Pre Shipment Inspection to Avoid Shipping Delays

Pre shipping inspection has such an important role to play that without its proper execution, it can lead to shipping delays. This explains the intensity of importance that shipping inspection has. Usually the transit time for the container to reach the port is approximately less than 7 days. But to be on the safe side, most officials guarantee a time span of 7 days. The reason for increasing the bandwidth is primarily to make sure that the inspection process is followed without any delay. Pre shipping inspection in China is a comprehensive process which follows several protocols. This in a way is good because professionals can be rest assured that only the best reaches them and the fact that there has been no compromise on quality.

Inspection is a must and it should not necessarily be followed after the product is ready to be shipped. Quality control or inspection should be followed at several stages of manufacturing and production. Detecting problem areas in the early stages of production leaves room for alterations but in the final stage, the situation gets slightly difficult.

Delays are always unwanted and do not show you in good light. So this post will help you understand the pre shipping inspection aspects that you need to consider in order to avoid delays.

•  Incorrect Documentation – Shipping delays in China takes place largely because of the delay in completing the documentation process. The paperwork is usually very straightforward and direct in its approach. This makes a lot of people wonder, then why the delay when the process is hassle free and far from any complication? The reason in delay takes place only when the quality control team finds questionable points in the paperwork. Chinese suppliers get export rebate from the government. The rebate amount at times makes for a larger portion of the profit margin than the direct margin that they receive from the sale. This acts like a temptation for manufacturers to show incorrect HS codes so that they can earn maximum rebate income. This is a kind of fraud which comes under the notice of the inspection team thereby causing a delay.

•  Customs Inspection – Customs inspection both at “Port of Destination” and “Port of Loading” select a certain portion of the containers in order to inspect them. Each customs inspection team have their own set of policy for selecting as well as checking the containers. However, there are definitely a set of parameters based on which the inspection takes place. These parameters are risk profile of a particular product and detailed history of the exporter but that is selected completely on a random basis. These are some of the basic parameters but yet again the aspects selected for inspection is very random.

•  Port Congestion – Port congestion is quite a common problem in areas where the number of containers is more than what the port can accommodate. In China this is a common scenario during the Chinese New Year and in the month of October because of Christmas sales. Understanding the problem of port congestion during a specific time frame, the quality control team can ensure that the inspection process is completed within a fixed time span in order to avoid traffic as much as possible. Quality inspection and testing of the products takes place at the factory’s facility by the quality control team.

Most of the above mentioned pointers can be avoided provided the pre shipping inspection processes become regularised and falls under a routine.