Export Packing: Specify Cartons in the PO

Short answer: to pack apparel for export, specify four things in the purchase order — carton dimensions and material, the size and colour ratio per carton, the packing method (flat or hung, folded, with or without inner bags), and the shipping marks and carton labels. Clear packing specs prevent rework at the warehouse, rejected deliveries at retail and extra freight from oversized cartons.

Export packing is easy to treat as an afterthought and expensive to get wrong. This guide covers what buyers should specify.

Why Packing Specs Matter

1. Carton Specifications

Oversized cartons waste freight; undersized cartons compress the product. Size the carton to the folded garment and the shipping container.

2. Size and Colour Ratios

A ratio is how many of each size go into one carton (for example 1-2-2-2-1 for S to XL). The ratio:

Options include solid-size cartons (all one size) or assorted cartons (a ratio of sizes). State which you want; do not leave it to the factory.

3. Packing Method

4. Shipping Marks and Carton Labels

Every export carton should carry clear markings:

Retailers often have their own carton label format. Get the requirement before packing, not after.

5. Market-Specific Requirements

Common Packing Mistakes

What to Put in the Purchase Order

Conclusion

Export packing is a specification, not a detail. State carton size and material, the size and colour ratio, the packing method and the shipping marks in the purchase order, and align with any retailer routing guide. Good packing protects the product, satisfies retail receiving and controls freight cost.

Key Takeaways for Buyers

If you are costing this right now

Send the tech pack with three things pinned down: the GSM, the fibre composition and the wash requirement. Those three decide the quote more than anything else, and they cost nothing to get right. Everything else on a quote can be negotiated later. Those three cannot be guessed later.