Pre-shipment inspections are physical inspections of goods to be exported and take place in the exporter’s country. Importing countries often require or request such pre-inspections to protect against overcharging by the exporter, prevent substandard goods from entering the country, and to deflect attempts to avoid the payment of customs duties. In most cases, the requirement applies to all imported products, regardless of value. In some instances, however, inspections are only necessary for shipments over a certain value. Pre-shipment inspection requirements are sometimes spelled out in Letters of Credit or other documents. The following countries currently require or request pre-shipment inspections:
Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe