What box is used to export Hass avocados?

It depends on the destination. The United States and Canada buy the 25 lb (11.34 kg) two-layer corrugated box, sold by count of 28 to 84 fruit per box. Europe, Japan, China and Korea buy the 4 kg single-layer box (sizes 10 to 30) and, less often, the 6 kg box. Mexico's domestic market, Central America and Chile use 10 kg bulk boxes. All of them travel at 5 to 6 °C and 90 to 95 % relative humidity, so the box is specified by wet compression strength, not by nominal board grade.

How many avocado boxes fit in a 40 ft reefer container?

With 20 pallets: about 5,280 boxes of 4 kg (264 per pallet, roughly 21 t net); 1,440 to 1,960 boxes of 25 lb on 48 by 40 in pallets (16 to 22 t); or 2,000 to 2,400 boxes of 10 kg (20 to 24 t). The real limit is the pallet height the receiver accepts and the reefer's maximum payload, not cubic volume.

What is the difference between the 25 lb box and the 4 kg box?

The 25 lb (11.34 kg) box holds two layers of fruit separated by a divider, stacks on a 48 by 40 in pallet and is sold by count (28, 32, 36, 40, 48, 60, 70 or 84 pieces). The 4 kg box holds one layer in a moulded tray, stacks on a 1.0 by 1.2 m pallet (8 per layer) and is sold by size (10 to 30). The 4 kg box needs less strength per box but more boxes per tonne, meaning more board and more print per kilogram of fruit.

Are PP corrugated plastic harvest crates worth it for avocados?

Yes, whenever the orchard and the packhouse recover the crate: a foldable PP corrugated plastic box of 4 to 5 mm, 600 by 400 mm, holding 15 to 20 kg, can be washed and sanitised, folds flat to a quarter of its volume when empty and survives 40 to 80 orchard-to-packhouse trips. Against the injection-moulded rigid crate it costs less per unit and takes less space on the return truck; against corrugated cardboard it avoids buying a new box every trip and removes the risk of a wet box collapsing.

When should I confirm boxes and crates for the avocado season?

Count 10 to 12 weeks back from the first heavy shipment: 30 to 35 days by sea from Asia to Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Callao, Buenaventura or Los Angeles, 3 to 4 weeks of factory time for printed boxes and 1 to 2 weeks for artwork and samples. For the Mexican peak of October to February (with the Super Bowl in the middle) the order closes in September and October; for the Peruvian campaign of April to September it closes in January; for Colombia's main window of October to February, in July and August; for California packers starting in February, in November.

What data should I demand from an avocado box supplier?

In writing with the quotation: flute and number of plies, basis weights, compression strength measured wet, percentage and position of ventilation, inside and outside dimensions, stacking pattern, print type and FSC certification for the corrugated box; sheet thickness in mm, sheet weight, static load and folded quantity per container for the PP crate; plus ISO 9001, SGS verification, physical samples before the order, minimum quantity and true factory lead time plus transit.

Avocado Export Packaging: 25 lb Two-Layer Box, 4 kg Box, Harvest Crates and Boxes per Container (Mexico, Peru, Colombia, California)

Fuxing Development Group · Updated September 29, 2026 · For Hass avocado packers, importers, ripening centers and grower-shippers in Michoacán, Jalisco, La Libertad, Antioquia, Southern California and the McAllen–Laredo corridor · Versión en español

Quick answer: Hass avocados are exported in three different boxes depending on the destination: the 25 lb (11.34 kg) two-layer corrugated box for the United States and Canada, sold by count of 28 to 84 fruit; the 4 kg single-layer box (sizes 10 to 30) for Europe, Japan, China and Korea; and the 10 kg bulk box for Mexico's domestic market, Central America and Chile. From orchard to packhouse the fruit moves in harvest crates, where a foldable 4–5 mm PP corrugated plastic box replaces the rigid injection-moulded crate whenever the crate is recovered. One 40 ft reefer carries about 5,280 boxes of 4 kg (≈ 21 t) or 1,440–1,960 boxes of 25 lb (16–22 t). Mexico shipped 501,824 t to the United States between January and April 2026 alone (+35 %), Peru closed 2025 at 690,000 t (+37 %) and Colombia at 201,479 t (+46 %): three overlapping ordering calendars that, with 30–35 days at sea from Asia plus 3–4 weeks of factory time, force you to confirm boxes and crates 10 to 12 weeks before the first heavy shipment.

