Trade Solutions — 04
Pre-Shipment Facilitation
Everything that has to be right before a cargo loads — supplier verification, inspection, certification and documentation — because almost nothing can be fixed once it has sailed.
What is pre-shipment facilitation?
Pre-shipment facilitation covers every step before goods are loaded: verifying the supplier, agreeing specification, arranging independent pre-shipment inspection, obtaining quality, quantity, origin and phytosanitary certificates, securing export permits, confirming packing and marking, and coordinating vessel nomination so the cargo is ready, compliant and documented when it loads.
Why the work happens before loading
Once a cargo has loaded, the options for correcting it narrow almost to nothing. A specification mismatch, a missing certificate or an unverified supplier discovered at sea becomes a claim, a rejected discharge or a payment that does not release.
Pre-shipment is therefore where the risk in a physical trade is cheapest to remove. Most of what goes wrong at the destination was preventable at origin.
How it runs
Supplier verification
The supplier's standing, ownership and ability to deliver the stated goods are verified before goods are committed — including that the goods exist and are theirs to sell.
Specification and tolerances
The specification is confirmed against the sale contract and the destination's requirements, with tolerances and rejection thresholds stated.
Pre-shipment inspection
An independent surveyor samples and inspects the goods for quality and quantity before loading, and issues the certificates settlement will rely on.
Certification and permits
Certificates of origin, phytosanitary and fumigation certificates, dangerous goods declarations and export permits are obtained as the goods and destination require.
Packing, marking and readiness
Packing, marking and labelling are checked against the contract and destination rules, and cargo readiness is confirmed against the vessel or container schedule.
Loading supervision
Loading is supervised and the bill of lading checked against the inspected goods, so the transport document describes what was actually shipped.
What pre-shipment typically produces
Indicative. Requirements vary by commodity, origin and destination.
- Supplier checks
- Standing, ownership, sanctions screening, proof of goods
- Inspection
- Independent certificates of quality and quantity
- Origin
- Certificate of origin, legalised where required
- Plant health
- Phytosanitary and fumigation certificates for agricultural goods
- Hazardous cargo
- Dangerous goods declarations and handling instructions
- Permits
- Export licences where the goods or route require them
- Transport
- Bill of lading checked against inspected goods
Common questions
Frequently asked
What is pre-shipment inspection?
An independent surveyor samples and examines goods before they are loaded, confirming they meet the contracted quality and quantity. The certificates issued typically govern settlement and are often a condition of payment, so inspection is arranged under terms both buyer and seller accept.
Who pays for pre-shipment inspection?
It is allocated in the sale contract, and is often shared or borne by the buyer. What matters more than who pays is that the inspection regime is agreed by both sides and matches what the payment terms require.
Can you verify a supplier before I commit?
Yes. Supplier verification — standing, ownership, sanctions exposure and evidence that the goods exist and are theirs to sell — is the first step, and it is the cheapest point at which to decline a trade that is not what it appears.
Is this available for commodities you do not trade yourselves?
Pre-shipment facilitation is offered as a service in its own right. Tell us the commodity, origin and destination and we will confirm what is involved. See Post-Shipment Facilitation for the stages after loading.
Related
- Post-Shipment FacilitationPost-shipment facilitation — document presentation, cargo tracking, destination clearance, discharge coordination, claims handling and settlement.
- Trade Instruments FacilitationFacilitation of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, bank guarantees, performance bonds and advance payment guarantees — structuring, documentation and presentation against the underlying trade.
- Direct International TradeCross-border import and export — Incoterms and risk transfer, export and import documentation, customs clearance, sanctions screening and international logistics.
Prepare a shipment properly
Tell us the commodity, the supplier, the origin and the destination, and we will set out what has to be in place before loading.
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