Free weight certificate template (issued by the exporter)
A weight certificate states the gross and net weight of a shipment, often package by package. Some letters of credit and contracts accept one issued and signed by the seller; others require an independent surveyor or public weigher. This template is for the first case.
Download .xlsxAll free templates →
What the template covers
- Exporter name and address, certificate number and date
- Buyer or applicant, invoice number and, under a credit, the L/C number
- Vessel or flight, B/L or AWB number and container numbers
- Marks and numbers, number and kind of packages
- Gross, net and tare weight for each package line, with totals calculated
- Weighing method or place, if the credit or contract asks for it
- A certification that the weights are correct
- Name, title and signature of an authorised person
Sources
- ICC Banking Commission, Technical Advisory Briefing No. 8: Handling of Certificates under Documentary Credits subject to the UCP 600 (2023)
- UCP 600 articles 3, 14(d) and 14(f) as quoted in Deutsche Bank AG v CIMB Bank Berhad [2017] EWHC 3380 (Comm)
- IMO, Verification of the gross mass of a packed container (SOLAS)
Guides on this topic
Who may issue it
If the letter of credit names the issuer, such as an independent surveyor, only that party's certificate will do. If it names none, any party, including the beneficiary, may issue it, according to the ICC Banking Commission (Technical Advisory Briefing No. 8, 2023); a certificate issued by the seller may still not satisfy the sales contract, so agree it with the buyer. Like other certificates under a credit, it must be signed (ISBP 821, paragraph A3).
Gross, net and tare, the same everywhere
Gross weight is the goods with their packing, net weight is the goods alone, and tare is the packing. Use the same weights, units and package counts as the packing list, commercial invoice and transport document: under UCP 600 article 14(d), data in different documents need not be identical but must not conflict.
Not the same as the VGM
The verified gross mass (VGM) that SOLAS requires for each packed container includes the container's tare and goes to the carrier before loading. A weight certificate describes the cargo for the buyer, the bank or customs. Keep the two separate, and make sure they do not contradict each other.
Common questions
What is a weight certificate in export?
A document stating the gross and net weight of the goods shipped, often per package, signed by the party that weighed them or, where the credit or contract allows it, by the seller.
Can the exporter issue its own weight certificate under a letter of credit?
Yes, if the credit does not say who must issue it: then any party, including the beneficiary, may issue it (ICC Technical Advisory Briefing No. 8). If the credit names an independent surveyor or public weigher, the certificate must come from that party.
What is the difference between a weight list and a weight certificate?
A weight list shows the weight of each package, much like a packing list. A weight certificate certifies the weights. A credit may ask for either; present the document it names, with data that agree with the other documents.
Is a weight certificate the same as the VGM?
No. The VGM is the verified gross mass of a packed container, including the container's tare, declared to the carrier under SOLAS before loading. A weight certificate describes the cargo itself.
Does a weight certificate need a date and a signature?
It must be signed (ISBP 821, paragraph A3). Whether it needs a date depends on what it certifies (paragraph A4), so dating it is the safe choice.
More free tools
Triplicate is free and keeps getting better. Found it useful? Support Triplicate ♥
Prefer no ads? Pro removes all ads · $1/month