Three origins, three calendars: how much packaging Hass avocados move

Avocados are the tropical fruit with the most export boxes in the hemisphere: Mexico supplies the United States almost year-round, Peru dominates the European summer and Colombia fills the gaps of both. California packers add a fourth, smaller calendar from roughly February to September. These figures decide how many boxes, dividers, trays and crates a packhouse needs before picking starts, and why avocado packaging is planned by destination and by week, not by annual volume.

Origin	Latest export data	Destinations and share	Shipping season	Dominant box format
Mexico (Michoacán 88 %, Jalisco 12 % of U.S. volume)	501,824 t to the United States, January–April 2026 (+35 % year on year); US$ 3,653 million exported to the U.S. in 2025; 127,000 t in the four weeks before Super Bowl 2026	United States ≈ 80 % of volume; Canada, Japan, Europe and Central America the rest	Year-round; peak October to February with Super Bowl week as the record	25 lb (11.34 kg) two-layer; 10 kg for the domestic market
Peru (La Libertad, Lima, Ica, Lambayeque, Áncash)	690,000 t in the 2025 campaign (+37 %); 80,000 ha planted, 10,000 not yet bearing; 2026 projection +10 %	Europe 62 % (424,000 t, Netherlands as gateway); United States +55 %, Japan +73 %, China +25 % in 2025	April to September; peak May to July	4 kg single-layer; 10 kg bulk to Chile and Argentina; 25 lb only for the U.S. programme
Colombia (Antioquia 47 %, Risaralda, Caldas, Quindío, Valle)	201,479 t and US$ 375 million in 2025 (+45.6 % volume, +21.3 % value)	Europe > 60 % (Netherlands 35.8 %, Spain rising fast); United States ≈ 30 % of volume	Two windows: October to February (main) and April to June (off-season)	4 kg single-layer; 25 lb for the United States
California (Ventura, San Diego, Riverside counties)	Domestic crop marketed alongside imports; packers in Temecula, Santa Paula, Oxnard and Escondido also repack Mexican and Peruvian fruit	United States and Canada; retail and foodservice programmes	February to September; peak April to July	25 lb two-layer; 12.5 lb single-layer for retail; RPC programmes

Sources: Mexico's Ministry of Agriculture and APEAM (August 2026 and January 2026); ProHass and Agraria.pe (2025 campaign close); Analdex and DANE via Infobae (February 2026). The U.S. share of Mexican volume is indicative. California figures are descriptive; the California Avocado Commission publishes the crop estimate each season.

Which avocado box each destination requires

The first question we get from a new packer is "how much does the avocado box cost?". There is no single answer: there are at least five formats, each with its own pallet, its own way of selling the fruit (count or size) and its own mechanical requirement. Mixing them up is the most common cause of leaning pallets in Philadelphia and crushed boxes in Rotterdam.

Format	Net weight	How the fruit is sold	Usual destination	Pallet and remarks
25 lb two-layer box ("lug")	11.34 kg (25 lb); in practice 11.2–11.5 kg	By count: 28, 32, 36, 40, 48, 60, 70 or 84 fruit, PLU sticker per piece	United States and Canada; the Michoacán, Jalisco and California standard	48 × 40 in GMA pallet (1,219 × 1,016 mm); corrugated divider between layers; ventilation aligned on all four faces
12.5 lb single-layer box ("flat")	5.67 kg	By count: 14, 16, 20, 24, 30, 35 in a moulded tray	U.S. retail that wants fruit without top-layer bruising	Same 48 × 40 in pallet; more board per kilogram, less pressure damage
4 kg single-layer box	4.0 kg (8.8 lb)	By size: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 fruit per box	Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Japan, China, Korea	1.0 × 1.2 m pallet, 8 boxes per layer, 264 boxes per pallet in the typical programme; pulp or plastic moulded tray; importer's brand print
6 kg box	6.0 kg (13.2 lb)	By size, one and a half layers or ordered bulk	Europe (wholesale) and Asia on price programmes	Less board per kilogram than the 4 kg; needs a stiffer lid
10 kg bulk box	10 kg	By size: 26, 28, 30, 32 (smaller fruit)	Mexican domestic market, Central America, Chile, Argentina	1.0 × 1.2 m pallet, 5 per layer; the most demanding in compression because all the weight sits on the bottom
Returnable plastic container (RPC) 37.5 lb	16.8 kg, in tray or bulk	By size or count, per programme	U.S. retail chains with a returnable programme	Rented from the pool operator; the packer only supplies the liner or the inner tray (see RPC rental vs buying)

Counts and sizes follow the practices published by California and Michoacán packers; each retailer sets its own assortment. The 4 kg and 10 kg formats and their sizes follow the technical sheets of Mexican exporters to Europe and Asia.

