Inspection & Quality Control
Pre-shipment inspection coordination at all 7 Egyptian export ports — TÜV Austria, SGS, Intertek primary partners (all ILAC + IAF accredited). Cost typically 0.3-0.5% of FOB value, 3-7 day lead time.
Inspection & quality control — the independent layer on top of a QA division built in from day one
Most destination markets, and every L/C-financed shipment, require independent pre-shipment inspection (PSI) before the vessel sails. Egypt Globe Group coordinates the inspection body's site visit at the loading port and the cargo's conformity to the tender specification. Inspection is not, however, the first line of quality control: the group's own Quality Assurance division — on-site laboratories at the Siwa Oasis and Qattara Depression mines, at the North Sinai and Red Sea saltworks, and port-side QC teams at all 7 ports — issues a per-lot Certificate of Analysis or Mill Test Certificate before the Bill of Lading on every shipment, inspected or not.
The two layers are complementary. Internal QA guarantees the specification at the port of loading, binding under the sales contract, with zero tolerance on deviation — lots outside the CoA are rejected at the loading port, never re-graded or renegotiated. Independent inspection by an ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025 accredited body gives the buyer and the bank a third-party certificate and a sealed retained sample for dispute reference.
Service scope
| Scope | What EGG does | Evidence issued | Responsible team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal QA gate | Composite sampling per ISO / ASTM plan, full laboratory analysis, lot release or rejection | Per-lot CoA / MTC before B/L | Port QC laboratory, every lot |
| PSI coordination | Books the inspection body at the loading port 3–7 days before vessel ETA; aligns the inspection scope with the contract | Inspection appointment, scope confirmation | QA division |
| Witnessed sampling & testing | Inspector samples stockpile, holds or containers; witness or independent lab analysis | Certificate of Inspection, lab report | Inspection body |
| Draft survey & quantity | Initial / final draft survey or container VGM reconciliation | Draft survey report | Inspection body or surveyor |
| Conformity programmes | SONCAP, KEBS PVoC, SABER, BIS, GACC and similar destination programmes | Certificate of Conformity | Inspection body + documentation desk |
| Sample retention & disputes | Sealed split samples retained 6–12 months at the inspection body; EGG retains a parallel sample | Sample seal numbers on the certificate | Inspection body + QA division |
Service-level parameters
Inspection bodies
| Body | Accreditation | Scope / strength | Sampling standard | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TÜV Austria — primary partner | ILAC + IAF; ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025 | EU, GCC, large industrial / chemical / chlor-alkali lots; cement EN 197-1 CE-marking; salt EN 16811-1, GOST, BS; REACH; recognised by EU Notified Body programmes, GCC SASO / SABER, German BAM | ISO 3310 sieves, EN 933-1, EN 196 series, ISO 11648 sampling of bulk materials | 3–7 days request to certificate |
| SGS — global network | ILAC + IAF; ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025 | Worldwide destination network; KEBS PVoC, Indian BIS, Chinese GACC; food-grade salt, agricultural commodities, Phytosanitary coordination | ISO 11648, ASTM C702, commodity-specific plans | 3–7 days |
| Intertek — US, UK, ECOWAS | ILAC + IAF; ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025 | ASTM, AASHTO, FDA; UKCA, BS; SONCAP (Nigeria), KEBS PVoC, SABER; state DOT / highway agency procurement | ASTM C702, ASTM E11, ASTM C114 | 3–7 days |
| Bureau Veritas | ILAC + IAF; ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025 | Buyer preference; French and Italian destinations; vessel loading supervision and draft survey | ISO 11648, draft survey code | 3–7 days |
| Cotecna — on request | ISO/IEC 17020 | Select West African destinations (Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon) | Programme-specific | Per programme |
Cost, lead time and retention
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | 0.3–0.5 % of FOB cargo value for standard PSI |
| Lead time | 3–7 days from inspection request to certificate issue |
| Sample retention | 6–12 months at the inspection body for dispute reference |
| Default body by destination | TÜV Austria for EU + GCC; Intertek for US / UK / Africa; SGS for Indian Ocean + Far East; buyer may nominate any listed body in the PO / sales contract |
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) workflow
- Buyer confirms inspection body in PO / Sales Contract (default: TÜV Austria for EU + GCC, Intertek for US/UK/Africa, SGS for Indian Ocean + Far East)
- Inspection appointment booked at Egyptian port of loading 3-7 days before vessel ETA
- Visual + sampling inspection of stockpile or container batches
- Lab analysis of representative samples — chemistry, particle size, moisture, heavy metals as applicable per spec
- Certificate of Inspection issued before B/L stamped by carrier
- Sealed sample retention at inspection body for dispute reference (typically 6-12 months)
Country-specific PSI requirements
| Destination | Requirement | Recommended body |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | SONCAP mandatory | Intertek or Cotecna or SGS |
| Kenya | KEBS PVoC mandatory | TÜV Austria or SGS or Intertek |
| Saudi Arabia | SABER required for many products | TÜV Austria or Intertek |
| EU | Optional but recommended | TÜV Austria |
| UK | UKCA + BS conformity | Intertek or TÜV Austria |
| USA | ASTM + AASHTO acceptance | Intertek |
| India | BIS mandatory for regulated products | SGS or Intertek |
| Bangladesh | BSTI + L/C inspection | SGS or TÜV Austria |
| China | GACC + CIQ | SGS or Bureau Veritas |
| Brazil | INMETRO for select products | SGS or Bureau Veritas |
QA verification chain
| Gate | Control | Evidence | Who · frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extraction / source | Mine, saltwork or mill lot sampled against the contract specification before release | Source lab report | EGG source laboratory · every production lot |
| Processing | Blend / wash / dry / grind verified against the target specification | Process record, blend-trial report | QA division · every processed lot |
| Port laboratory | Composite sample per ISO / ASTM plan; full analysis; lot rejected if outside CoA | Per-lot CoA / MTC before B/L | Port QC team · every lot, every vessel |
| Independent inspection | Sampling, draft survey, witness test, conformity programme | Certificate of Inspection, sealed retained samples | TÜV Austria / SGS / Intertek / Bureau Veritas · per shipment when contracted |
| Destination acceptance | Buyer's arrival test reconciled to the CoA and inspection certificate; retained sample opened for any dispute | Arrival report, claim file | Buyer lab + EGG QA · per shipment |
Applications & markets
Inspection scope follows the standard the buyer procures against: gradation, NaCl, insolubles, moisture and E535 for de-icing salt under EN 16811-1, BS 3247, ASTM D632 / AASHTO M-143 and GOST 13830; Ca, Mg, SO₄ and insolubles for chlor-alkali grades; heavy metals for food-processing and pharmaceutical grades; chemistry and strength per EN 197-1 / ASTM C150 for cement. Destination requirements by country are in the import guides.
Standards & documentation
- Group management systems (ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000, HACCP, FSSC 22000, ISO 14001, ISO 45001): quality & compliance and ISO 9001 for salt suppliers.
- The Certificate of Inspection is presented with the L/C set described under trade documentation; loading-port procedures under port services.
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Name the destination and, if required, the inspection body in the RFQ; the offer states the inspection scope, cost and lead time alongside the commodity price. Request a quote.
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Frequently asked questions
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Other questions? Email our export desk — we respond within 24 hours.