What is a pre-shipment inspection?
As a condition of an export license, the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), or another Federal agency, may require that commodities authorized to export be inspected prior to shipment. The process involves moving the commodities to a pre-determined staging point where representatives of OEE inspect, record, and on occasion test the equipment and review shipping documents associated with the transaction. Once the inspection is complete, the equipment can be shipped to its final destination. There is a considerable amount of time and effort required to move and consolidate the equipment from multiple manufacturing sites and Logistics Centers. This, along with the challenges of scheduling an inspection date that is suitable with OEE, makes for considerable delays before an inspection can be conducted. Customers are notified of a pre-shipment inspection requirement when they are notified of the approval of the export license.