Corrugated box specification for avocados

Avocados are stored at 5.5–6.5 °C with 90–95 % relative humidity and their commercial shelf life is one to two weeks after ripening, so the board spends up to 35 days in a humid cold room loaded 15 to 22 tiers high. The test that matters is compression strength measured after 24 hours at that humidity, not the dry value printed on most quotations. We explain the full method in the banana carton guide (same wet cold chain) and in PP box vs cardboard: real cost per trip.

Parameter	25 lb two-layer box	4 kg single-layer box	10 kg bulk box
Construction	Tray with telescoping lid or regular slotted box with layer divider; double wall (BC flute) at the corners or column reinforcement	One-piece open tray with reinforced corners, B or C flute	Tray with lid or slotted box, BC double wall
Paper and coating	Kraft or high-performance kraftliner with moisture-resistant treatment; wax-free (U.S. recyclers reject waxed board)	White or brown kraft for brand print; moisture-resistant treatment	Brown kraft; priority to column strength, not print
Ventilation	4–6 % of side area, aligned vertically between tiers and with the divider; closed or flap handles so as not to lose column strength	3–5 %; tray openings must match the openings in the box floor	4–6 %; no openings at the corners
Pallet stacking	6–7 per layer on 48 × 40 in; 12–14 tiers (72–98 boxes)	8 per layer on 1.0 × 1.2 m; 30–33 tiers (240–264 boxes)	5 per layer on 1.0 × 1.2 m; 20–24 tiers (100–120 boxes)
Print	Flexo 2–4 colours, packer brand and U.S. mandatory data (country of origin, count, weight, lot)	Flexo or preprint up to 6 colours as the European chain requires	1–2 colours
Certification and traceability	FSC paper, technical sheet with basis weights and wet compression, lot and orchard code for each country's export programme (APEAM in Mexico, SENASA in Peru, ICA in Colombia, CAC and USDA in California)

Where the corrugated box suffers is in fruit sent back to the cold room to re-ripen or in destination ripening programmes: there many packers switch the bulk level to a 4–5 mm PP corrugated plastic box that does not absorb moisture, is washed and goes back on the line. How to read thickness, sheet weight and load is in the corrugated plastic thickness guide.

Harvest crates: rigid, cardboard or PP corrugated plastic

Before the export box there is another package that almost never appears in the quotation: the crate that carries the fruit from the orchard to the packhouse. In Michoacán and Antioquia picking is done into 20–25 kg injection-moulded rigid crates; in Peru, into crates or 350–400 kg bins; in California, mostly into bins. The loss from impact and pressure in that stretch is what later gets discounted as second-grade fruit.

Option	Capacity and usual dimensions	Advantages	Limits	Relative cost per trip
Injection-moulded rigid crate	20–25 kg; 530 × 360 × 300 mm or similar	Very strong, stackable, washable	Does not fold: the return truck travels full of air; expensive unit; hard surface marks ripe fruit	Low if it lasts more than 5 seasons; high in return logistics
Single-use corrugated cardboard box	10–15 kg	No return, no washing	A new box every trip; softens with dew and fruit washing; not suitable for the humid pre-cooling room	The highest in programmes with more than 3 trips a week
Foldable PP corrugated plastic box	15–20 kg; 600 × 400 × 250–300 mm or 400 × 300 mm; 4–5 mm sheet	Washed and sanitised, absorbs no moisture, folds flat to a quarter of its volume, printed with orchard and lot, smooth surface that does not mark the fruit	Must be recovered: needs inventory control between orchard and packhouse	Pays back in 40–80 trips; after that it costs only the wash

How to specify thickness, sheet weight and static load for the PP crate is detailed in the PP produce box specification template, and the per-trip maths in returnable shipping boxes: the per-trip math and harvest bins cost guide. For a grower who also exports grapes or blueberries, the same crate serves both campaigns if the 600 × 400 mm footprint is chosen.

