China Sourcing Quality Checklist: Samples to Shipment Decisions
Create order-specific quality checkpoints for packaging and textiles, with a defect log, approval record and downloadable worksheet.
A useful sourcing quality checklist links each requirement to an approved specification, a checking method, a responsible party and an action if it fails. Separate sample approval, production follow-up, independent inspection and product testing. They answer different questions. Agree the checks before production so a shipment decision is based on recorded evidence rather than an unqualified statement that quality is acceptable.
This original planning checklist focuses on clothing, textiles and packaging. It is not an inspection standard, laboratory protocol or certificate. Download the quality checkpoint worksheet and adapt it to the actual product with the appropriate specialists.
What should you approve in the sample?
Identify the sample by date, product code and specification revision. List what it represents: material, construction, dimensions, fit, print, decoration or assembly. Record features that still differ from the intended production specification. If a sample uses a substitute material, approval of its shape does not approve that material for production.
For packaging, check product fit, opening and closure, insert position, artwork version and packing method. For a garment, use the relevant size measurements, fabric description, seam construction, trims, label artwork and decoration position. Numerical tolerances must come from the agreed specification or qualified technical review, not from a generic checklist.
What belongs in the checkpoint plan?
| Checkpoint | Packaging example | Textile example | Record required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before production | Approved dieline and print files | Approved tech pack and size breakdown | Revision and buyer approval |
| Materials | Board or other material matches the order | Fabric and trims match the order | Material reference and exceptions |
| Construction | Box, insert and product fit together | Measurements and seams match the specification | Measurement or review notes |
| Branding | Correct artwork, color reference and copy | Correct label and decoration placement | Approved reference and photographs |
| Packing | Component count and carton plan | Size/color assortment and individual packing | Packing list and carton identification |
| Before release | Open issues resolved or held | Open issues resolved or held | Written decision and responsible person |
The table is a starting point. Product-specific tests, test equipment, sampling plans, acceptance criteria and inspection scope need separate agreement. Do not present “AQL passed” as meaningful without the actual plan, defect definitions and report.
How should you document a defect or discrepancy?
Use one issue record per discrepancy. Include the requirement, observed difference, evidence, affected units or scope if known, proposed correction, owner and review date. Assign an outcome such as hold, rework and recheck, or approved change. Record who has authority to make that decision.
Hypothetical example: an assembled packaging sample closes only when the insert is compressed. The requirement is a box that closes with the agreed product and insert. The issue record should reference the sample and dimensions, request a corrected component or specification, and require a new fit review. A photograph of an empty closed box would not resolve this particular issue.
Keep correction approval separate from permission to ship. Where the affected scope is unknown, record that uncertainty instead of marking the entire lot as checked.
What is a pre-shipment inspection?
A pre-shipment inspection examines goods before dispatch against an agreed scope. Ask the appointed provider to state the product reference, lot readiness, sampling basis, checks, limitations and findings. Agree in advance who reviews the report and authorizes release. An inspection covering sampled appearance and dimensions does not itself establish every legal or safety requirement for the product.
Sourcing Lab USA's quality follow-up means production coordination and order-specific checkpoints. It is not an independent certified inspection organization. When a project needs independent inspection or testing, identify the external provider, its scope and the related cost in the project arrangements.
How are product safety documents different from quality checks?
Treat product safety review as its own workstream. For example, CPSC explains that certification and testing requirements depend on the covered product and applicable rules in its general-use product guidance. Do not assume an appearance check or supplier's generic report satisfies those requirements. Ask the relevant specialist to confirm what applies to your actual item and shipment.
For textile labels, use the U.S. textile planning guide. For supplier evidence before sampling, use the qualification matrix.
What should you keep after delivery?
Compare the receiving record with the approved order and packing list. Preserve issue evidence, the agreed response and the final resolution. Feed changes into the next specification revision so a repeat order does not depend on someone remembering an email.
Start the commercial discussion with custom packaging, clothing and textiles, or how we work. Official product-safety guidance checked September 14, 2026; this worksheet does not certify a product or authorize shipment.