PSI (Pre-Shipment Inspection, also known as PVI in French) is a physical and documentary check carried out by accredited bodies before goods are loaded at the port of export.
This procedure is required by many African countries to:
- Verify compliance of the vehicle with the order and local standards
- Accurately calculate import duties on arrival
- Combat fraud and under-invoicing
Bodies accredited for PSI inspections:
- COTECNA (Geneva): appointed by Ivory Coast, Senegal, Congo
- Bureau Veritas: appointed by many African countries
- SGS: appointed by Cameroon, Gabon, Guinea
- Intertek (formerly Inspectorate)
Lead time: the inspection is generally carried out within 72 hours of the request. The inspection report (CEVS or ATR) is then sent to the customs of the destination country.
Lys Tout Terrain coordinates PSI inspections on behalf of its customers and knows the procedures in each country.