs commercial invoice: the invoice carries values and terms of sale; the packing list carries counts, weights and dimensions per package. Customs reads them together.
What is a Packing List?
The packing list travels with the commercial invoice on every international shipment. The forwarder, the carrier and customs at both ends all work from it, so it has to match both the invoice and the cargo.
What a packing list must include
- Shipper and consignee names and addresses, with the invoice number and date
- Package count and type, with shipping marks
- Description and quantity of goods in each package, matching the invoice line items
- Net and gross weight per package and in total, in kilograms
- Dimensions per package and total volume in cubic meters
- Container and seal numbers for FCL shipments
Who uses it and why
- Customs at destination compares the packing list with the invoice and, if the shipment is examined, with the physical cargo; discrepancies trigger holds
- The carrier uses the weights and volume for the bill of lading, the verified gross mass (VGM) declaration and LCL charges
- The consignee's warehouse checks the delivery against it
- Banks require it under most letters of credit
Packing list vs. commercial invoice
The invoice states value and terms of sale. The packing list states physical contents and shows no prices. The two must agree on quantities, and both feed the ISF and the customs entry.
Airlift's customs clearance team reviews both documents before filing so the entry matches the cargo.
Related terms
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