In this article, I will share EVERYTHING you need to know about product quality inspection in China.
And at the end, we have a bonus list of the top 21 quality inspection service companies in China for you.
So if you want to build a more secure supply chain in China, you’ll love this new quality control inspection complete guide.
Let’s get started.
What is quality control product inspection in China?
A product quality inspection is a quality check that measures whether a product meets standards according to a particular agreement.
The scope of work of a commodity inspection depends on the buyer.
Some buyers only hire inspection agencies in China for pre shipment inspection, i.e., visual inspection of quality, quantity, packaging, marking, and loading check.
Other buyers require a higher level of inspection. They require the inspection agency to go to the Chinese supplier’s location to inspect the goods during the manufacturing process and to take samples for laboratory testing.
Why you should consider using third-party product quality inspection services in China？
For supply chain quality inspections, the first party refers to the supplier’s internal self-inspection.
The second party refers to inspections performed by the buyer.
Third-party inspections are performed by an independent agency that is neither the seller nor the buyer. However, third-party inspection services are usually appointed by the buyer.
Third-party product inspection vs. first-party product inspection ( aka factory in-house inspection)
Many novice buyers ask, “My factory has its own in-house inspection, do I still need to arrange for a third-party inspection?”
My answer is always “yes.”
Because the supplier’s quality control team doesn’t work for the buyer, they don’t necessarily have the expertise to spot product problems.
Even if problems are found, the comments from the supplier’s QC may not be conveyed to the buyer as they should be, and the sales team or leadership may embellish the findings to make them look better.
Third-party product inspection vs. second-party product inspection ( aka buyer’s inspection)
Many large buyers set up quality control teams in low-cost countries, such as Adidas, Target, and Adeo, which have set up their own sourcing offices in Guangzhou, China.
But small and medium-sized buyers often can’t afford the high operating costs of overseas offices.
That’s why third-party quality control services are popular, as they offer a reliable, affordable, on-demand quality control solution for small and medium-sized buyers.
What are the types of product inspections in China?
There are different types of on-site quality inspections, which have different focuses and are performed by inspectors at different production stages.
Usually, you don’t need to inspect at every stage, as this can be costly; but neglecting quality control at critical stages can also have irreversible consequences.
In this chapter, you will learn about all types of quality inspections and how to choose the right quality inspection service for your company.
Pre-production Inspection
Pre-production inspection is a quality check performed when raw materials and components are ready at the factory, but production has not yet started.
What does the inspector check during pre-production inspection?
Usually, the inspector checks the following during pre-production inspection：
- Raw materials, components, and accessories
- semi-finished products
- Prototypes or customer approved samples
- Production equipment
- Workshop environment
What are the benefits of pre-production inspection?
As the earliest of all inspections, pre-production inspection allows you to detect problems at the raw material stage, which will prevent them from becoming more severe and irreparable. The pre-production inspection gives you the following benefits:
- Make sure the factory is not using your deposit for other orders.
- Ensure that the quality and quantity of raw materials and components are in accordance with the agreement.
- Avoiding delivery delays due to material handovers and production scheduling
- Avoid production with inappropriate equipment
- Avoid mixing defective products into shipment due to unclear defective area
What are the limits of pre-production inspection?
Pre-production inspection guarantees raw materials and production capacity, but it does not mean that the final products are 100% problem-free.
To maximize profits, some suppliers will even move raw materials to another factory after pre-production inspection and outsource the production process.
As you can imagine, the subcontracted factory’s production facilities and environment are usually inferior to those visited by the inspector.
The above problem is where during production inspection comes into play.
During Production Inspection
During production inspection (DPI, DUPRO) is usually performed when the production is 10 to 20% complete. The inspection of the initial finished products allows early detection of possible problems with the mass production.
What does the inspector check during production?
The quality inspector will check the following during the in-production inspection.
- Verify if production is in progress
- Evaluate whether capacity matches delivery dates
- A random sampling of finished products
- Check the packaging, labels, tags, etc.
What are the benefits of during production inspection?
During production, inspection is the first opportunity to inspect a finished product.
