Most machinery damage does not happen because someone dropped the crate. It happens because of decisions made at the factory, weeks before the vessel sails — which surfaces are left bare, whether a moisture barrier went in, how the machine was fixed to its skid.
It is also the part of the shipment importers see least. By the time you are booking freight, the packing is usually already done. So the leverage is not in supervising the crate; it is in specifying it before the machine is packed.
What Export Packing Has to Survive
A machine moving from a Chinese factory to a US warehouse goes through more than a ship. It is lifted by crane or forklift, driven on a truck, stacked in a terminal, loaded and discharged, and driven again. Then it crosses the Pacific, where the container itself becomes the problem.
| Threat | Where it comes from | What handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Impact and vibration | Road transport, crane handling, container stow | Crate structure, skid design, internal bracing |
| Condensation | Day-night temperature swings across the Pacific | Moisture barrier and desiccant inside the crate |
| Rust on machined surfaces | Humidity, condensation, salt air | VCI film or anti-rust coating on bare metal |
| Shifting in transit | Vessel motion, road braking | Lashing the machine to the skid and the skid to the container |
| Crushing | Stacking, other cargo | Crate strength, top-loading restrictions |
Condensation surprises first-time importers more than anything else on that list. A steel container crossing the Pacific moves between cold nights and hot days. Moist air inside the box condenses on the coldest surface available — and that is usually bare machined steel. It is common for a machine to arrive dry on the outside and wet on the inside. If the crate has no moisture barrier, there is nothing stopping it. See how to prepare machinery for ocean transit for how this plays into the equipment decision.
The Packing Layers, In Order
Export packing is built in layers, and skipping one is what causes most claims.
1. Surface protection. Bare machined surfaces — guideways, spindles, table tops, ways — get a rust preventive coating or VCI film. VCI releases a vapour that inhibits corrosion inside the enclosed space. This layer matters on any machine with exposed precision surfaces; laser cutting machines, with their exposed optical components and guideways, are a clear example.
2. Moisture barrier. Typically aluminium foil laminate or a vacuum bag, sealed, with desiccant inside. This is the layer that handles the Pacific crossing. It is also the layer Chinese factories most often omit unless asked, because domestic shipments do not need it.
3. The crate. Plywood is common and has an advantage described below. A crate carries the machine, allows stacking where permitted, and gives the lashing points. It should be built on a skid that can be lifted by forklift and, where needed, by crane.
4. Securing. The machine is bolted or strapped to the skid; the skid is lashed or blocked against the container floor. Movement of even a few centimetres inside a crate is enough to damage a precision machine.
⚠️ The Wood Packaging Rule That Stops Shipments
This is the single most common compliance surprise for US importers receiving machinery.
Solid wood packaging entering the United States must be treated and marked under ISPM 15 — the international standard for wood packaging material. That covers solid wood crates, pallets, dunnage and bracing. Untreated solid wood can be refused entry, and your options at that point are expensive: treat it at your cost, or re-export the shipment.
Three details that catch people out:
- The mark must be on the wood itself. An IPPC stamp burned or stamped into the timber is what customs looks for. A treatment certificate in a folder is not a substitute.
- Processed wood is exempt. Plywood, particle board, OSB and veneer are not considered solid wood packaging, so they do not need the mark. This is why plywood crates are common for exports and why the rule does not apply to everything.
- It applies to dunnage and bracing too. Not just the crate. Loose timber used to block a machine inside a container is covered.
If you are shipping a machine with a food processing equipment supplier, or any supplier who builds crates on site, confirm the ISPM 15 mark before the crate is closed — not after it reaches the port.
What to Specify Before the Machine Is Packed
The window to influence packing is before the factory closes the crate. Send your supplier this list.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Moisture barrier + desiccant | Without it, condensation damages bare steel in transit |
| Rust preventive on machined surfaces | Prevents corrosion on precision surfaces |
| ISPM 15 marked solid wood | Or use plywood to avoid the issue entirely |
| Crated dimensions, not machine dimensions | The crate is larger than the machine — this is what decides the container |
| Gross weight including skid and crate | Decides equipment and load planning |
| Lifting points and centre of gravity | Needed for loading and delivery planning |
| Photographs before closing | Your only evidence of condition at loading |
That fourth row is worth repeating, because it is where two problems meet. Importers routinely provide the machine’s specification-sheet dimensions when asked for shipment details, and the crate adds height, width and weight on top of them. The result is equipment booked on the wrong dimensions. Ask for crated figures.
Photograph the Packing Before the Container Closes
This costs nothing and settles arguments later.
Ask the supplier for photographs of: the machine on its skid, the surface protection applied, the moisture barrier sealed, the ISPM 15 mark on the wood, the securing inside the container, and the closed crate. Timestamped images of the condition at loading are what support a claim if something arrives damaged — and what show, equally usefully, that the packing was done properly.
For equipment shipped as a multi-piece line rather than a single machine — common with packaging machinery — photograph each unit and its crate separately. One missing piece is easier to identify from a photo list than from a packing list alone.
The Bottom Line
Packing is decided at the factory, but the specification should come from you. The four things that prevent most machinery claims are a moisture barrier, rust protection on bare metal, a compliant crate, and photographs of the condition at loading.
Ask for crated dimensions rather than machine dimensions, and confirm the ISPM 15 mark before the crate closes. Both take one email, and both prevent problems that cost far more than the email.