Pre-shipment inspection in India
Clear To Load carries out pre-shipment inspections at any factory in India for US$249 per man-day. When your order is fully produced and at least 80% packed, an inspector draws a random sample sized by ISO 2859-1, checks quantity, workmanship, function, packing and labelling against your specification, and reports a verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
- Price
- US$249 per man-day
- Report
- Within 24 hours
- Coverage
- Any factory in India
- Result
- Cleared to load · Hold · Not cleared
A pre-shipment inspection (PSI), also called a final random inspection (FRI), is the last check on your goods before they leave an Indian factory, and usually before you pay the balance. This page covers how Clear To Load runs it in India: when to book against the factory's ready date, what it costs in man-days, and what the report shows. For a step-by-step list, use the pre-shipment inspection checklist; for sample sizes, read AQL sampling explained or try the AQL calculator.
What the inspector checks on a finished, packed lot
Every check is made against your purchase order, specification and approved sample, and recorded with photos. Product-specific checks come from your tech pack.
| Check | What the inspector does |
|---|---|
| Quantity and packing status | Units produced and packed against the purchase order; carton count against the packing list. |
| Random sampling | Sample size and accept/reject numbers from ISO 2859-1 for your lot size, inspection level and AQL, drawn by the inspector from packed cartons. |
| Workmanship | Visual defects classified as critical, major or minor against your approved sample. |
| Dimensions and weight | Measured against your specification sheet and tolerances. |
| Moisture content (wooden goods) | Moisture meter readings on sampled pieces against your target, typically 8–11%, set by the destination's climate (our default limit is 11%). |
| Function and fit | Product-specific tests: drawers and doors, assembly trials, stability, zips and seams, electrical function. |
| Packing and labelling | Carton markings, barcodes, care and warning labels, country of origin, compliance labels. |
| Carton drop test | Drop test on export cartons for fragile and heavy goods. |
When to book a PSI in India
Work back from the vessel cut-off, not forward from the ready date. Each step below needs its own working days, and the last one, rework, is the one buyers forget.
| Step | When | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ready date from the factory | As soon as the factory gives one | Ask for the date the order will be 100% produced and at least 80% packed, not the date production ends. |
| Your booking | At least the notice for the factory's travel band (table below) | We confirm the inspector, date and price within 24 hours. |
| Inspection day | 100% produced, at least 80% packed | With less packed, the inspector cannot sample from export cartons or judge the packing, and the visit may be reported as Hold (inspection not completed in full). |
| Report | Within 24 hours of the visit | After supervisor review. The verdict is on the first line. |
| Rework and reinspection | Leave several working days before the cut-off | If the lot is Not cleared, the factory reworks and we recheck the failed points: US$149 per visit, plus travel. |
| Monsoon (June to September) | Add time to the plan | Packed goods stored in humid sheds take up moisture, and lacquer, glue and touch-ups dry slowly, so rework takes longer. Expect more moisture readings near the limit. |
| Diwali (October or November) | Book earlier than usual | Many factories try to finish orders before the festival break, so ready dates bunch together and often slip. Confirm the ready date again in the week before the inspection. |
Notice by travel band
Notice runs from your booking to the inspection day. Tell us early if the ready date moves; we reschedule free of charge up to 24 hours before the visit. Check your factory's band on the coverage page.
| Band | Where | Notice | Travel fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | Jodhpur | Same day when an inspector is free, otherwise 1–2 working days | No travel fee |
| Band B | Jaipur, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Delhi NCR or Kolkata, where our other inspectors are based | Same day to 3 working days, depending on the city | US$99 per man-day |
| Band C | Anywhere else in India | Up to 5 working days, depending on distance | Actual travel cost, quoted before you book |
PSI cost in man-days, with a worked example
A PSI is priced by the man-day: US$249 for one inspector at one factory for one working day (8 hours on site), report included. As a guide, one man-day covers one factory and up to 3 furniture styles at General Level II, or up to 5 styles of smaller décor, textile or kitchen items. Large lots, many styles or full assembly and function tests can need more.
Worked example. A buyer orders 450 pieces of solid wood furniture in 3 styles from a factory in Jaipur. At General Inspection Level II, ISO 2859-1 gives code letter H and a sample of 50 pieces; at AQL 2.5 for major defects the lot is accepted with up to 3 and rejected at 4. Three furniture styles fit in one man-day, and Jaipur is in Band B:
| Line | Sum | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | 1 man-day × US$249 | US$249 |
| Travel, Band B (Jaipur) | 1 man-day × US$99 | US$99 |
| Total before tax | US$348 |
The same order from a Jodhpur factory costs US$249, as Jodhpur has no travel fee. A larger order of 900 pieces in 6 styles takes a sample of 80 (code letter J, accept 5, reject 6 at AQL 2.5) and, at about 3 furniture styles per man-day, usually 2 man-days: US$498 in Jodhpur. If the lot is Not cleared, a reinspection costs US$149 per visit, plus travel. All rates and an estimator are on pricing; the market comparison is in inspection cost in India.
