Now almost every western business company has understood that importing from China can increase their profitability in the competitive market. The extra profit can then be reinvested for the overall improvement of the company for the future.
However, one thing that most businessmen often fail to understand that unless they incorporate a proper system of pre-shipment inspections on the products that they are planning to import, all their expectations cannot be met.
A few years back “Made in China” mark was considered as an inferior quality of product. To mitigate all these risks, many businesses opt for an inspection before shipment of their goods. This is one of the most important parts in China quality control. These inspections must be carried out by a qualified independent agency before the products are dispatched.
Importing goods from China has become a common practice for businesses all over the world. While it offers many advantages such as lower production costs, there are certain risks involved in the process, such as:
- Substandard quality products
- Shipping delays
- Non-compliance with regulations.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits of pre-shipment inspections for direct sourcing from China.
What is a pre-shipment inspection?
A pre-shipment inspection is done by a QC inspector to inspect the products that has been manufactured before they are going to be shipped for export.
The basic purposes of pre-shipment inspections are to:
- Ascertain the quantity and quality of the products.
- Check products if they have any defects.
- Ensure products will meet all the safety requirements of the destination market.
- Issue a final report for import and billing.
This is the final opportunity to take any corrective action before the products are shipped, making it an effective tool for safeguarding the product against costly risks of import.
After a successful pre-shipment inspection, the inspecting agency will issue an inspection report and that will accompany the consignment to its destination.
Why is inspection necessary before shipment?
An inspection before the shipment is a process of checking the quality of goods before they are shipped to the buyer's destination. This inspection can be carried out by a third-party China inspection agency or by the buyer themselves.
The inspection includes verifying the following:
- Quantity
- Quality
- Product specifications
- Packaging.
This is necessary to ensure that the products fully meet the buyer's requirements and comply with international standards.
What are the benefits of pre-shipment inspections?
The following are a few benefits of performing inspections of goods before the shipment.
1. They help businesses to avoid quality issues
One of the significant benefits of inspection before shipment is that it helps businesses to avoid quality issues. When purchasing products from China, quality issues can be a significant problem. Products may not meet the buyer's requirements, or they may be below international standards.
Quality control in China ensures that the quality of the goods is up to the required standards and meets the buyer's specifications. This can save businesses from the costs of having to return or replace substandard products.
2. They help to ensure timely delivery
Another benefit of pre-shipment inspection is that it helps to ensure timely delivery. Shipping delays can be a significant issue when importing from China.
A thorough inspection before the shipment process helps to identify issues early on, which allows the buyer to resolve them before the goods are shipped.
This can help to ensure that the goods are delivered on time, which is crucial for businesses that rely on timely delivery to meet their customers' demands.
3. They help businesses to ensure compliance with regulations
An inspection before shipment process also helps businesses to ensure compliance with regulations. Importing goods from China can be complex and requires compliance with various regulations such as safety and environmental regulations.
Non-compliance with these regulations can result in fines, penalties, and even legal action. By doing a proper inspection prior to your shipment ensures that the goods comply with these regulations before they are shipped, which can save businesses from the costs of non-compliance.
4. They help build trust between buyers and suppliers
Furthermore, inspection before shipment helps to build trust between buyers and suppliers. When businesses import goods from China, they may not have direct contact with their suppliers.
This may make it difficult to build trust between the two parties. Also, an inspection prior to the shipment allows businesses to verify the quality of the goods before they are shipped, which can help to build trust between the buyer and supplier.
This will lead to long-term relationships between the two parties, which can be beneficial for both parties.
5. They help businesses to save money in the long run
Lastly, pre-shipment inspections can help businesses to save money in the long run. While any inspection before shipment involves an additional cost, it can save businesses from the following:
- Costs of substandard products
- Shipping delays
- Non-compliance with regulations.
These costs can be significant and can far outweigh the cost of your inspection before shipment. By identifying quality issues, shipping delays, and non-compliance with regulations early on, businesses can take corrective action before the goods are shipped, which can save them money in the long run.
What areas should you pay attention to for pre-shipment inspections?
