For both domestic and international waste shipments, the packing list is a mandatory document that must be presented to the relevant customs office, along with other documents that are also essential.
What is a packing list
The packing list, also known as the loading list, is a fundamental document for the shipment of goods, that is, a list of everything that is being exported, including the contents, weight and measurements of each package.
This document must be issued by the exporter, facilitates customs inspections. Therefore, it is an essential document for the export customs clearance of goods.
It is so important because it must be as accurate and detailed as possible so that the goods sent can be easily identified by the freight forwarder, customs and the receiver of the shipment. In this way, export problems are avoided. Once the shipment arrives at the port of origin or destination, the goods are weighed and measured and any discrepancies with the information issued on the packing list can lead to delays. In addition, if Customs believes that there is inaccurate or suspect information, the shipment is detained until the information is verified as correct.
Information that the packing list must contain
The truth is that there is no single model or structure for the packing list, but they are all very similar and contain the same information. Although structurally they may change, they must contain the following fields:
- Date
- Contact details of the shipper
- Contact details of the receiver of the goods
- Address of origin and destination of the shipment of goods
- Total number of packages
- Detailed description of each package
- Weight and volume of each package
- Total weight and volume of items shipped
- Commercial invoice number referred to
Additionally, other data can be added such as:
- HS code, TARIC or Harmonised System code
- The seal number of the container or of the total, in case the packing list is to be delivered after loading into the container
- The value of the packages either individually or in total
In addition, the packing list is the fundamental document for issuing the transport document: the Bill of Lading in the case of sea transport or the Air Waybill in the case of air transport.
On the other hand, it is very important that the related data between the packing list and the commercial invoice match completely. This concerns, for example, the number of units of a product, its commercial value, its description and even its weight. Also, if the shipment consists of more than one container, it is advisable to add in the packing list what has been loaded in each container.
Logistics process with ScrapAd
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