- The DUPRO should take place at the earliest possible date after production has stabilized so that the quality inspector can get an idea of the manufacturer’s actual production performance.
- An early inspection of the finished product coming off the production line helps to avoid irreversible problems
- Verify if the manufacturer is capable of producing the standard required by the customer
- Verify if the manufacturer respects the customer’s requirements
- If issues are found during pre-production inspection, the inspector can follow up during in-production inspection.
What are the limits of during production inspection?
DUPRO is useful for supply chain management of proactive behavior, but there are obvious limitations.
When production line inspection is performed, there are often not many finished goods. And due to insufficient sample size, the in-production inspection defect rate does not indicate the final delivery level.
Also, handmade products have a higher potential for future production errors than mechanical products, but DUPRO lasts only one day and does not guarantee continuous error-free production.
Therefore, for some critical orders with tight deadlines and no room for error, buyers will send their quality control agent to the factory for long-term production monitoring.
Production Monitoring
Production monitoring means that a quality inspector from the buyer or a third-party quality control service is on-site at the factory to oversee the production process, usually for several days or weeks.
What does the inspector check during production monitoring?
Production monitoring by third-party quality control services is also a daily production status update and typically includes the following:
- Verify if production schedule is on track
- Verify if the specifications of the finished product meet the customer’s requirements
- On-site testing on the finished product to understand its performance
- Constantly observes processing procedures to ensure proper operation
What are the benefits of production monitoring?
- The constant overseeing of production monitoring has led to a significant reduction in possible production problems.
- Production monitoring can prevent shipping delays.
- Production monitoring allows the factory to identify and correct problems as soon as they occur.
What are the limits of production monitoring?
Everything has its pros and cons, and so does production monitoring.
While production monitoring can provide all-around quality assurance, it is also costly. Inspectors must be on-site to perform their duties, and the entire production process usually lasts for days or months.
It can cost a buyer $2,000 to hire a third-party quality control service for a week of production monitoring.
Pre-shipment Inspection
Pre-shipment inspection refers to a series of product quality checks carried out by the inspector on-site before the goods leave the factory or the supplier’s warehouse.
The pre-shipment inspection is usually carried out when the goods are 100% produced and 80% packed. However, in order to reduce reworking costs, the minimum standard is 80% production finished.
What does the inspector check during the pre-shipment inspection?
In a pre-shipment inspection, the quality inspector will normally check the following.
- Quantity of products produced
- Product appearance
- Product workmanship
- Product performance and functionality
- Product size and weight
- Packaging and marking of products
- Packing method
- Accessories for products
What are the benefits of pre-shipment inspection?
As the most popular type of inspection, pre-shipment inspection has these benefits for buyers:
- Gives you the best quality control resultsand cost ratio
- verify if the goods are 100% manufactured
- verify the specifications and performance of the entire lot.
- Avoid shipment delays due to product problems
- Avoid making final payments for faulty goods
What are the limits of pre-shipment inspection?
Although the pre-shipment inspection is the most widely used type of inspection in China, there are still problems that it cannot solve.
Pre-shipment inspection and container loading are usually not on the same day.
The common practice is to schedule the container loading date one week after the pre-shipment inspection to give the factory enough time to rework if problems are found during the inspection.
However, this is where the problem arises. The pre-shipment inspector can not verify what the supplier has finally loaded into the container, whether all quantities have been loaded, and whether the loading method is safe for transport.
But you’re not helpless. Container loading supervision services can be the perfect solution to these problems.
Container Loading Supervision
Container loading supervision is a quality control service conducted by an inspector at the factory site to ensure that the correct goods are fully and properly loaded into the right container.
What does the inspector check during container loading supervision?
While the container loading supervision will also look at the product, its focus is primarily on the proper loading, so let’s take a look at what exactly the inspector will check during a container loading inspection:
- Check the container condition to avoid leaks and odors
- Check the container number and seal number to make sure it’s the right container
- Random sampling on packed products to ensure they are the correct products
- Make sure the carton is not damaged and is strong enough
- Ensure that mixed goods are loaded in the sequence required by the customer
- Prevent damage to packaging or cargo caused by improper loading
What are the limits of container loading supervision?
