Pre-shipment inspection (PSI) is the buyer's primary defence against quality, weight and contamination disputes. This guide explains how PSI works in practice at the Rotterdam load port, what each major inspection agency does, and what the resulting certificate guarantees the buyer.
Rotterdam Loading
SGS Inspection
MOQ 1× 20GP
CIF / FOB Global
PSI is a third-party verification of contract compliance carried out before the container is sealed and the B/L is issued. The inspector visits the load yard, witnesses container stuffing, takes representative samples, performs XRF / chemistry / visual checks, weighs verifies, applies seals, and issues a certificate naming the contract reference, grade, weight, container/seal numbers and test results.
SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) — global leader, accepted by all destination customs. Bureau Veritas (BV) — same global coverage, often slightly cheaper. Intertek — strong in Asia, particularly Korea and Japan. CCIC (China Certification & Inspection Group) — mandatory for many Chinese import categories. Cotecna — strong in Africa. Nautica works with all five at the buyer's option.
X-Ray Fluorescence is a portable spectroscopy method that identifies metal chemistry within seconds. The inspector points the XRF gun at the metal surface; readout shows percentage of each element (Cu, Ni, Cr, Mo, Fe, Mn, Si, Mg, etc.). For copper and stainless lots, XRF is the primary verification. Limitations: surface only, not bulk; coatings can skew results, so the inspector cuts or scrapes through coatings before reading.
For homogeneous lots (solids), inspector takes spot XRF readings on randomly selected pieces — typically 10–20 readings per container. For heterogeneous lots (turnings, dross, insulated wire), inspector takes physical samples — handfuls, scoops or bundles — combines into a composite, splits using a riffle splitter, and sends one half to a third-party lab for ICP-OES or burn/strip recovery test. Sampling protocol per ISO 10378 or buyer-specified standard.
ISRI specifications define dimensional limits (HMS 1 ≥6mm thick, ≤60×24 inch pieces) and visual cleanliness (free of foreign attachments, plastic, rubber, lead, etc.). Inspector hand-checks a representative sample of the lot against the ISRI definition. Lots failing visual are either rejected, re-prepared or downgraded with buyer agreement.
Inspector witnesses weighing on a calibrated weighbridge — typically 60–80 ton capacity at the Rotterdam yard. Weight tickets are signed by the inspector and ship with the docs. Discharge-port re-weight can be cross-checked against the load-port weight ticket; discrepancies above the contract tolerance (typically 0.3%) trigger investigation.
Inspector witnesses loading: floor lining, dunnage, bundle placement, photo documentation. After loading, inspector applies a high-security bolt seal and records the seal number on the inspection certificate and packing list. The container is not opened again until destination customs — any seal discrepancy at discharge is investigated immediately.
The certificate names the contract reference, grade, weight, container and seal numbers, XRF/test results, visual compliance statement and the inspector's signature. It is the document the buyer presents to their bank under the LC and to destination customs for clearance. The certificate does NOT guarantee the material against later damage in transit — that is the cargo insurance's job.
India: BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) — mandatory PSI from approved agencies (SGS India, BV India). China: CCIC — mandatory for restricted scrap categories. Turkey: TSE / Turkish Standards — often accepts SGS or BV. Pakistan: PSQCA — typically accepts SGS. Bangladesh: BSTI — typically accepts SGS. Indonesia: SUCOFINDO — local agency, can also accept SGS at buyer's preference.
Inspection typically costs $250–$700 per container depending on agency and test scope. On CIF terms, Nautica includes inspection in the all-in CIF price. On FOB terms, inspection is at buyer's cost and arranged by buyer (Nautica facilitates yard access for the inspector). Multi-container parcels qualify for inspection volume discount from the agency.
Primary loading from Rotterdam, Antwerp. Weekly container sailings to Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
Container loading at Rotterdam follows the procedures in our European scrap export guide and the inspection regime in our scrap metal inspection guide. Destination-specific compliance is covered in our pages for scrap metal supplier for India, scrap metal supplier for Turkey, scrap metal supplier for South Korea, scrap metal supplier for Pakistan, scrap metal supplier for Vietnam and scrap metal supplier for the UAE.
Buyers also reference our scrap metal exporter in the Netherlands hub, our published export documentation workflow, container loading process, third-party inspection services and quality control procedures pages, and the dedicated export procedure FAQ and shipping & logistics FAQ FAQs before booking vessels.
Flagship cargo flows include our European copper scrap supplier, our UBC scrap supplier in the Netherlands and our HMS scrap exporter, all priced through the LME pricing center.
Emerging destinations for our Rotterdam cargo include the scrap metal supplier for Malaysia, scrap metal supplier for Saudi Arabia, scrap metal supplier for Morocco, scrap metal supplier for Egypt and scrap metal supplier for South Africa desks, each with dedicated port-transit, LC and pre-shipment inspection notes.
Send your quantity, destination port and Incoterm. We reply with a CIF/FOB offer, full specification sheet and export documentation list.
Contact our sales team for competitive pricing, bulk orders, and customized solutions.MOQ: 25 MT | Monthly Capacity: 20,000 MT