What to Do After a Failed Pre-Shipment Inspection in China

1. Confirm the lot and the inspection scope

Match the report to the purchase order, SKU, lot size and location. Check the specification revision, approved sample, sample size, tests performed and tests not performed. A result based on the wrong revision needs clarification before the buyer decides what correction is required.

Preserve photographs, measurements and the inspector’s observations. Separate a measured failure from an inaccessible test or missing document. Ask for clarification of an ambiguous result rather than informally changing the report to obtain a pass.

2. Contain the affected goods

Ask the supplier to identify and segregate the relevant lot while the issue is reviewed. Record whether the problem affects one SKU, one production batch or a shared process used for other products. Keep corrected and uncorrected goods distinguishable.

Coordinate any shipment hold with the parties responsible for release. Review the agreed payment and delivery milestones before changing instructions; the inspection result alone does not settle every commercial obligation.

3. Turn a repair promise into a corrective-action plan

Request the defect, likely cause, affected quantity, correction method, responsible person and completion date in one record. Ask how the supplier will prevent the same issue in later production. A photograph of a repaired unit does not show that the entire affected quantity was checked.

For example, if cartons carry the wrong barcode, identify every affected carton, approve the replacement label and require a reconciliation of old and new identifiers. Confirm that the corrected label belongs to the actual product inside the carton.

4. Choose verification that answers the unresolved question

Agree with the inspection provider whether a corrected-lot reinspection, a focused check or additional testing is appropriate. Define the lot and acceptance criteria before the visit. Do not assume that increasing sample size alone makes an unsuitable test meaningful.

Reinspection should assess the corrected goods and relevant requirements, not only the examples selected by the supplier. Preserve the original report and link it to the correction evidence and follow-up result.

5. Make the buyer’s decision explicit

Record whether the goods remain held, require further correction or may be released. If a commercial concession is considered, describe the exact defect and affected quantity, the agreed remedy and who approved it. A concession must not be treated as a substitute for required product safety or compliance evidence.

Keep payment instructions separate from the technical report and consistent with the agreed transaction terms. The inspector supplies evidence; the authorized buyer decides the commercial next step.

6. Close the loop before the next order

Update the specification, approved sample record and inspection checklist where ambiguity contributed to the failure. Track whether the corrective action worked in the next batch. A closed file should explain what failed, what changed, how it was checked and who released the goods.

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