Export packing requirements for solar pump kits
Packing is the part of a solar pump order that gets specified last and causes the most arguments. This is the packing clause from one real irrigation tender, with the reason behind each line, because the reasons are more useful than the rules.
One tender is one buyer. Other procurements word this differently, and many do not word it at all, which is its own problem.
50 kg, no exceptions
The realistic handling unit when the last kilometre has two people and no forklift.
Three handling cycles
Port, port, depot, site. Packing that survives one careful lift is not the same packing.
Open storage and a rainy season
Goods will sit outside somewhere. The specification assumes it rather than hoping otherwise.
The clause, as written
| Item | What the tender required |
|---|---|
| Package weight | No single package above 50 kg gross. |
| Handling durability | Packaging to survive at least three loading and unloading cycles, unpaved road transport, open storage and a rainy season. |
| Modules | Shipped upright in solid wooden crates, with corner protection and the maximum stacking height marked. |
| Pumps and controllers | Individually moisture-proofed with desiccant. |
| PVC pipe | Bundled with end caps fitted. |
| Documents | A waterproof packing list inside every package, plus three consolidated packing lists per shipment. |
| Serial numbers | Recorded into an editable spreadsheet register. |
Source: the bidding documents of one World Bank funded solar irrigation programme, 2026.
Why each rule exists
Read as a list it looks fussy. Read against the journey the goods actually make, every line is someone remembering a previous shipment.
50 kg per package
Because the last kilometre has no forklift. Two people and a tailgate is the realistic handling assumption on a rural delivery, and a 70 kg crate gets dropped.
Three handling cycles
Port of loading, port of discharge, inland depot, then site. Packaging that survives one careful handling in a Chinese warehouse is not the same packaging.
Modules upright
A module laid flat with weight on it cracks cells invisibly. Upright in a solid crate with corner protection and a marked stacking height is how they arrive intact.
Desiccant with pumps and controllers
A container crossing the tropics goes through daily condensation cycles. Electronics and motor windings sitting in that for five weeks is how a new controller fails on first power-up.
End caps on pipe bundles
Open pipe ends fill with dust, water and occasionally insects in open storage, and the site has no way to clean the inside of a 5.8 m length.
The paperwork that travels with it
| Waterproof packing list in every package | So a package opened on site can be checked without the paperwork that travelled separately and got wet. |
| Three consolidated packing lists per shipment | One for customs, one for the consignee, one for the file. Sending a single copy is how a container sits at the port. |
| Serial numbers in an editable register | A spreadsheet, not a PDF, because the buyer has to merge it with their own asset records and their warranty claims depend on it. |
Serial registration has to be agreed before production
Recording a serial number against a package, for every pump, controller and module in a container, is work that happens on the packing line. It cannot be reconstructed afterwards from a pile of crates. If a tender asks for a serial register, it has to be in the factory instruction before production starts, not raised at the inspection.
Get packing priced, not assumed
Solid crates, corner protection, desiccant and splitting loads to stay under 50 kg all cost more than standard export cartons, and they take more container volume. An offer that says nothing about packing has usually assumed the cheap option, and the difference appears as damage rather than as a line on the invoice.
| Ask for the packing method on the quotation | Crate type, weight per package, how modules are oriented, what goes in with desiccant. |
| Ask for volume as well as weight | Better packing takes more space. If it changes from a 40HQ to two containers, you want to know before booking. |
| Ask who pays if it arrives damaged | It is an Incoterms question, and it is better settled in the quotation than in an email after the photographs arrive. |
How we handle it
We agree the packing method with the audited partner factory before production and put it on the quotation, including weight per package and how the modules are crated. Where a tender or contract sets its own packing clause, we quote against that clause rather than against our default, and we say plainly if something in it needs the factory to change its normal practice. Goods ship FOB China; freight, insurance and the inland leg at the far end are arranged at your end.
Shipping somewhere with a difficult last mile?
Tell us where it is going and how it gets there from the port. Packing is cheaper to get right before production than to argue about after arrival.
Export packing FAQ
What are typical export packing requirements for solar pump kits?
In the tender described here: no package above 50 kg gross, packaging able to survive at least three loading and unloading cycles plus unpaved road transport, open storage and a rainy season, modules shipped upright in solid wooden crates with corner protection and a marked stacking height, pumps and controllers individually moisture-proofed with desiccant, and PVC pipe bundled with end caps.
Why is 50 kg a common package weight limit?
Because it is what two people can handle without equipment. On a rural delivery there is no forklift at the far end, and a crate that needs one either gets dropped or gets dragged. Keeping every package under 50 kg is the difference between goods arriving intact and goods arriving damaged with nobody to blame.
Should solar modules be shipped flat or upright?
Upright, in a solid crate, with corner protection and the maximum stacking height marked on the outside. Laid flat with any weight on top they develop micro-cracks that do not show on inspection but shorten the module’s life and cost output from day one.
Why do pumps and controllers need desiccant?
A container crossing the tropics heats and cools every day, and each cycle condenses moisture inside it. Five weeks of that on an unprotected controller board or an uncoated motor winding is a real cause of equipment that fails on first power-up, long after anyone can prove why.
What packing documents should ship with a solar pump order?
A waterproof packing list inside every package so it can be checked on site, and consolidated packing lists for the shipment, typically in three copies. Serial numbers should come as an editable spreadsheet register rather than a PDF, because the buyer has to merge them into their own asset and warranty records.
Does the packing specification affect the price?
Yes, and it should be quoted rather than assumed. Solid wooden crates, corner protection, desiccant and splitting loads to stay under 50 kg all cost more than standard export cartons. It is cheaper than replacing cracked modules, but it is not free, and an offer that is silent on packing is usually silent because it assumed the cheap option.
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