U.S. importers of PP corrugated boxes, note: boxes made in our Philippine plant carry 0% U.S. AD/CVD — not 0% import duty; 12.5% Section 301 (since Jul 24, 2026) + normal HTSUS duty, confirm with your broker. Details in PP boxes from the Philippines.

Boxes per pallet and per 40 ft reefer

Avocados fill the container by weight before volume, the opposite of blueberries: with 10 kg or 25 lb boxes you reach the reefer's payload limit with medium-height pallets. So the right question to the customer is not "how many boxes fit" but "what pallet height does your distribution center accept and what maximum weight does the destination highway allow".

Box	Pallet	Boxes per pallet	Net weight per pallet	Boxes per 40 ft HC reefer (20 pallets)	Net per container
4 kg single-layer	1.0 × 1.2 m, 8 per layer	240–264	960–1,056 kg	4,800–5,280	19.2–21.1 t
25 lb (11.34 kg) two-layer	48 × 40 in, 6–7 per layer	72–98	816–1,111 kg	1,440–1,960	16.3–22.2 t
10 kg bulk	1.0 × 1.2 m, 5 per layer	100–120	1,000–1,200 kg	2,000–2,400	20–24 t
6 kg	1.0 × 1.2 m, 8 per layer	176–200	1,056–1,200 kg	3,520–4,000	21.1–24 t

Indicative ranges. The typical Mexican exporter programme to Europe and Asia documents 264 boxes of 4 kg per pallet and 5,280 per 40 ft reefer at 4 °C. The reefer's real payload and the axle weight at destination may force one or two tiers off. Mexican fruit to the U.S. mostly crosses by truck through Laredo, Pharr and Nogales on 48 × 40 in pallets, 20–24 pallets per 53 ft trailer.

Ordering calendar: count back from the first shipment

The three campaigns overlap so that a packaging manufacturer has avocado orders almost all year, which means factory lead time does not shorten in the "off season". For printed boxes and PP crates made in Asia the arithmetic is the same in Uruapan, Trujillo, Medellín or Temecula: 1–2 weeks of artwork and samples, 3–4 weeks of factory time, 30–35 days by sea to Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Callao, Buenaventura, Cartagena or Los Angeles/Long Beach, and one week of customs clearance and incoming inspection.

Origin and window	First heavy shipment	Box and crate order close (10–12 weeks earlier)	What is bought
Mexico, October–February peak (includes Super Bowl)	October	September–October (now): artwork approved in the first half of October to have boxes on the line by late December	25 lb box, dividers, PP harvest crates, 10 kg domestic box
Mexico, summer ("loca" and high-altitude fruit)	May	February–March	25 lb replenishment; crates
Peru, April–September campaign	April	January–February	Printed 4 kg box, 10 kg box to Chile, crates and bins
Colombia, main window October–February	October	July–August	4 kg box for Europe, 25 lb for the U.S., PP crates
Colombia, off-season April–June	April	January–February	4 kg replenishment
California, February–September	February	November	25 lb and 12.5 lb boxes, RPC liners, PP crates for bins-to-line transfer

When the order closes late there are two honest ways out: unprinted boxes and standard crates (2–3 weeks of factory time), or consolidating corrugated boxes, PP crates and retail bags in the same container so as not to wait for two shipments. What does not pay is starting the campaign with two suppliers and two technical sheets: when the importer's claim arrives, nobody knows which box went on which pallet.

Data checklist for an avocado packaging quotation

These are the specifications a serious manufacturer delivers in writing with every quotation. If your current supplier does not have them, that is the data missing from your claim when a container arrives with leaning pallets or crushed boxes in the bottom layer.

