How we pack goods for international shipping

Packing is where a shipment is won or lost. International transit involves vibration, stacking, humidity and repeated handling, and a parcel that survives a domestic courier may not survive a sea crossing.

Start with the box, not the bubble wrap

The outer box carries the load. Double-wall corrugated board is the baseline for anything of value, and triple-wall for heavy items, machinery and cargo going into an LCL container where other pallets will be stacked on top.

A box should hold the item with no movement at all. If you shake it and hear the contents rattle, the packing is not finished.

Cushioning that really absorbs shock

• Use closed-cell foam or air cushions for electronics, audio equipment and instruments.
• Wrap each item separately, including accessories, cables and manuals.
• Keep the item at least five centimetres away from every wall of the box.
• Never let two hard items touch, even inside the same box.

Newspaper compresses and loses its value almost immediately. Purpose-made cushioning is cheap compared with replacing an item and shipping it twice.

Moisture is the quiet killer

Sea containers sweat. Temperature changes between Japan and a destination port cause condensation that ruins paper, metal, electronics and textiles. Sealed bags with desiccant, or a moisture barrier liner on the pallet, prevent damage that no amount of foam will stop.

Labelling and documentation

• Match the label to the packing list item by item.
• Mark fragile items on more than one side.
• Put the tracking number on the outside and repeat it on the packing list inside.
• Photograph the packed goods before the box is closed — that photo is your evidence if a claim is ever needed.

Palletising for sea freight

For LCL and FCL shipments the goods travel on pallets. Stack evenly, keep the heaviest items at the bottom, shrink-wrap the whole unit and, for anything tall or top-heavy, add corner boards or strapping so the load cannot shift during the crossing.

Packing for a specific kind of goods

Different cargoes need different treatment. Audio equipment and cameras need shock isolation, books and paper need moisture control, machinery needs anchoring and rust prevention, and clothing needs clean, dry, compressed packing to keep the volume, and therefore the freight cost, down.