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
- 1
Planta y stock en Wuhan
Los envíos comienzan en la planta de WISCO en Wuhan, a orillas del río Yangtsé. La placa en stock se mantiene aquí desde una tonelada, fraccionada según el pedido; los pedidos directos de fábrica se laminan según el lote mínimo para ese grado y tamaño.
- 2
Transporte fluvial
Wuhan es un puerto fluvial interior, por lo que la placa se traslada primero tierra adentro —en barcaza por el Yangtsé o por carretera— hasta alcanzar un puerto de aguas profundas.
- 3
Carga FOB en Shanghái o Ningbo
El puerto de aguas profundas suele ser Shanghái o Ningbo, donde el envío se carga en condiciones FOB; las cotizaciones ya incluyen ese tramo interior. Se puede acordar otro puerto de carga si se solicita.
- 4
Flete marítimo hasta el destino
Desde allí, el envío viaja por flete marítimo hasta su destino. El CIF incluye la reserva del buque y el seguro marítimo, de modo que una sola parte gestiona el envío; también están disponibles FOB y CFR, y EXW a solicitud.
Incoterms: FOB / CFR / CIF
CIF covers vessel booking and marine insurance, so the shipment is handled by one party. FOB and CFR are available, and EXW on request.
Packing: Export seaworthy
Bundled and strapped with steel bands, timber dunnage, and anti-rust oil applied as standard; a shop primer coating can be arranged on request. Each bundle is marked with grade, heat number and dimensions. Containers are lashed and break-bulk is secured for the voyage.
Value-added processing
Beyond supplying certified plate, we coordinate the finishing work buyers commonly need before material goes to the yard — specify what you need when you request a quote.
- Profile cutting
- CNC flame or plasma cutting to your drawing or DXF file, subcontracted to qualified cutting shops near the mill.
- Shot blasting
- Surface preparation to a specified grade such as Sa 2.5 per ISO 8501-1, subcontracted, available on request.
- Shop priming
- Zinc-based weldable shop primer applied after blasting, subcontracted, available on request.
- Edge beveling
- Standard single-V or double-V (X) edge preparation to your welding procedure, subcontracted.
- Ultrasonic testing
- In-house ultrasonic testing to classification-society or customer-specified acceptance criteria.
Cutting, blasting, priming and beveling are subcontracted to qualified shops we work with regularly; ultrasonic testing is done in-house.
Typical geometry
On-site video
Real footage of the warehouse and processing floor, added as it is filmed.
Warehouse
Real on-site video coming soon
Crane operations
Real on-site video coming soon
Plate marking
Real on-site video coming soon
Processing line
Real on-site video coming soon
Payment terms
Carta de crédito irrevocable a la vista
Los documentos se presentan a su banco y el pago se libera contra una presentación conforme, bajo una carta de crédito irrevocable, la forma estándar de financiación comercial para pedidos por primera vez o puntuales.
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.
Inspección previa al embarque (PSI)
La verificación independiente se realiza a través del proceso de inspección presenciada por la sociedad de clasificación ya descrito en las páginas de certificaciones y guía de MTC: el inspector confirma los resultados de las pruebas de la fábrica de forma independiente de ZCMetals o del propio departamento de calidad de la fábrica.
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.
Annotated guide to reading a mill test certificateSite visits
Material is held across several warehouses in Wuhan. Visits are arranged on request: you can inspect the plate, check the markings and read the certificates on site. For buyers who cannot travel, photographs and video of the specific material are sent before despatch, and SGS, BV or your own surveyor can attend in your place.
Arrange a visitFrom 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.