Inspection Fee

Inspection Fee refers to the costs incurred during foreign trade processes when customs, commodity inspection authorities, shipping companies, or third-party agencies inspect, spot-check, or examine goods. Common scenarios include: random customs inspections, import customs clearance inspections, statutory commodity inspections, and shipping company container inspections. The fees may cover container opening fees, devanning fees, container returning fees, lifting fees, storage fees, and inspection agency service fees. Note: Inspection Fee is different from Inspection Charge, which usually refers to the quality inspection fee agreed upon in the contract; it is also different from customs declaration fee, which is a declaration service fee, while the inspection fee is an additional cost triggered by the inspection action. In practice, it is necessary to clarify the party responsible for the fee (usually allocated among the shipper, consignee, or responsible party according to the contract or trade terms), and to reserve for possible inspection fees when quoting. If inspection is caused by inaccurate declaration, the fee is generally borne by the declaring party. It is recommended to stipulate the rules for bearing inspection fees in the contract to avoid disputes.