I’ve seen foreign buyers personally oversee container loading at factories in China, but if you have multiple shipments per year, it’s not practical to go to China in person every time.
A third-party container loading monitoring service in China can keep your business running.
But loading supervision is pointless if factory employees and workers don’t respect the inspector’s guidelines. Because the inspector is only supervising, not loading the goods himself.
As the importer and buyer, you need to emphasize to your supplier in advance the importance of proper loading and formally inform your supplier that the inspector will act as your representative in China.
How much does a product quality inspection in China cost?
There is no uniform price for quality inspection services in China, but professional quality control agencies usually calculate the price on a man-day basis. The fee for each man day of inspection in China is 100 – 300 USD.
What is man day? Man day is the billing unit of third party quality inspection services in China, which means one inspector works one day.
Factors that affect the price of inspection services in China and why
We all know that you get what you pay for, but is an expensive Chinese inspection service necessarily better than a cheap one?
Before you have an answer, I’ll share what factors are associated with the cost of inspection services, so you don’t have to choose a Chinese quality inspection agency based on price alone.
Professional level
The professional level is the main reason for the price difference between different QC agencies.
For example, option A, you can hire a professional quality inspector on-site to help you confirm quantities produced, draw samples according to AQL, verify specifications, do functional testing of the product, and send you a detailed report with all findings. It’ll cost you about $200.
And option B, you can also hire an English-speaking graduate to take a random look at the product and take a few photos. You only need to pay $100.
This example may be a bit extreme, just to give you an idea of the difference between levels of expertise, along with the outcomes and risks behind them.
Distance to the inspection site
China is a large country and most of the inspection agencies are located in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
If the inspection location is in a small town, the inspector will need to travel from their location to the factory.
There are two costs involved, time and round trip travel costs.
Some inspection agencies charge high fees because they only have inspectors in certain cities. Transportation costs are included in the price.
Sometimes, one inspection service is cheaper than others because they have local inspectors and don’t need to travel long distances.
Product inspection checklist
The quality checklist includes what the quality inspector will check during the inspection process.
Not all inspection companies in China have the same checklist, and some agencies only provide basic checks, while others are more comprehensive.
And some quality inspection companies in China can prepare the inspection checklist in advance upon your requirements and even provide you with a video of the inspection site.
The checklist is related to the inspector’s workload on-site and also affects the price of quality control services.
Individual inspector vs. inspection company, who is the best for your product quality control in China?
Some buyers may be considering between an individual inspector and an inspection company.
In this chapter I want to share what I know about the industry so that you can make a better choice for your project.
Communication and background
Communication is a key element in choosing who should be responsible for your quality control in China, as it determines whether your requirements are understood and fulfilled.
If you’re looking for an individual inspector, you might think of upwork.com, but the reality is that most of the freelance inspectors you’ll find are unprofessional, and they come from more of a sales background than a technical one.
Whereas professional inspection companies require inspectors to have a technical background, and although inspectors don’t communicate well in English, they are backed up by account managers who speak fluent English.
Availability
Another consideration in choosing an individual or a company is whether you prefer to work with one person or a team.
Working with a freelance inspector tends to be more limited in terms of schedule. Simultaneously, a quality control company is relatively flexible because they have a robust network of inspectors and won’t be unavailable to conduct your inspection.
Corruption
Third-party inspection services are supposed to work for your interests, whether they are individuals or agencies.
But sometimes, a bad inspector may take bribes from suppliers in exchange for hiding quality issues from buyers. That’s like planting a bomb in your import business.
Freelance quality inspectors are more likely to have problems with bribery.
They usually serve a much smaller number of clients, and the extra income seems more important to them.
Even if it is not in the form of a monetary bribe, a supplier’s gift is inappropriate for a quality inspector.
In contrast, quality inspection companies take the bribery issue more seriously, as they cannot afford to risk the company’s reputation.
What is AQL in quality control inspection?
AQL refers to Acceptable Quality Limit, which gives the buyer a clear guideline to know at what quality level the goods should be rejected.
