Introduction to SGS Inspection Knowledge

Reason for Inspection – Many countries implement the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS). According to the import regulations of these countries, goods entering their territories must undergo pre-shipment inspection by SGS in the exporting supplier country. The purpose of SGS involvement is to assist the CISS member governments in managing customs and/or foreign exchange control systems.

Countries implementing CISS include: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia.

Procedures – The process for SGS inspection is as follows:

1. Export transaction. The exporter concludes an export deal with the importer through normal trade procedures. The importer then informs the local SGS liaison office of the transaction and notifies the exporter to arrange inspection by SGS-CSTC. Upon receipt of the notification (inspection number) from the importing country's SGS liaison office, SGS-CSTC faxes (or mails) a blank Request for Inspection (RFI) form, marked with the "SGS inspection number" (I.O. NO.) and the SGS-CSTC "ICN" number, to the exporter, informing them to submit documents and arrange the inspection.

2. Application for inspection. To arrange the inspection, the exporter must fill in the Request for Inspection (RFI) form with the SGS inspection number and fax (or mail) it, together with the following documents, to the nearest SGS-CSTC branch office to the inspection site. These documents include: proforma invoice, proforma packing list and spare parts list, product technical specifications, samples, letter of credit, manufacturer's test report (for machinery/equipment), manufacturer's analysis report (for chemical/pharmaceutical/petroleum/dye products), health certificate (for food products), phytosanitary certificate (for all agricultural products), factory inspection analysis sheet (for all steel materials and primary products). All documents submitted to SGS-CSTC must indicate the SGS inspection number (which is found on the RFI form). The RFI form should list detailed supplier information, such as contact person and phone number, inspection time, and inspection location, so that SGS-CSTC can contact them to arrange the inspection. The exporter must submit the RFI and the above documents to the SGS-CSTC branch office at least three working days before the inspection date.

3. SGS-CSTC conducts the inspection. As the pre-shipment inspection is required by CISS country regulations, SGS-CSTC does not charge any fees to the exporter. The exporter is obliged to have the goods ready and provide necessary (handling) labor and equipment to ensure the inspection proceeds smoothly. If the exporter entrusts a supplier or agent to arrange the inspection, the exporter is obliged to ensure that the supplier or agent is clear about the inspection requirements. If the goods are not prepared as required or if conditions for the inspection are not met, SGS-CSTC reserves the right to suspend the inspection. Every shipment under the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme (CISS) must undergo physical inspection by SGS-CSTC. SGS-CSTC inspectors will verify the specifications, name, quantity, and external quality of the goods against the exporter's proforma documents and take samples if necessary. 4. SGS-CSTC issues the final documents required for the certificate. After SGS-CSTC completes the inspection, the exporter must fax (or mail) the final documents, according to the destination country, to SGS-CSTC's Shanghai Economic Affairs Department (EAD). All documents submitted to SGS-CSTC should indicate the SGS inspection number (found on the RFI form). If the inspection results from SGS-CSTC differ from the exporter's final documents or if the documents are incomplete, SGS will contact the exporter to request document amendments, additional documents, or to notify the importing country's SGS liaison office to obtain confirmation from the importer.

5. How to obtain SGS security labels. If the letter of credit received by the exporter requires "SGS security labels to be affixed to the exporter's invoice," the exporter may submit a final export invoice to the nearest SGS-CSTC branch office and collect the security labels in person, or request SGS-CSTC to mail the security labels to the exporter. Please note that SGS-CSTC will only issue security labels after procedures 1-4 above are completed.