Why pre-shipment inspection protects you

An independent surveyor checks quality and quantity at the port of loading or at the mill, refinery or factory before the cargo leaves. Ask for it in your RFQ notes and name the surveyor in the contract. The inspection report, with the bill of lading, is what your bank checks under a letter of credit. The cost is small compared with the value of a cargo, and it removes most disputes about what was shipped. Upload the report to the deal room vault so that both sides hold the same record.