Inspection Certificate / SGS
Document issued by an independent body attesting to the conformity of the goods with contractual or regulatory specifications.
Inspection certificate / Inspection report
An inspection certificate is a document issued by an independent (third party) inspection body certifying that the goods have been inspected and comply with agreed specifications or applicable regulations.
Inspection bodies
The main international inspection companies are SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, Cotecna, CCIC, TÜV and BIVAC. They intervene at the request of the buyer, the seller or the authorities of the importing country.
Types of inspections
- Pre-shipment inspection (PSI): pre-shipment verification on behalf of the importing country
- Production inspection: during manufacturing (DUPRO — During Production Inspection)
- Pre-shipment inspection: final check before packing (Final Random Inspection — FRI)
- Inspection at destination: verification on arrival
- Loading monitoring: supervision of container stuffing
Certificate content
Description of the goods, quantities checked, results of checks (visual, dimensional, functional), conformity or non-compliance, photographs and identification of the inspector.
Use in documentary credits
The inspection certificate is frequently required as a document to be presented as part of a letter of credit, providing the buyer with additional assurance of the quality of the goods.
When is it mandatory?
Mandatory for imports into certain countries (PSI/VOC programs), contractually required by the buyer, or required by letters of credit.