Once cargo has sailed, establishing what condition it left in becomes a contest between two accounts of the same event. A pre-shipment inspection replaces that with a record: quantity, condition, markings, packing adequacy and, where relevant, quality against the contract specification, all documented before the goods leave the seller’s control.
It matters most where value is high, packing is critical or the counterparty is new. We treat it as standard on project cargo and on first shipments with an unfamiliar supplier. Clients occasionally see it as an avoidable cost — until the first time a container arrives short and the survey report settles the question in an afternoon rather than a year.
Harbour Strategies (HK) Limited · 18 June 2024
Editorial commentary by Harbour Strategies. Figures and regulatory details should be verified against primary sources before being relied upon.
