What Does a Rejected Container Actually Cost?
Border rejections and arrival downgrades are rarely budgeted, until one happens. Estimate your real exposure, per container and across the season. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
1 · Your shipment
2 · Compare the three outcomes
Click a row to see its breakdown.
| Full rejection (destruction) | — |
| Rejection with re-export | — |
| Downgrade (30% value loss) | — |
3 · Your season
- ✅ Issues caught at the packhouse, before sealing
- ✅ Sort, repack or hold, while you still have leverage
- ✅ ISO 17020 report: evidence for supplier claims
- ✅ Border checks cleared with a complete documentation pack
Not included: replacement sourcing at spot prices, retailer penalties, reinforced-checks listing on future consignments, and reputation. Indicative only.
The alternative: an independent, ISO 17020-accredited pre-shipment inspection at the Egyptian packhouse catches these failures before the container is sealed. How pre-shipment inspection works →
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How accurate are these estimates?
They are indicative, built from your own inputs plus conservative assumptions (5% destruction handling, 40% value loss on re-export, 30% on downgrade). Real costs vary by port, product and contract, use the calculator to size the order of magnitude, not to settle a claim.
What is demurrage and how much is it for reefers?
Demurrage (and detention) is what the shipping line charges when a container is not returned within the agreed free days, for example while goods sit at a border control post. Reefer rates vary by line and port and typically run into the low hundreds of euros per day, rising steeply after the first days.
How likely is a border check on Egyptian produce?
It depends on the product. Under EU Regulation 2019/1793 and the UK regime, several Egyptian products are subject to increased official controls, for example oranges are physically checked at around 10% frequency (EU and UK, 2026) and peppers at 20% in the UK. Our free RASFF Egypt Monitor tracks where notifications concentrate.
How does pre-shipment inspection change this?
It moves the discovery of quality and compliance problems from the destination port, where you own the loss, to the Egyptian packhouse, where sorting, repacking or holding the shipment is still possible. An ISO 17020-accredited report also gives you enforceable evidence against the supplier.
Inspect Before You Pay
Most inspections scheduled within 48 hours at packhouses across Egypt. Report within 24 hours.
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