The customer was exporting to Kenya for the first time and followed the habitual approach of "handle it after arrival at port."
PVoC requires inspection to be completed before shipment. The goods were already on board, so they could only apply for Destination Inspection.
Immediately contact the authorized agency to explain the situation and apply for the destination inspection channel. Prepare test reports, invoices, packing lists, and product photos in advance to compress the inspection schedule. Coordinate with the importer to book the inspection at Mombasa Port to avoid secondary storage.
The goods were detained for 14 days before completing inspection and release. The inspection fees and port detention fees combined were approximately 3.2 times the normal PVoC fees.
The common feature of African COC-type certifications is "before shipment." Getting the sequence wrong doubles the cost. When entering a country's market for the first time, certification milestones should be written into the shipping process table. HS codes should be verified in advance; if the regulatory determination is wrong, the entire chain has to be redone.