Free packing declaration template for Australia (FCL/FCX and LCL)

Sea containers shipped to Australia, whether full container loads (FCL/FCX) or less than container loads (LCL), need a packing declaration from the exporter, supplier or packer. This workbook has two sheets, one for FCL/FCX with the container cleanliness statement and one for LCL without it, each with the questions required by the policy of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), a consignment link, the date and a signature. DAFF's own templates are optional; a company document with the same content is accepted.

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Packing declaration (Australia) – Example filled in with the free generator (sample data)

What the template covers

Issuer's letterhead with the company name and physical address, or the company's stamp or seal
Consignment link: container, bill of lading, invoice or packing list numbers
Unacceptable packaging: whether any was used as packaging or dunnage
Timber or bamboo packaging: whether any was used
Treatment, only if timber or bamboo was used: ISPM 15 (timber only), treated to DAFF requirements with a certificate, or not treated
Container cleanliness statement, on the FCL/FCX sheet only
Date of issue with day, month and year
Signature or individual stamp and printed name of the employee, after the statements

Sources

Guides on this topic

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When it is needed and who signs

DAFF requires a packing declaration for full container load consignments (FCL and FCX, including reefers that are not hard frozen) and for less than container load (LCL) consignments; air freight and break bulk cargo do not need one. It must be issued by the exporter, supplier or packer who packed the goods into the container or watched them being packed, and endorsed by an employee of that company with a signature and printed name. A missing or conflicting declaration sends the container for inspection, with delays and costs for the importer.

Answer each question once

DAFF does not accept documents with conflicting information, such as declaring that no timber was used and then ticking a treatment. Complete the treatment question only if timber or bamboo was declared; the ISPM 15 option covers timber, not bamboo. Packaging made entirely of plywood, veneer, reconstituted wood or bamboo laminate does not have to be declared. Keep the cleanliness statement on an FCL/FCX declaration, leave it off an LCL declaration, and have any alteration endorsed by an employee.

Consignment link, date and annual declarations

Link the declaration to the shipment with container, bill of lading, commercial invoice or packing list numbers; weights, numbers of packages, dates or item codes alone are not acceptable links. Date it with the day, month and year of issue. For regular shipments between the same exporter and importer, DAFF also accepts annual declarations, valid for 12 months, which name the exporter and importer instead of a consignment. Seasonal measures for the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) are separate and need their own treatment evidence.

Common questions

Do I need a packing declaration for air freight to Australia?

No. DAFF requires it for sea containers (FCL, FCX and LCL); air freight and break bulk cargo are checked through routine surveillance instead.

Do I have to use DAFF's packing declaration form?

No. DAFF's templates are optional; a company's own document is accepted if it meets the policy requirements: letterhead with a physical address, the required statements, a consignment link, the date and an employee's signature and printed name.

Does an LCL declaration need the container cleanliness statement?

No. The cleanliness statement belongs on FCL/FCX declarations only. Do not put it on an LCL declaration, and do not cross it out by hand without an endorsed alteration.

Do I declare plywood packaging as timber?

No. Packaging made entirely of plywood, veneer, reconstituted wood or bamboo laminate does not have to be declared as timber or bamboo packaging.

What happens if the declaration is missing or wrong?

The container is directed for inspection at an approved site, and treatment if needed, with delays and charges for the importer.

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