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Customs-figure tool · Information, not advice

Is your box within the volume cap?

A balikbayan box is defined as a container up to a maximum volume of 200,000 gross cubic centimetres, without regard to shape — CAO 01-2018 §3.2. Enter your length, width and height in inches or centimetres and this shows the gross cm³ against that figure, with the exact headroom or overage. It runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent or stored. Size (§3.2) is a different limit from value (§4.2) and from the couriers' own weight tiers — the tool keeps the three apart.

Three separate limits — this tool checks only the first

  • Size

    A balikbayan box is defined as a container up to a maximum volume of 200,000 gross cubic centimetres, without regard to shape. That is the figure this tool applies to your dimensions. CAO 01-2018 §3.2

  • Value

    A separate ceiling: ₱150,000 total FCA value of all boxes per sender per calendar year (CAO §4.2). It is not the same as size and is not computed here. The ₱150,000 value limit

  • Weight

    Couriers set their own weight tiers. No customs weight cap exists in the CAO — so this tool does not check weight, and there is no customs weight figure to read into it. Courier weight & size tiers

Measure your box

Or start from a posted LBC tier:

The live checker needs JavaScript. The standard box tiers and the 200,000 cm³ cap are listed below regardless.

Posted LBC tiers vs the 200,000 cm³ cap

  • LBC Small 24×18×9 in ≈ 63,713 cm³ under cap
  • LBC Large 23×17×20 in ≈ 128,147 cm³ under cap
  • LBC Large (alt) 28×18×17 in ≈ 140,404 cm³ under cap
  • LBC Extra Large 24×18×24 in ≈ 169,901 cm³ under cap

Volumes are arithmetic on LBC's posted inch dimensions (edge × 2.54 = cm; L × W × H). Every standard tier sits under the 200,000 cm³ §3.2 cap. LBC USA — Sea Freight (posted box tier dimensions)

Sources — checked, dated

  1. Bureau of Customs — CAO 01-2018 §3.2 (master copy PDF, read visually) — checked
  2. LBC USA — Sea Freight (posted box tier dimensions) — checked

Sources checked

A worked example

Take LBC's posted Extra Large tier, 24 × 18 × 24 inches, and apply the §3.2 figure step by step:

  1. Multiply the three edges 24 × 18 × 24 = 10,368 cubic inches
  2. Convert to centimetres 1 inch = 2.54 cm, so cubic inches × 2.54³ (16.387064) → 10,368 × 16.387064 = 169,901 gross cm³
  3. Compare to the §3.2 cap 169,901 cm³ vs the 200,000 cm³ maximum = 30,099 cm³ under it (about 85% of the cap)

In centimetres directly the box is 60.96 × 45.72 × 60.96 cm, which multiplies to the same 169,901 gross cm³ — the unit toggle above just does this conversion for you. Every standard courier tier lands under the 200,000 cm³ maximum that CAO 01-2018 §3.2 uses to define a balikbayan box; a box only goes over when its own dimensions do. These are arithmetic on LBC's posted dimensions and the §3.2 figure — sourced information, not advice.

Sourced & dated information — not financial or immigration advice. Our sources & ranking policy.

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