Pre-Shipment Inspection – An Exporter’s Guide…
More and more businesses exporting to countries such as Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are coming un-stuck when it comes to the pre-shipment inspection (PSI) process.
Our expert Account Managers agree, it’s not hard to see why. With frequent changes to regulation and new requirements that all too often pass unnoticed or are misjudged.
Understanding Pre-Shipment Inspection
Government’s around the world require pre-shipment inspection to ensure that imports comply with their regulations, they are not substandard or prohibited, and to protect valuable duty and tax revenue.
The Pre-Shipment Inspection Process
- A physical inspection of goods is carried out. This takes place in the country of export, before the goods are shipped. The aim is to establish the exact type of goods, condition as well as the markings of goods you are shipping.
- Once the commercial invoice, other export documents and Inspection Report is found satisfactory you will be issued with a Certificate of Conformity which will allow your importer to clear customs in the Import country
Pre-Shipment Inspection – 5 Things to Consider
- Does the country in question require certification/inspection? Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Sudan are amongst the countries that have implemented mandatory pre-shipment inspection programme. Need help? Call Us>>
- Which Agent provides the programme? Each country’s pre-shipment inspection programme is implemented by an agent. The agent differs from country to country. Need help? Call Us>>
- The procedures for the destination country and the product being shipped. This includes timescales, documents and testing.
- What will be checked? Each pre-shipment inspection process is different for each Import country, and understanding what an inspector will check is vital. This includes markings, quantities, packaging and general quality.
- How long will it take? This is dependent on several factors, including the country you intend to import into and the agent implementing the process. For countries that require 100% pre-shipment inspection the process may involve a physical check of each individual product…so can be between 2 hours and a full day.
Pre-shipment inspection – Top three challenges you’ll face
- The wide variation of rules and requirements. Considering the multiple Conformity Programmes and agencies.
- Conflicting information. Frequently different agencies will provide different information relating to estimated timescales or the export documents required.
- Incorrect packaging. Exporters come un-stuck time and time again when it comes to packaging, markings and labelling. Language, dates, County of Origin must all meet a strict set of mandatory requirements.
XDS export document advice – “The most common problem faced by exporters is time. Or the lack of it. Be realistic about the time to allow for preparation of documentation, and the inspection itself. Failure to do this often results in freight movements being blocked and consequently cancelled. Impacting the supply chain and bringing the possibility of financial penalty”.
How we can help
At XDS Solutions our team of expert Account Managers is dedicated to helping exporters to streamline and speed up the export document process.
By individually examining all aspects of your export documentation, we will establish a clear and coherent audit trail for each shipment to ensure customs compliance.
We can support your pre-shipment inspection process to countries across Africa and the Middle East, including Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Talk to us today>>
SASO or SONAP in 5-days? You can with XDS.
XDS Solutions has simplified the CoC process for Saudi, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. Making the process far easier thanks to better communication. Also the time it takes for a Certificate of Conformity to be issued is faster than the inspection agencies we’d used previously.
We did start to work with XDS as the procedures to get SASO or KUCAS seemed to be much easier than with other organisations in France. We found procedures elsewhere became constantly ever more complicated and slow.
XDS are always ready and willing to respond to any questions or concerns that we may have about certification processes and are very reactive. Since working with XDS we’re able to avoid delaying shipments due to certification, which helps us to meet our commitments to our customers.
I first approached XDS Solutions after an urgent request for SASO documentation from a Saudi Customer. I knew nothing about the documentation and was a little overwhelmed when I discovered what was required to produce them. However, the service provided by XDS was absolutely top class. They gave me every assistance I required and provided understanding to the whole process. The Documents were provided in good time and I was able to send them to Saudi Arabia quickly to allow the goods to enter the country without delay.
I have since used them on several occasions and am always dealt with promptly. The staff are proficient in their service and the quality comes through. I can’t thank them enough for their initial assistance and with everything that has followed.
The whole experience of working with XDS Solutions has been positive. When we have an order for Saudi Arabia that we need assistance with I know now that it will be dealt with quickly and expertly. The account managers and the service from XDS is fantastic
