Pre-Shipment Inspection Before The Container Closes
During a pre-shipment inspection our engineers verify that the finished goods conform to your specification. It generally happens when production is 100 percent complete and packaging is about 80 percent complete, which is the last point where a problem can still be fixed cheaply and in the right country.
What Inspection Prevents
- Last minute hassles at the point where the shipment is already committed
- Expensive reworks and the delays that come with discovering a fault after loading
- Fines that follow from failing to meet the regulatory requirements of the destination market
- Damage to your brand from shipping goods that do not match what you sold
- Misrouting and misplacement of goods inside a consignment
- Arguments with a supplier about a defect that nobody documented while the goods were still in reach
Why This Needs Qualified People
Inspecting manufactured goods before shipment is time sensitive and complex, and it sits inside an international framework.
Timing
Problem. Inspect too early and the packing is not representative. Inspect too late and the container is already booked.
How we solve it. Inspection is scheduled when production is 100 percent complete and packaging is around 80 percent complete, which is where findings are still actionable.
Framework
Problem. Pre-shipment inspection is not a private arrangement. It sits under international agreement, so the way it is conducted matters.
How we solve it. Since its introduction in 1994, pre-shipment inspection has been guided by the Agreement on Pre-Shipment Inspection and other World Trade Organization agreements, and inspectors work to obligations set out there.
Conduct
Problem. An inspector with an interest in the outcome is worth nothing to the buyer paying for the report.
How we solve it. Certified experts work to the principles the agreements stipulate, including non-discrimination, transparency and confidentiality.
Destination Rules
Problem. Regulatory requirements are dynamic and vary by product and by destination market, so last year's checklist can be out of date.
How we solve it. We check the shipment against the latest and most appropriate product quality regulations for the market it is going to.
How An Inspection Runs
Scheduled at the right moment, conducted against your specification, reported before the container is sealed.
What The Inspection Gives You
- Written confirmation that the finished goods conform to your specification, or a documented list of where they do not
- A check against the product quality regulations that apply in the destination market
- Confirmation that the consignment is packed and marked for the right destination
- A decision point before the container is sealed rather than after it lands
Product Families This Covers
Industries We Run This For
Pre-Shipment Inspection FAQ
When exactly is the inspection carried out?
Who inspects, and are they independent?
Do you check destination market regulations too?
Can I use my own inspection company?
What if the inspection fails?
Is inspection included on your own orders?
Inspect It While It Is Still In China
Tell us the order, the specification and the destination market. We will schedule the inspection at the right point in production and report before the container closes.
We reply within 24 hours on WhatsApp or by email. Send a drawing, a photo or a bill of materials and we will quote it as it stands.