Pre-Shipment Steel Inspection: The QC Checklist

Steel claims are won and lost on paperwork that existed before the container closed. This checklist is the one our own team runs at Foshan warehouses and at partner mills — print it, adapt it, and make it a condition of your PO. For the document layer in depth, see our MTC guide.

Stage 1 — Documents (before you pay the balance)

#	Check	Pass criterion
1	MTC exists per heat	EN 10204 3.1 (or 3.2 if ordered); stamped + signed
2	PO reference	Certificate cites your PO/contract number
3	Heat number match	Every stencil/bundle tag maps to an MTC line
4	Grade & standard	e.g. A572 Gr50 per ASTM, not "equivalent" wording
5	Chemistry inside limits	C, Mn, P, S, Si + alloy specifics within spec band
6	Mechanical inside limits	Yield, UTS, elongation meet or exceed spec minimums
7	Quantity & theoretical weight	Piece count × unit weight matches invoice ±3% tolerance

Stage 2 — Dimensional sampling

• Sample plan: measure 3 pieces per bundle, every 10th bundle for full containers; 100% on cut-to-length plate.
• Sections (beams/angles): depth, flange width, web and flange thickness, straightness (bow ≤ 0.2% of length typical), end-cut squareness.
• Plate: thickness at 9 points (edges run thin), length/width, camber, flatness.
• Coils: gauge across the strip (3 positions), width, od/id, and coil weight vs theoretical.
• Pipe: OD at two ends, wall at 4 clock positions, ovality, length — see the schedule guide for nominal walls.

Accept mill tolerance (ASTM A6, EN 10029, GB/T 709 etc.) — the trick is knowing which tolerance applies to your product class and writing it on the PO.

Stage 3 — Surface and coating

• Black steel: no laminations, heavy scale pits, deep scratches or pitting; slight mill scale and handling rust are normal — grade against the standard, not showroom ideals.
• Galvanized GI/GL: no white rust beyond light passivation bloom, no bare patches, spangle type as ordered, coating designation stamped (e.g. Z275) on coil tags.
• PPGI: colour vs approved panel (D65 light box if possible), no scratches through paint, edge coverage, backing coat present.
• Shot-blasted + primed: Sa2.5 photo reference agreed in advance, DFT reading per square meter of surface.

Stage 4 — Packing and marking

1. Dunnage: timber bearers sized so bundles don't touch the container floor; no red-heart or bark timber (ISPM-15 stamped if you need phytosanitary compliance).
2. Strapping: steel or PET bands at correct pitch; corner protectors under bands on painted/coated product.
3. End/edge protection: caps on pipe ends, cardboard or steel guards on coil edges, V-blocks for beams.
4. Marking: each bundle tagged with heat number, size, grade, PO — plus stencil on pieces where the standard requires.
5. Loading: photograph container interior before stuffing, after stuffing, and the sealed door with seal number.

Stage 5 — When to bring in a third party

SGS, Bureau Veritas, TÜV and Intertek all run steel inspection desks in China at roughly US$250–450 per man-day, booked 5–7 working days ahead. Worth it when:

• First order with a new mill or trader (builds your baseline evidence file)
• The project is code-governed (building, pressure, offshore) and your engineer needs 3.2-type assurance
• Order value is large relative to your loss tolerance — a common line is US$30,000+
• The PO includes special tests you can't witness remotely: UT on plate, hydro on pipe, CVN impact at temperature

Give the inspector your PO, the approved spec, and this checklist; ask for the report before balance payment, not after loading.

After arrival — protect your claim rights

• Open-side container photos before unloading; note seal number vs B/L.
• Short-land or damage: notify in writing within the contract window (typically 15–30 days), keep packaging, and quote heat numbers from tags.
• File marine insurance claims with the loading photos from Stage 4 — they're what proves condition at shipment.

Nikasteel runs this checklist on every export order and shares the photo record with buyers as standard — see how we ship steel from China.