Service scope
Product inspection in China
Third-party pre-shipment product inspection in China, with AQL sampling, photographs and a clear pass or fail. Priced per inspection day, from USD 99.
Product inspection in China is a sample-based check on finished goods, carried out while a finding can still be corrected. Its value is decided by two things that happen before anyone travels: when it is booked, and how specific the checklist is. Our inspectors are based in Jinhua, Zhejiang, within reach of much of the province’s manufacturing belt.
Last reviewed 15 September 2026
How does product inspection in China work?
01
Agree the basis before the visit
Sample size and inspection level, the accept and reject numbers for critical, major and minor defects, and the two or three failure modes that would actually cause a return in your market — named as line items rather than left to a general visual pass.
02
Draw the sample from packed production
Random selection across the lot rather than from one pallet, at the point where production is substantially complete and packing has started. Booked after loading, an inspection records a problem instead of preventing one.
03
Check against your reference, not against an idea
Comparison with the sealed reference sample and the written specification: appearance, colour, finish, function, dimensions, and the packaging and labelling your destination requires — including a scan test on the barcode rather than a read of the digits.
04
Report findings with the evidence attached
Photographs and measurements tied to each finding, defects classified by severity, counts reconciled against the shipment plan, and a clear statement of what was not checked.
What do you provide before a product inspection?
- The approved sample, or a clear physical reference we can judge against
- The written specification, including tolerances that decide accept or reject
- Two or three failure modes that would cause returns in your market
- Packing, labelling and carton marking requirements
- The date production reaches roughly 80 percent with packing under way
What does a product inspection report include?
- The report within 48 hours of the inspection finishing
- Sampling basis, sample size and the accept and reject numbers used
- A finding log with photographs and measurements against each item
- An accept or reject read on the lot, expressed as a difference from your reference
- A named list of anything not covered, including properties that need laboratory testing
What does product inspection in China cost?
- Price
- USD 99 per man-day
- Typical
- One SKU with standard sampling is one man-day; three SKUs on one order is one to two
- Report
- Within 48 hours of the inspection finishing
- Travel
- None within 100 km of Jinhua, Zhejiang; beyond that quoted before the visit
What a product inspection is not
- Not a per-unit guarantee. Sampling produces a judgement about the lot, and the report says so.
- Not laboratory testing. Composition, durability and safety performance are commissioned by you directly from an accredited laboratory; we can draw and seal samples under observation and hand them over.
- Not rework. What happens after a failed inspection is between you and the supplier; a re-check is a second visit and is charged as one.
- Not a certification. No report is issued under the name of any scheme.
Common questions
When should a pre-shipment inspection be booked?
When production is substantially complete and packing has started — around 80 percent with packing under way. Booked after loading, an inspection records a problem instead of preventing one.
What does USD 99 per man-day include?
A full-time inspector, photographs, measurements, a finding log and the report. Sample size and inspection level are agreed before the visit. One SKU with standard sampling is normally one man-day; three SKUs on one order is one to two. Nothing is added for travel within 100 km of Jinhua.
When does the report arrive?
Within 48 hours of the inspection finishing. That is a commitment on our own work, which is the part we control; when the visit can happen depends on site access and on the supplier being ready.
What happens when an inspection fails?
The report lists each finding against the agreed specification and ends with a recommendation — rework, re-inspection, accept with a concession, or reject — and the decision is yours, in writing. Rework and its cost are settled between you and the factory under your purchase terms. A re-inspection after rework is a new site visit and is charged at USD 99 per man-day, unless you are on a full engagement, where it is already inside the commission.
Does the inspection include laboratory testing?
No. Composition, durability and safety performance are commissioned by you directly from an accredited laboratory, which reports to you. We can draw and seal samples under observation and hand them over.
Related reading
What you end up with: Photo-backed findings, a clear pass/fail decision and a practical corrective-action list.