Definition in short
This is the glossary definition. How a PSI works, step by step, is on pre-shipment inspection explained; the Clear To Load service, prices and booking are on pre-shipment inspection in India.
A pre-shipment inspection is the last of the usual quality checks on an order. It comes after a pre-production inspection and a during-production inspection, and before container loading supervision. The same check is also called a final random inspection (FRI) or a final inspection.
The two conditions in the definition
- Finished goods. The order is 100% produced, so the sample represents what will ship, not the first good units off the line.
- Mostly packed. At least 80% of the goods are in export cartons, so the inspector draws samples from sealed cartons and checks cartons, shipping marks and labels at the same time.
The sample size and the accept and reject numbers come from AQL sampling under ISO 2859-1. A PSI checks what can be seen, measured and operated; lab tests are a separate step. The result decides whether the buyer releases the balance payment. At Clear To Load it ends in one verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. The full checklist is in the PSI checklist guide.