Pre-shipment inspection is a step taken by buyers, suppliers, agencies, and other trade operators to ascertain the conformity of newly manufactured products before shipping for export or import. It is a systematic procedure for determining whether the manufactured goods for export or import meet the requirements in regards to the quantity, quality standards, specifications, and regulations. All pre-shipment inspections must adhere to internationally recognized ANSI/ASQC Z1.4 (ISO 2859-1) statistical sampling procedure. Comprehensive inspections are conducted before the products are shipped to clients focusing on functionality, performance, durability, appearance, dimension, and so on. During pre-shipment inspections, the inspectors use the AQL sample size selected randomly from all batches in the order.
The quality control inspector compiles a comprehensive inspection report and issues pre-shipment inspection certificates based on the findings of the assessment of each criterion. Inspection reports visualize and explain the quality control process while inspection certificates verify whether the batches of products inspected conform to the specifications in the sale contract with a pass or fail. In most countries, local custom departments require pre-shipment inspection certificates to allow entry of imported goods as a measure to protect the health and safety of consumers. Whether you are exporting or importing, pre-shipment inspections offer a wide range of benefits and should be prioritized.