What Indian factories and routes add to a PSI
Paperwork you should send us
Your purchase order, specification or tech pack, approved sample photos and any compliance labels you expect to see. Indian factories often work from a buyer's email thread rather than a formal spec, so the inspector checks against what you send, not what the factory remembers.
Hand-made goods
For furniture, décor, rugs and handicrafts, agree a tolerance for natural variation before production. We record it in the checklist so the verdict reflects what you accepted, not what a mass-production standard would expect.
Packing for long voyages
Goods from Indian factories spend weeks at sea and often pass through monsoon humidity. We check carton strength, moisture protection and the ISPM 15 mark on wood packaging as part of every pre-shipment inspection.
A buyer's PSI is not a government export or import certificate
Two official schemes in India also use the words "pre-shipment inspection". Both are separate from the inspection you book for your purchase order.
- DGFT pre-shipment inspection certificate (PSIC). The Directorate General of Foreign Trade recognises pre-shipment inspection agencies that inspect imports of metallic waste and scrap into India, in the exporting country, and issue a PSIC. It applies to those imports, not to consumer goods leaving India.
- Export Inspection Council (EIC) export inspection. The EIC was set up under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. Products notified under that Act, today mainly foods such as fish, dairy, egg products and honey, need official inspection and certification before export. A buyer's PSI checks your goods against your order; EIC certification checks notified goods against a government standard.
Clear To Load's PSI is a private, buyer-paid quality inspection. It does not replace a certificate that your destination's customs or a government scheme requires, and we do not issue one. Which goods need official export inspection is set out in is PSI mandatory in India? EIC inspection vs buyer PSI.
Your PSI report, and a real one to read
Cleared to load Hold Not cleared
The report opens with the verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. Then come the sampling plan and the defect counts against the accept and reject numbers, a checklist of quantity, dimensions, moisture, workmanship, function, packing and marking, every finding with a photo and its class, and the inspector's notes. It also says plainly what could not be checked and why.
Read Sample 01, a final random inspection of 181 pieces of solid wood and woven-panel furniture in Jodhpur: 31 pieces were checked, 2 minor defects were found against an accept number of 3, and the lot was cleared. The report records that no sealed sample or dimensional tolerance had been supplied, so finish and size deviations were reported rather than judged. For a lot that failed, see Sample 05. All six are on sample reports.
See all sample reports- Sample (ISO 2859-1, level II, code G)
- 31 pcs
- Critical defects
- 0 · zero tolerance
- Major defects (AQL 2.5)
- 0 · accept ≤ 2
- Minor defects (AQL 4.0)
- 2 · accept ≤ 3
- Quantity vs PO
- 181 of 181 offered
- Barcodes
- Scanned · passed
Often booked with pre-shipment inspection
During-production inspection
Catch systematic defects while there is still time to fix them.
Container loading supervision
The right goods, in sound cartons, in a sound container, sealed.
Lab testing coordination
Independent sample pulling and test booking at accredited labs.
Pre-shipment inspection: questions buyers ask
How much notice do you need?
It depends on the factory's travel band: same day when an inspector is free, otherwise 1–2 working days in Jodhpur (Band A); same day to 3 working days, depending on the city in Jaipur, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Delhi NCR and Kolkata (Band B); up to 5 working days, depending on distance anywhere else (Band C). Book as soon as the factory gives you a ready date.
What happens if the inspection fails?
You decide. The report shows every defect with photos. Most buyers ask the factory to rework and book a reinspection, which costs US$149 per visit plus travel; some accept with a discount. The goods should not ship on a Not cleared verdict unless you approve.
Is this the DGFT pre-shipment inspection certificate (PSIC)?
No. The PSIC belongs to a Directorate General of Foreign Trade scheme: recognised agencies inspect imports of metallic waste and scrap into India and issue the certificate. Clear To Load's pre-shipment inspection is a buyer's quality inspection of your goods against your purchase order. It is not a government certificate.
Can a pre-shipment inspection replace lab testing?
No. An inspection checks finished goods visually, dimensionally and functionally. Chemical, flammability and stability tests need an accredited laboratory. We can pull and seal the lab samples during the same visit.
Can you combine the inspection with container loading?
Yes, if the goods are loaded at the same site. One inspector covers both and the report includes container and seal photos. We confirm whether it fits in one man-day when you book.
Can the inspector weigh the packaging for EPR or Plastic Packaging Tax reporting?
Yes, as an add-on to the inspection. The inspector weighs sampled units and their packaging by material (cartons, plastics, fillers) against your packaging specification. It supports your own EPR or Plastic Packaging Tax reporting; it is not a separate certification.
Sources
Checked 14 October 2026.
- ISO 2859-1:2026, Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes, Part 1 (iso.org)
- ISTA test procedures for packaged products (ista.org)
- IPPC: ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade
- DGFT: Pre-shipment inspection agencies and PSIC for imports of metallic waste and scrap
- Export Inspection Council of India, set up under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963
Know before it ships
Tell us the product, the factory's city and your ready date. We confirm the inspector, the notice time and the price before you book.