How we work
Quantities, lead times, trade terms, payment and the document set that ships with your cargo. If a term here does not fit your procurement rules, state it in the enquiry and we will confirm whether we can meet it.
What buyers ask before they order
Five questions that come up before a first order, each answered in the section below.
- Mill test certificates that don't match the steel
- Forged or recycled MTCs are a documented problem in steel trading. Material ships with the certificate for its own heat number, and SGS, BV or your own surveyor can witness sampling if requested at order stage. ↓
- Anti-dumping duties on the landed cost
- Several markets apply anti-dumping duties to specific Chinese steel plate categories, and rates vary by product code and destination. Check the current rate for your HS code with your own customs broker before ordering — accurate invoicing and certificate of origin are provided so the calculation is straightforward. ↓
- Rust starting during the sea voyage
- A multi-week voyage is enough for unprotected plate to corrode, particularly with seawater contact. Material is oiled or shop-primed on request, bundled on timber dunnage, and marked before loading. ↓
- A minimum order too large for a repair job
- Industry minimums are typically 20 to 25 tonnes, roughly a container load. Stock held in Wuhan can be ordered from 1 tonne. ↓
- Paying a deposit and losing contact with the supplier
- Letter of credit at sight is the preferred route: your bank releases payment only against compliant documents. Where a deposit applies, it is 30% with the balance against a copy bill of lading. ↓
Minimum order quantity
Material held in stock
From 1 tonne
Bundles are broken to order. The minimum on any size held in stock is one tonne, which covers repair-yard quantities of a few plates.
Full container load
Approx. 25 tonnes
A 20ft container is weight-limited to roughly 25 to 28 tonnes of plate.
Mill order
Per rolling batch
Rolled-to-order material is subject to the mill's minimum rolling batch for that grade and size, confirmed on enquiry.
Lead times
Lead time runs from order confirmation to despatch from the port of loading. Which figure applies depends on whether the size is held in stock or rolled to order.
| Scenario | Time | What happens during it |
|---|---|---|
| From stock | 3-7 days | Ex-warehouse Wuhan. Material is already in stock against a heat number. |
| Mill order, standard grade and size | 30-45 days | Steelmaking and casting, rolling, heat treatment, inspection. The rolling window is confirmed once the mill schedules the heat. |
| Non-standard size or low-temperature grade | 45-60 days | Grades requiring impact testing at lower temperatures, or sizes outside the normal rolling programme. |
| Wuhan to port of loading | 1-5 days | Yangtze barge 3 to 5 days, road 1 to 2 days. This leg is included in the figures above. |
Vessel name and voyage number are sent when the cargo is despatched.
Shipping and trade terms
- Ports of loading
- Shanghai / Ningbo
- Incoterms
- FOB / CFR / CIF
- Packing
- Export seaworthy
Wuhan is an inland river port, so quotations are FOB at the deep-sea port with the inland leg included: Yangtze barge or road to Shanghai or Ningbo. Another port of loading can be arranged.
CIF covers vessel booking and marine insurance, so the shipment is handled by one party. FOB and CFR are available, and EXW on request.
Bundled and strapped with steel bands, timber dunnage, rust protection by oiling or shop primer on request. Each bundle is marked with grade, heat number and dimensions. Containers are lashed and break-bulk is secured for the voyage.
Payment terms
Letter of credit at sight
Documents are presented to your bank and payment is released against a compliant presentation.
T/T, 30% deposit and 70% against copy B/L
The balance falls due once the bill of lading is issued.
Deposit waived once we know each other
Once both parties have completed due diligence and there is an order history, the deposit requirement is dropped.
What you receive with the shipment
Customs clearance and class survey both turn on the document set. This is what ships with the cargo.
- Mill test certificate (MTC) to EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2, issued per heat
- Classification society certificate copy for the grade supplied
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list with heat numbers, dimensions and piece weights
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin (CO, FORM E or FORM A, whichever applies to your country)
- Insurance policy, for CIF shipments
- Fumigation certificate or non-wood packing declaration
Third-party inspection can be arranged. SGS, BV or your own surveyor can witness sampling or inspect before despatch if requested at order stage.
From enquiry to delivery
- 1
Enquiry
Send grade, thickness, dimensions and tonnage. Enquiries are answered within 24 hours.
- 2
Quotation
Price, availability and lead time, with a stated validity date on every quotation.
- 3
Order confirmation
Contract covering grade, dimensions, tolerances, classification society, delivery term, payment and the document set.
- 4
Stock release or rolling
Stock is released immediately. Mill orders are scheduled and the rolling window is confirmed to you.
- 5
Inspection and documents
Mill test certificates issued per heat. Third-party or witnessed inspection carried out if requested at order stage.
- 6
Packing and despatch
Export packing, inland leg to Shanghai or Ningbo, loading.
- 7
Documents and tracking
Document set couriered; vessel name and voyage number sent on despatch. Schedule changes are notified as they arise.
Send a specification
Grade, thickness, dimensions and tonnage are enough for a quotation. If a term above conflicts with your procurement rules, whether it is the payment structure, the lead time or a document your customs authority requires, state it in the enquiry.