Why is my customs package count different?
A packing list can show handling units, cartons and product quantities together. HMRC’s package count follows the applicable packaging level, with special treatment for shared packages. A difference needs explanation, not automatic correction. Ask for a package-to-item reconciliation through Cambridge China Bridge.
Separate the physical counts
Label each packing-list quantity by what it counts: pallets for handling, cartons containing goods, or product pieces inside those cartons. Ask the factory to show which cartons sit on which pallets and which products each carton contains. Adding these levels together would count the same shipment repeatedly.
Use the multi-product packing list guide for the underlying document. This guide addresses the next question: how those physical units relate to the customs package count.
Check the packaging level used
HMRC bases package counts on the smallest external packing unit; unpackaged non-bulk goods use pieces. Its examples include cartons on a pallet being declared as the pallet, while goods with different duty or VAT rates need the lowest divisible packaging level.
Ask the broker to explain which example fits the actual packing. Send loading photographs and a packaging breakdown. Do not assume that every carton count must become the customs count, or that every palletised shipment should be treated identically.
Identify shared packages
For goods items sharing packages, HMRC allocates the actual package count to the first goods item and ‘0’ to the others. Their packaging type codes and shipping marks must match.
Ask for a mapping between each shared physical package and the declaration items inside it. Distinguish genuinely shared cartons from separate cartons merely travelling together. A shared-package allocation should not erase product quantities from your stock records.
Reconcile before requesting a change
Request the completed entry and compare each item’s package type, count and marks against the final packing list. Ask the broker to explain every difference using the packaging map. Check whether repacking, split dispatches or revised carton labels made the factory’s earlier list obsolete.
If the explanation does not fit the physical shipment, send the discrepancy and supporting photographs to the broker for review. Follow the import declaration checking guide for the wider checking process. Avoid changing the packing list merely to make its headline total match.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Keep the factory record useful
Keep the final packing list, package photographs, product quantities and broker’s reconciliation together. Give shared cartons recognisable marks and record their contents before dispatch. Cambridge China Bridge’s staff in China can help obtain the factory information needed for that discussion.
Keep packaging material weights in a separate record. The packaging responsibility guide explains that topic; a customs package count is not a substitute for a material-by-material packaging record.
Frequently asked questions
Should pallets and cartons be added together?
Keep them as separate packaging levels. Ask the broker which level supports the customs count, using the factory’s packing breakdown and loading photographs.
Why does a customs item show zero packages?
HMRC’s shared-package instructions put the actual count on the first goods item and ‘0’ on the others. Check that the items genuinely share packages and have matching package types and marks.
Does a different package count mean goods are missing?
The difference alone does not establish a shortage. Reconcile packaging levels, then check product quantities and received contents separately.
What should I ask my factory to send?
The final packing list, carton contents, pallet-to-carton mapping, package marks and loading photographs. Highlight shared cartons and any repacking before dispatch.