Some buyers have misconceptions about quality control in China, they think that inspection is about checking every single item.
The answer is no, at least in most cases. 100% full inspection is time-consuming and costly.
If the inspection is based on sampling, how does it work? This is where AQL comes into play.
The AQL standard addresses two main issues:
- How many products should be sampled in a batch during an inspection?
- At what quality level are the goods acceptable: What are the problems found, and in what defective quantity?
AQL table for inspection in China
The complete AQL tables consist of two parts: the first part is Sample Size Code Letters, and the second part is Single Sampling Plans for Normal Inspection.
How to select AQL and inspection level in China？
You may not know what those terms and numbers mean when you first see an AQL table. I will introduce these terms so you can choose the most appropriate inspection level for your inspection in China.
What inspection levels you can choose from for inspection in China?
China’s inspection level usually follows the ISO 2859 standard, which has two types: general inspection levels and special inspection levels.
The main difference between the different inspection levels is the sample size.
What are general inspection levels? When do you use them in China?
The general inspection levels are used to determine the sample size for non-destructive checks, such as workmanship, function, appearance, etc.
There are three general inspection levels: “GI”, “GII” and “GIII”.
GI inspection level
GI requires the smallest sample size of the three general inspection levels.
You may consider the GI inspection level when:
- You have a limited inspection budget.
- You’ve only got alimited amount of time to inspect the goods.
- You have confidencein the supplier’s quality system
Let’s take a look at a real-life example. If a batch of goods has 8000pcs, according to the GI inspection level, the corresponding sample size code is J, which means sampling 80pcs.
GII inspection level
The GII inspection level is the most widely used and is set as the default by most Chinese quality inspection companies.
If the Lot size is 8000pcs in a single inspection, which is in the range of 3021 – 10000, the corresponding Sample size code is L according to the GII inspection level. The sample size is 200pcs.
GIII inspection level
The default level may not be right for you, and if you have reasons to increase the sample size, you may consider the GIII inspection level, and those reasons may be:
- High-valueproducts or high return costs
- Critical categories, such as medical products
- The supplier has a high risk of qualityproblems
GIII is the most strict of the three levels of testing and provides the largest sample size.
Again taking a batch of 8000pcs as an example, according to the GIII inspection level, the sample quantity number is M, so the sample quantity should be 315pcs.
The table below is a comparison of the three general inspection levels. You can see what the sample size and billing man-days are for the same lot size goods under G1, G2, and G3 respectively:
When should you use special inspection levels in China?
As you can see on the AQL table, in addition to the general inspection levels, there are also special inspection levels.
What are special inspection levels? What are they used for?
The special inspection levels specify the sample size for some checks that are not suitable to be conducted in large numbers. These tests and checks include:
- Checks that are destructive to inspected products (e.g., Checking inner product part in ultrasonic assembly plastic casing.)
- Tests that take a long time to complete. (e.g., Battery capacity test)
- Tests that require only a few samples to know the results (e.g., Label content check)
How are product defects classified? What are their AQLs?
For quality inspection, the severity of product defects is different. Usually quality control companies classify quality defects into three categories: critical defects, major defects and minor defects.
Critical defects
Critical defects are those that directly or indirectly harm people. For example, sharp edges of iron furniture, exposed fiber cores of power cords, etc. Critical defects must have zero tolerance, i.e. AQL 0.
Major defects
Major defects are those that affect the functionality and performance of a product. For example, light bulbs in lamps do not shine, tiles crumble, etc. The quality control industry’s threshold for most goods’ major defects is 2.5% (AQL 2.5).
Minor defects
Minor defects are those that do not affect the use of the product. Examples include untrimmed threads on makeup bags, slight scratches on aluminum window frames, etc. The acceptable default limit for minor defects is 4% (AQL 4.0).
How to arrange a quality control inspection in China for your products?
Some buyers think that arranging an inspection means simply giving the inspector an address. I mean, you can do that, but it doesn’t really make the most of the inspection.
The following are actionable steps that will immediately maximize the benefits of any inspection in China:
Step 1 – Notify the supplier before placing the order that a third party will inspect the product once the production is finished.
