Packaging Requirements for Export Shipments

Export packaging is not retail packaging. It is the system that keeps cargo safe through inland transport, container stuffing, weeks of ocean transit, port handling, destination customs examination and final delivery. Bad packaging is one of the most common — and most preventable — causes of cargo damage.

Three layers of packaging

A well-packed export shipment has three layers:

• **Primary packaging** — the packaging in direct contact with the product (a 1kg rice pouch, a shoe box, a fabric roll wrapper).
• **Secondary packaging** — the grouping layer (a master carton containing 20 rice pouches, a master carton containing 12 shoe boxes).
• **Transport / tertiary packaging** — the shipping layer (palletisation, stretch wrap, dunnage, container loading).

Each layer has a different job. Primary packaging protects and presents the product; secondary packaging consolidates for handling; transport packaging protects through the supply chain.

Primary packaging

Primary packaging must:

• Be food-grade where the product is food.
• Protect the product from moisture, oxygen, light and contamination as required.
• Carry the required labelling (composition, origin, batch, best-before, barcodes, language).
• Be strong enough to survive secondary packaging and transport.
• For retail-packaged goods, present the product to the destination market's retail standard.

Common primary packaging materials:

• For agro: PP woven bags, paper bags, vacuum pouches, PET jars, retort pouches.
• For textiles: poly bags, tissue, cardboard inserts.
• For footwear: shoe boxes with tissue, dust bags.
• For handicrafts: bubble wrap, corrugated inserts, gift boxes.
• For chemicals: HDPE drums, jerry cans, multi-wall paper bags.

Secondary packaging

Secondary packaging groups primary packs into handling units. Requirements:

• Master carton strength appropriate to the product weight and stack height (typically 5-ply or 7-ply corrugated for export).
• Carton size that allows efficient palletisation and container loading.
• Internal dividers or cushioning to prevent primary packs from shifting.
• Carton weight manageable for manual handling (typically under 25kg per carton, or per destination rule).
• Carton labelling — product description, quantity, gross/net weight, batch, country of origin, shipping marks.

Transport packaging and container loading

For containerised cargo:

• Palletise where possible — pallets allow forklift handling and reduce damage.
• Use ISPM-15-compliant wooden pallets (heat-treated or fumigated) for international shipment.
• Stretch-wrap and strap pallets to stabilise them.
• Use dunnage (air bags, cardboard, foam) to fill gaps and prevent movement inside the container.
• Load heavy items at the bottom, lighter items on top.
• Distribute weight evenly across the container floor.
• Photograph container condition before and after stuffing.

For non-palletised cargo (e.g., sacks of rice), stack tightly and use dunnage to prevent collapse.

Shipping marks

Shipping marks are the labels on master cartons and pallets that identify the shipment. Standard shipping marks include:

• Consignee name and destination port.
• Purchase order or invoice reference.
• Carton number (e.g., 1/50, 2/50).
• Gross and net weight.
• Country of origin.
• Handling symbols (fragile, this side up, keep dry, stacking limit).
• Batch or lot number for traceability.

Inconsistent or missing shipping marks cause destination handling errors. The marks on the carton must match the packing list exactly.

ISPM-15 for wood packaging

ISPM-15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) requires wood packaging material used in international trade to be either heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, and stamped with the ISPM-15 mark. This applies to:

• Wooden pallets.
• Wooden crates.
• Wooden dunnage.

Many destination countries refuse entry or require fumigation at the importer's expense if wood packaging is not ISPM-15-compliant. Always confirm that any wood packaging in your shipment is ISPM-15-stamped.

Packaging for agro and food

For agro and food, packaging must also comply with food safety requirements:

• Food-grade primary packaging.
• Liner bags inside PP woven sacks for bulk grains.
• Moisture barrier for hygroscopic products (rice, spices, pulses).
• Oxygen barrier for oxygen-sensitive products.
• Labelling compliant with destination food labelling rules (language, allergens, nutritional, origin).
• Phytosanitary compliance for any wood packaging.

Packaging for textiles

For textiles and apparel:

• Poly bags with suffocation warning where required by destination.
• Tissue and cardboard inserts for presentation.
• Size-wise carton packing for garments.
• Carton strength suitable for stacking.
• Carton labels with size run, colour, quantity.

Packaging for footwear and leather

For footwear and leather:

• Shoe boxes with tissue and dust bags.
• Master cartons with 6 or 12 pairs.
• Size-run packing.
• Moisture protection (silica gel where appropriate).
• Carton strength for stacking.
• Carton labels with size run.

Packaging for industrial goods

For industrial goods, hardware and engineering products:

• Anti-corrosion packaging (VCI film, oil coating).
• Palletisation for heavy items.
• Steel strapping for heavy cartons and crates.
• Cushioning for fragile components.
• Crating for very heavy or high-value items.

Common packaging pitfalls

• Under-strength cartons that collapse in transit.
• Over-stacked pallets that topple.
• Missing ISPM-15 stamp on wood packaging.
• Inconsistent shipping marks vs packing list.
• No moisture protection for hygroscopic products.
• No dunnage, leading to cargo shift inside the container.
• Retail labelling that does not comply with destination rules.

How Blueroute Exim helps

Blueroute Exim coordinates packaging for export shipments, including carton specifications, palletisation, ISPM-15 compliance, shipping marks, container stuffing plans and stuffing photographs. We check packaging during pre-shipment inspection. References are available on request.