October 22, 2026 | Procurement Guide
Your first container is where most mistakes happen — not because the product is hard, but because the process has ten steps and any one skipped costs weeks or money. This checklist walks through the order, in the order you should do it.
Write down substrate (GI / GL / CR), thickness, width, coating system, color, form (coil or sheet) and quantity. This is the single document that every later step — quote, contract, inspection — refers back to. If it is vague now, it is a dispute later.
Ask for an A4 coated sample with the mill test report. Approve the physical sample, not a photo or a Pantone number. The sample you sign off is the standard the whole order is judged against.
Confirm Incoterms (FOB Qingdao, CFR, CIF or DDP) and payment method (T/T or L/C at sight). Agree the deposit and balance split in writing before production starts.
Write third-party inspection (SGS or equivalent) into the contract as a pre-shipment step, with the specification as the inspection standard. This is the step that turns "trust me" into "verify it" — and it is the cheapest insurance you will buy.
Humid destination or long transit? Specify edge protection, waterproof wrap and desiccant. Packing is cheap; a rusted container is not.
Before the ship sails, confirm you will receive: commercial invoice, packing list, Bill of Lading, Certificate of Origin and the mill test certificate. Missing documents at destination can hold your cargo at customs.
Open and check a sample within the claim window (we hold 7 days). Photograph any issue with the batch number visible. A claim made early is resolved in days; one made late is a negotiation.
Spec in writing, approve a physical sample, put inspection in the contract, and inspect on arrival. Do those four things and your first container is very unlikely to be your last surprise.