Component	Data to demand	Why it matters
Corrugated box	Flute and number of plies, liner and medium basis weights, compression strength measured wet (24 h at 90 % RH), percentage and position of ventilation, inside and outside dimensions, stacking pattern, print type, FSC	Decides whether the 12–33 tier pallet arrives straight after 20–35 days at 5–6 °C and 90–95 % humidity
Divider and moulded tray	Material, basis weight, cells per size, compatibility with the box ventilation	Prevents top-layer bruising in the 25 lb and fruit rolling in the 4 kg
PP harvest crate	Thickness in mm, sheet weight, static and dynamic load per box, ventilation, washing and sanitising, folded quantity per container	Sets reuse and cost per orchard-to-packhouse trip
Retail bag (mesh or film)	Material, microns, number of fruit, print, perforation	4- to 6-count programmes for U.S. and European supermarkets; see the produce packaging supplier checklist
Supplier	ISO 9001 / ISO 14001, FSC, SGS verification; physical samples before the order; minimum quantity; true factory lead time plus transit; technical contact in English and Spanish; boxes, crates and bags in the same container	Backs your claim if the packaging does not meet its sheet; one technical sheet per campaign

Corrugated boxes, PP crates and bags for avocados, from one supplier

Fuxing Group manufactures FSC corrugated cartons, foldable PP corrugated plastic boxes and fruit and vegetable bags in China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with ISO 9001 and SGS verification, and works with fresh fruit exporters in Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia. We deliver basis weights, wet compression, thickness and static load in writing with every quotation, send samples before the order and consolidate boxes, crates and bags in the same container to Manzanillo, Callao, Buenaventura or Los Angeles. Quotation in English or Spanish within 12 hours.

Quote on WhatsApp Email jacky@fuxinggroup.cn

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Frequently asked questions

What box is used to export Hass avocados?: It depends on the destination. The United States and Canada buy the 25 lb (11.34 kg) two-layer corrugated box, sold by count of 28 to 84 fruit per box. Europe, Japan, China and Korea buy the 4 kg single-layer box (sizes 10 to 30) and, less often, the 6 kg box. Mexico's domestic market, Central America and Chile use 10 kg bulk boxes. All of them travel at 5 to 6 °C and 90 to 95 % relative humidity, so the box is specified by wet compression strength, not by nominal board grade.
How many avocado boxes fit in a 40 ft reefer container?: With 20 pallets: about 5,280 boxes of 4 kg (264 per pallet, roughly 21 t net); 1,440 to 1,960 boxes of 25 lb on 48 by 40 in pallets (16 to 22 t); or 2,000 to 2,400 boxes of 10 kg (20 to 24 t). The real limit is the pallet height the receiver accepts and the reefer's maximum payload, not cubic volume.
What is the difference between the 25 lb box and the 4 kg box?: The 25 lb (11.34 kg) box holds two layers of fruit separated by a divider, stacks on a 48 by 40 in pallet and is sold by count (28, 32, 36, 40, 48, 60, 70 or 84 pieces). The 4 kg box holds one layer in a moulded tray, stacks on a 1.0 by 1.2 m pallet (8 per layer) and is sold by size (10 to 30). The 4 kg box needs less strength per box but more boxes per tonne, meaning more board and more print per kilogram of fruit.
Are PP corrugated plastic harvest crates worth it for avocados?: Yes, whenever the orchard and the packhouse recover the crate: a foldable PP corrugated plastic box of 4 to 5 mm, 600 by 400 mm, holding 15 to 20 kg, can be washed and sanitised, folds flat to a quarter of its volume when empty and survives 40 to 80 orchard-to-packhouse trips. Against the injection-moulded rigid crate it costs less per unit and takes less space on the return truck; against corrugated cardboard it avoids buying a new box every trip and removes the risk of a wet box collapsing.
When should I confirm boxes and crates for the avocado season?: Count 10 to 12 weeks back from the first heavy shipment: 30 to 35 days by sea from Asia to Manzanillo, Lázaro Cárdenas, Callao, Buenaventura or Los Angeles, 3 to 4 weeks of factory time for printed boxes and 1 to 2 weeks for artwork and samples. For the Mexican peak of October to February (with the Super Bowl in the middle) the order closes in September and October; for the Peruvian campaign of April to September it closes in January; for Colombia's main window of October to February, in July and August; for California packers starting in February, in November.
What data should I demand from an avocado box supplier?: In writing with the quotation: flute and number of plies, basis weights, compression strength measured wet, percentage and position of ventilation, inside and outside dimensions, stacking pattern, print type and FSC certification for the corrugated box; sheet thickness in mm, sheet weight, static load and folded quantity per container for the PP crate; plus ISO 9001, SGS verification, physical samples before the order, minimum quantity and true factory lead time plus transit.