What Are Shipping Marks? A Simple Guide for Importers (2025)

You’ve just approved your final product sample, your Product Specification Sheet is complete, and your supplier is ready to start mass production. They email you with a simple question: “Please provide your shipping marks.”

If you’re a new importer, this question can be confusing. What are shipping marks? Are they the same as a shipping label? What needs to be on them? Does it really matter?

As a sourcing agency that manages logistics daily, we can tell you that shipping marks on cartons are not just a formality—they are a critical component of a smooth supply chain. Getting them wrong can lead to lost cargo, customs delays, and costly warehouse mix-ups.

This simple guide explains what carton markings for export are, what to include, and why they are so important (especially for LCL shipping), providing a template you can use immediately.

What Are Shipping Marks? (The Simple Definition)

A Shipping Mark (often called a “stowage mark” or “唛头” in Chinese) is a set of identifiers printed or labeled on the outside of export cartons. Think of it as your carton’s “passport” or “ID card.”

Its primary job is to help everyone in the logistics chain—from the factory worker and truck driver to the port operator and your own warehouse team—identify what is in the carton and who it belongs to, without needing to open it.

They are fundamentally different from a shipping label (like a UPS or FedEx label), which is applied by a courier for final-mile tracking. Shipping marks are used by the supplier at the factory before the goods ever leave.

H3: Main Mark vs. Side Mark

Standard shipping marks on cartons are typically divided into two types based on their location and information:

Main Mark (正唛): Usually printed on the front and back (the widest sides) of the carton. It contains the most essential information for quick identification, such as your company logo, PO number, and destination.
Side Mark (侧唛): Printed on the two narrower side panels. It contains detailed carton markings for export, like weight (gross/net), dimensions, and product SKU numbers.

Why Are Shipping Marks So Critical? (The LCL Risk)

If you ask, “Do I need shipping marks for LCL?” the answer is a definitive YES.

When you ship LCL (Less than Container Load), your cartons don’t have a container to themselves. They are consolidated into a shared container with cargo from 10 or 20 other shippers. When that container arrives at the destination port, it is opened, and thousands of similar-looking brown boxes are unloaded into a massive warehouse.

If your boxes are blank, how will the warehouse workers know which ones belong to you?

Without clear shipping marks, your goods are almost guaranteed to be lost, sent to the wrong person, or delayed for weeks while inspectors try to identify them. Even for FCL (Full Container Load), marks are crucial for your own warehouse staff to identify stock quickly.

What to Include: A Professional Shipping Mark Example

There is no single international law governing exactly what to put on shipping cartons, but best practices dictate including specific data points to ensure smooth transit.

Here is a shipping mark example template you can copy and send to your supplier.

The Essential “Main Mark” Template. This should be bold and easy to read from a distance of 5 meters.

Buyer Name/Logo: [Your Company Name] (Instant visual identification)
Purchase Order (PO) Number: [e.g., PO #2025-01-A] (Critical for tracking specific orders)
Item Number/SKU: [e.g., SKU-BLK-100]
Carton Number: [e.g., C/No. 1 of 500] (Crucial for ensuring you received the complete shipment)
Destination: [e.g., NEW YORK, USA]

The Essential “Side Mark” Template

6. Description of Goods: [e.g., Stainless Steel Water Bottle]

7. Quantity (QTY): [e.g., 50 PCS]

8. Net Weight (N.W.): [e.g., 12.5 KGS]

9. Gross Weight (G.W.): [e.g., 13.5 KGS]

10. Carton Dimensions (MEAS): [e.g., 50 x 40 x 30 CM] 11. Country of Origin: MADE IN CHINA (This is legally required for import into the USA and EU. Do not forget it!)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Shipping Marks

Q1: What are the shipping mark requirements for Amazon FBA?

Amazon FBA has stringent, specific requirements. In addition to standard marks, you must apply the unique FBA Shipment Label (containing the FBA ID barcode) to every single carton. If you only use standard shipping marks, Amazon fulfillment centers will reject your inventory.

Q2: Can suppliers write the marks by hand?

Avoid this if possible. Handwritten marks can be illegible, smudged during transit, or look unprofessional. Always request that your supplier print the marks directly onto the carton or use high-quality, waterproof adhesive labels.

Q3: Do I need handling symbols?

Yes. Suppose your goods are fragile, sensitive to moisture, or must be kept upright. In that case, you must include standard international pictorial symbols (such as the “broken wine glass” for fragile or “umbrella” for “keep dry”) on your cartons.

Conclusion: A Small Detail That Prevents Big Problems

Understanding what are shipping marks and ensuring they are applied correctly is one of the simplest, cheapest forms of insurance for your supply chain. It costs almost nothing to get right, but failing to do so can cost you your entire shipment.

Make providing a clear shipping mark guide a mandatory step in your sourcing process.

Need help managing the fine details of your imports?

Schedule a free consultation with our sourcing experts. We handle everything from factory vetting to ensuring every carton is perfectly labeled for a smooth arrival.