How to run a pre-shipment inspection when buying from China

By the time a Chinese factory tells you your order is ready, you have usually paid a deposit and the balance is due before shipping. The pre-shipment inspection is the moment in between: the last point where you can still say no.

It is also cheap compared with what it protects. Goods rejected at the UK border were the most common product-safety action in 2025–26, 1,102 cases, and factories sometimes cheapen materials once a buyer is committed, the pattern Paul Midler calls quality fade in Poorly Made in China.

Here is how to run one properly.

1. Write the specification first

An inspector can only check what you have written down. A golden sample, the approved sample you keep as the standard, helps, but on its own it is not enough.

QualityInspection.org lists what a specification sheet needs:

• how each feature should be checked, and what counts as a pass
• packaging and labelling requirements, including anything legally required
• measurement tolerances for dimensions and weights
• a defect classification: which faults are critical, which major, which minor

Ideally you also keep limit samples that show the acceptable upper and lower bounds, not just the perfect unit. A scratch might be minor on a hidden bracket and major on the front of the product, and the specification is where you say so.

2. Put the inspection in the order

Agree in the written order that the goods will be inspected by a third party before shipping, and that the balance is paid only when the inspection passes. Suppliers who refuse to be inspected are telling you something.

3. Pick the right stage

inspection	when	best for
pre-production	before production starts	new suppliers: checking materials and parts
during production	when about 20–40% is made	first orders and large orders
pre-shipment	100% made, at least 80% packed	every order
container loading	while the goods are loaded	high-value shipments

The pre-shipment inspection happens once the goods are 100% produced and at least 80% packaged. The inspector pulls a random sample, checks appearance, function, packaging and labels against your checklist, and writes a report with photos. A during-production check, typically when 20–40% of the order is finished, catches problems while there is still time to fix them.

4. Choose the sampling level

Inspectors do not check every unit. They sample under ISO 2859-1, and General Inspection Level II is the default for consumer goods.

You then set the acceptance quality limit (AQL) for each defect class. Typical limits are 0% for critical defects (anything that could hurt a user or break regulations), 2.5% for major defects (the product doesn’t work as intended) and 4.0% for minor ones. AQL 2.5 means you accept no more than 2.5% defective items on average, judged from the random sample.

5. Book an independent inspector

Use an inspection company that works for you, not one the factory suggests. Comparisons put V-Trust at about $200–280 per inspector-day and QIMA from $309, with QIMA’s general consumer goods inspections at about $300–380.

Send the inspector your specification, photos of the golden sample, the AQL levels and any tests you want run.

6. Read the report and decide

The report gives a pass or fail, with defects counted by class and photographed. From there you have three choices:

1. Pass: release the balance and let the goods ship.
2. Fail but fixable: the factory reworks or sorts the goods, then you re-inspect.
3. Fail and not fixable: you refuse the goods under the terms of your order.

Regulated products need lab tests too

Toys, electricals, children’s products and cosmetics need more than a visual inspection: they need lab tests against UK requirements. These are not always expensive. One lab quotes a UKCA EN 71 toy test report at $215, with a seven-working-day lead time.

One extra rule after Chinese New Year

Many factory workers do not return after the holiday, so the first weeks back run with newer, less experienced staff. Inspect the first production run after the holiday even for a supplier you trust. The timing is covered in Chinese New Year 2027: order deadlines for UK importers.

If you would like this handled for you, from the specification to the inspection report and the shipping, see China sourcing and UK import support.