When it comes to pre-shipment inspection, it is essential to choose the right inspection company. There are many China inspection companies, and not all of them provide the same level of service.
It is important to choose an inspection company that has experience in your industry and can provide the necessary expertise to ensure that the goods meet the required standards.
The inspection process itself should be thorough and detailed. The inspector should verify the quantity, quality, specifications, and packaging of the goods. They should also check for any defects or damages, conduct functional tests, and verify compliance with regulations.
The inspection report should be comprehensive and include photos, videos, and detailed descriptions of any issues found during the inspection.
It is also important to note that inspection before shipment should not be the only quality control measure taken when importing from China. It is recommended to have quality control measures in place throughout the entire production process, from the initial manufacturing stage to the final inspection before shipment.
This helps to ensure that any issues are identified and resolved early on, which can prevent costly mistakes in the long run.
By investing in inspections before shipment, businesses can minimize the risks involved in importing goods from China and ensure that they receive high-quality products that meet their requirements and comply with international standards.
What are the important steps to follow for pre-shipment inspections?
1. Inspection visit
Most pre-shipment inspections will take place at the factory. If the inspectors think that the products contain any restricted chemicals, then off-site lab testing may be advised for those products.
An example is, products may contain toxic chemicals like lead and toxins derived from dyes, which are usually very tightly regulated in the US and Europe.
2. Quantity verification
Here the inspectors will count the shipping cartons for verifying the correct quantity. Besides, this will also ensure that the correct quantity of products and boxes are sent to the right destination that was agreed between a buyer, and the supplier, so that bank can initiate payment.
Also, it will be checked to verify whether the correct packing materials have been used to ensure safe transportation, and correct labels are applied.
3. Random selection
If you have hired any skilled pre-shipment inspection services which is internationally recognized, then they will use statistical sampling procedure.
According to this standard the acceptable number of flaws within a batch prior to rejection is determined with an AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit). The AQL may vary based on what type of product is under evaluation. However, the objective is to offer a balanced, unbiased view.
4. Cosmetic and workmanship check
In this check, the first thing an inspector is going to look at from the random selection will be the overall workmanship of all the finished products, so that they can identify any immediately visible defects.
Defects can typically be classified as: Critical, Major, Minor. This classification will be based on certain predetermined acceptable tolerance levels, usually which are agreed upon between the supplier and manufacturer during product development.
5. Conformity verification
Here the quality control inspectors will check dimensions of the product, material, and construction, colour, weight, marking, and labelling.
6. Safety and function tests
Safety and function tests will depend upon the nature of products that you are importing from China. For any moving products like bicycles or pushchairs a mechanical safety test will be conducted whether they can cause any injuries if they ever get defective.
If you are importing any electrical/electronic products, then there are wide ranges of safety regulations are in place that will be checked before they are certified.
To evaluate for electrical safety various testing will be done under laboratory conditions and the following tests will be conducted:
High voltage test: In this test, product’s ability to withstand a high voltage will be checked by applying high voltages between electrical circuit and the ground.
Leakage current test: Checking will be done to find whether current flowing between an AC source and the ground should not exceeds a certain specified limit.
Insulation resistance test: The quality of electrical insulation will be checked.
Ground continuity test: To make sure that a clear path exists between all exposed metal parts and the power system ground.
7. Inspection report
At the end, when all the inspection activities are completed, a detailed report will be compiled with a clear pass/fail result, detailed account of each inspection results, and an overview of various key findings.
Pre-shipment reports also include clear images to show all inspection points, so you can verify exactly what was discovered.
Conclusion
Pre-shipment inspection is a crucial process that businesses should consider when importing goods from China. It helps in the following:
- Identify quality issues
- Ensure timely delivery
- Ensure compliance with regulations
- Build trust between buyers and suppliers.
- Over a period of time, save businesses money.
By investing in pre-shipment inspection, businesses can mitigate the risks involved in importing goods from China and ensure that they receive high-quality products that meet their requirements and comply with international standards.If you are short on time and unable to manage the pre-shipment inspection, you can entrust them to a professional procurement agency, which will provide you with professional China sourcing services, including the professional China inspection services.
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