Three steps before any shipment, and the rule that stops it
This runs before pricing and before transport is booked. Each step produces a document that stays in the product record and is reusable for later shipments of the same product.
Product classification
Where does this product stand under export controls?
What gets checked
- Raw material here means a good used to manufacture a medicine or a chemical. Is the product a finished good, a raw material, or a dual-use item?
- Narcotic or non-narcotic?
- Export-control rules in the country of origin
- Rules and restrictions in the destination country
- Recognised international control lists
Written output: A written classification sheet, filed to the product record and reusable for later shipments of the same product.
Counterparty and end-user screening
Who is the buyer really, and what is this product ultimately for?
What gets checked
- Buyer identity and whether the company genuinely exists
- Sanctions and control-list checks
- Whether the end user and end use are actually clear
If the end user stays ambiguous, the case stops until it is resolved.
Written output: A screening sheet with date, the sources checked, and the result.
Pre-shipment verification
Is this shipment genuinely ready to move?
What gets checked
- Registration in the destination market
- A valid GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice certificate)
- CPP (Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product)
- Batch CoA (Certificate of Analysis for the batch actually shipping)
- Destination-specific requirements
This happens before transport is booked, not alongside it. A shipment held at customs is almost always a documentation problem, not a logistics one.
Written output: A signed pre-shipment checklist.
The stop rule
If any of the three does not reach a clear result, the case does not proceed. No exceptions — regardless of contract size, regardless of urgency.
That reads as strict, and it is. The alternative is moving the risk onto a shipment carrying your money and your reputation.
Why this is a sales tool, not paperwork
This is precisely what a distributor is looking for before a first order: a supplier who has written down their compliance position and can show it. Putting these three sheets on the table in the first meeting is what moves the conversation from "can we trust you" to "when can we start".
It does the same job internally. Every time the same product ships again, the classification sheet already exists and the assessment does not restart from zero.
Free export-readiness assessment
About 12 questions, roughly 3 minutes. I read the answers myself and contact you within 2 working days.
Free export-readiness assessment