Start with the route and the party that packs the container
A brand buying a seasonal sweater collection should tell the factory whether goods travel in a full container or through a shared consolidation warehouse. Identify who receives the sealed cartons, who stores them before loading, who packs the container and who can stop a questionable load. Include the origin, destination, expected storage and transit periods, and any known climate changes. For a shared load, ask the forwarder what controls it can confirm after factory handover. Factory packing approval does not establish the condition of a container packed later by another party.
Approve the condition before sealing the garment bags
Ask the supplier to propose a release check after the agreed washing, drying, shaping and pressing steps. Specify when garments may be folded and sealed, where finished goods wait, and how staff identify a suspect lot. Include bags, tissue, cartons and any pallets or other packing supports in the review. If moisture measurement is required, agree a method suitable for the material, sampling locations, instrument and decision limit with a qualified provider. An air-humidity reading and a garment moisture-content result measure different things; do not copy a universal percentage into every sweater specification. Hold questionable goods for assessment rather than hiding the condition under fresh packaging.
Treat desiccants as a designed system
The 2014 IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code, Annex 3, explains that moisture can originate in cargo and packing materials, and that desiccants can be insufficient when hygroscopic cargo is not dry enough for transport. Use this as planning guidance, not as a sweater acceptance specification. Ask the packaging or logistics specialist to select the product, capacity, quantity, placement and containment for the actual route, cargo and wrapping. Confirm compatibility with the garments and buyer requirements. Keep the approved product instructions with the packing specification. Do not assume one small pouch per carton, a sealed garment bag or a humidity indicator guarantees mould-free delivery.
IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code (2014) — Annex 3, condensation prevention
Use a release record at each handover
Agree the evidence and the person who accepts it before booking the load. The table below is a proposed buyer checklist, not a WTBF inspection record. Ask the responsible logistics party to check container suitability, including its condition, cleanliness, dryness and signs of leaks or persistent odours. Trained personnel should use their approved safe inspection procedure. If cartons become wet in storage or during loading, pause the affected work, identify the cartons and obtain a disposition before sealing the shipment. A photograph alone cannot establish the moisture condition inside every garment pack.
| Handover | Evidence to agree | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|
| Factory packing release | Identified garment lot, packing condition and agreed check results | Factory checker and buyer approver |
| Warehouse receipt | Carton condition, storage location and exceptions | Receiving warehouse |
| Container loading | Container identity, suitability check, loading conditions and approved moisture-control installation | Packer or forwarder |
| Final release | Exception closure, carton references, seal identity and dated records | Named shipment approver |
Define what happens when a check fails
Write a short hold-and-review process into the shipment instructions. Separate affected cartons, preserve their identifiers and record the observed issue before unpacking or repacking. Let the responsible specialist assess whether garments, packing materials or both need further action. Any approved drying, rework or packaging change should be followed by the agreed product and packing checks; a new carton does not prove the knitwear is acceptable. Confirm who pays for approved additional work and whether it changes the booking. Do not release suspect goods solely to meet a vessel cutoff.
Plan receiving checks without promising zero moisture risk
Give the destination warehouse the carton references, available loading records and the contact for exceptions. Ask the logistics provider to agree an unloading and opening procedure appropriate to the actual climate transition, rather than applying the same waiting time to every shipment. If dampness, odour, staining or damaged cartons are found, identify and isolate the affected goods, retain packaging evidence and notify the agreed contacts promptly. Keep humidity-recorder data if one was specified, but interpret it with the product condition and route. Neither a favourable sample reading nor an approved packing method guarantees the whole shipment will arrive unaffected.
Send a sea-freight packing brief with the bulk inquiry
Send WTBF the sweater reference, yarn direction, quantities by style, colour and size, destination and required arrival window. State who arranges freight, whether consolidation is planned, and which buyer packing and moisture checks are required. Ask for separate confirmation of packing costs, specialist services, approval timing and the capacity-based production schedule. Confirm which controls WTBF can provide and which belong to the forwarder or warehouse before placing the order. Dispatch and arrival are different dates; include packing approval and logistics handover in the plan.
- Attach the buyer packing instructions and identify any unresolved moisture-control requirements.
- Name the parties responsible for storage, container loading and shipment release.
- Agree the evidence, exception contact and approval needed before changing the packing method.
Questions about this guide
Does every sweater carton need the same desiccant quantity?
No. Have the responsible packaging or logistics specialist assess the cargo, wrapping, route and conditions, then confirm the product instructions and agreed quantity. A generic pouch count is not an acceptance rule.
Can a dry-looking carton approve the garments inside?
No. Review the agreed garment and packing checks for the identified lot. The outer carton condition is one handover observation, not proof of every garment’s condition.