Preventing product defects is always better than dealing with them. Letting your supplier know that you will arrange for a pre-shipment inspection is the easiest way you can prevent product defects.
You can also clarify with the supplier that they will be responsible for the cost of re-inspection due to quality issues.
Step 2 – Schedule the inspection one week before shipment.
The ultimate goal of quality inspection is to control your goods’ quality, so I always emphasize allowing enough time between inspection and shipment.
It takes time to rework or re-produce after the inspection. If there is not enough time, you will have to give in to the supplier.
When the inspection date is confirmed, you will need to provide the following to book your third party inspection service:
- Supplier name
- Contact details
- Inspection Address
- Inspection date
- Product specification
- Product samples
Step 3 – Confirm the checklist and additional requirements for quality inspection.
While professional quality inspection agencies have their standard checklists, it doesn’t mean that their checklists will meet your requirements.
For example, some inspection companies won’t check the furniture’s moisture content, but this is a key element of wood furniture quality.
You can also make additional requests for your inspection, such as having the inspector take a video of the production line.
Step 4 – Follow up on how the supplier handles product defects
An inspection based on AQL can give you clear guidance on whether or not to accept the shipment.
It is important to note that a failing inspection report does not mean that you cannot accept the product. The decision is 100% yours.
Ensure that you and your supplier sort out the remedies for each defect and agree on a re-inspection date. If you are going through a purchasing agent, they will take care of this.
Bonus List: Top 21 Quality Control Product Inspection Services Companies in China
You may be looking for the best quality inspection company in China, but the best inspection service for other buyers may not be the best for you.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 21 third-party quality inspection agencies in China and their highlights for you to consider.
| No. | Company | HQ Location | Price for one man-day | Highlights |
| 1 | Qima | Hong Kong, China | $309 | Widest inspection service coverage |
| 2 | Fami Sourcing | Guangzhou, China | $150 | Most cost-effective and best for small and medium-sized companies Proven supplier screening system prevents defects at the source |
| 3 | V-Trust | Guangzhou, China | $268 | One of the leading Chinese inspection companies, with its own in-house lab. |
| 4 | Asia Quality Focus | Shenzhen, China | $298 | Same-day inspection can be arranged before 8:00 a.m., reports available by 10:00 p.m. |
| 5 | HQTS | Fujian, China | $200 | Traceable inspection experience since 2000 |
| 6 | SGS | Switzerland | $300 | Global benchmark in inspection, testing and certification |
| 7 | Eurofins | Luxembourg | $220 | International Laboratory Group, founded in 1987, specializes in testing for European product regulations. |
| 8 | API | Hong Kong, China | $270 | Specialized in household goods quality control |
| 9 | InSpec by BV | France | $245 | A new quality inspection company for consumer products under Bureau Veritas. |
| 10 | China Certification & Inspection Group | Beijing, China | $218 | State-owned quality inspection company in China |
| 11 | Pro QC | USA | $298 | Excellent technical background and experience with COVID-19 PPE products |
| 12 | AQI | Dongguan, China | $198 | Collecting samples during inspection at no extra charge |
| 13 | Insight Quality | USA | $275 | US based company providing quality inspection and sourcing services |
| 14 | Krt Inspect | USA | $265 | American quality inspection service provider with traceable experience since 2004 |
| 15 | Tetra Inspection | Hong Kong, China | $240 | Live defect review service is available |
| 16 | Imex Sourcing | Guangzhou, China | $275 | Easy-to-use internal supply chain management system |
| 17 | CIS | Dongguan, China | $258 | One of the few inspection companies offering component design services |
| 18 | Chine Inspection | Guangzhou, China | $249 | The management team is consisting of both Chinese and Western industry insiders. |
| 19 | Annex Asia | Guangzhou，China | $295 | Experience with product regulations in Ecuador |
| 20 | TIC | Hong Kong, China | $210 | In-house mobile app to view inspection reports |
| 21 | QC Advisor | Hong Kong, China | $280 | One of the few inspection companies offering prototype qualification service |