Pre-shipment inspection of the specific steps of the process

Although the importer is usually responsible for arranging pre-shipment inspection, the exporter must inspect the goods in the country of origin.

The steps in the inspection process are usually as follows.

The importer opens the import documents or license.

The importer notifies the importing country's inspection service of the goods to be shipped and pays the inspection fee in advance or a percentage based on the value of the commercial invoice, according to the terms of the importing country's inspection contract.

Inspection orders are forwarded to the office of the inspection company in the exporting country.

The inspection company contacts the exporter to arrange the date, time and location of the inspection. It also requires all necessary shipping documents and price information (invoice). The exporter must provide these documents in a timely manner to avoid demurrage or other penalties.

Conduct the inspection.

If no discrepancies are found during the inspection process and all final documentation is received from the importer and exporter, a "Clean Report of Findings" is issued to confirm the value of the shipment, customs classification and clearance. The final documentation required to issue a "Clean Report of Findings" varies from contract to contract, but in most cases includes the final invoice and bill of lading or airway bill.

The goods are shipped to the importing country.

The importer uses the inspection report to obtain customs clearance for the imported goods. If the goods arrive at the border of the importing country without inspection, they must usually be re-exported to a nearby country for inspection prior to re-entry or face heavy penalties.