Metals, sourced direct from the mill
Carbon steel coil, stainless plate, aluminum extrusions, copper tube, brass bar, nickel and titanium alloys — placed at vetted Chinese mills with EN 10204 3.1/3.2 certificates and pre-shipment inspection on every lot.
What metal sourcing actually means
Metal sourcing is the procurement workflow that takes a buyer from a written specification — alloy grade, dimensions, surface finish, mechanical properties — to certified material on a quay in their destination port. It is not catalog selling. It is project work that touches metallurgy, mill scheduling, export compliance and freight.
For ferrous and non-ferrous metals out of China, that workflow has half a dozen failure points: a mill that substitutes a similar grade, a trader who issues a falsified mill certificate, a packing crew that ships rusted coils, a forwarder who books the wrong vessel. Sourcing Captain runs the workflow as a single project with one accountable owner and a written sourcing plan.
We work mill-direct with Q235/Q345, ASTM A36, A572, AISI 304/316L, 6061/6082, C11000, brass, monel and titanium alloys. Every order ships with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certificates, a chemical analysis on the actual heat number, and — for safety-critical applications — third-party witness inspection during melt and rolling. We are paid to remove surprises, not to forward emails.
Our six-step metal sourcing process
Spec lock
We rewrite your inquiry into a buyer-side spec sheet — alloy, dimensions, tolerances, surface, certification, packaging, Incoterm — and confirm it back in writing.
Mill shortlist
We screen 3–5 audited mills against your spec. You get a short comparison: capacity, lead time, FOB price, certification depth.
Sample & PO
Mill sample if required, then a fixed-price purchase order with milestone payment terms and an inspection clause.
Production audit
Our QC team is on the floor for the heat. We verify chemistry against the spec sheet and witness mechanical testing.
Pre-shipment
Independent SGS or BV inspection of dimensions, surface, marking and packaging — with photo and video reports before the container seals.
Logistics
We book the vessel under our own freight rates, file the export documents and hand you a tracking link until customs clearance.
Why global buyers source metals through a partner
Buying metals from China without an in-country partner exposes a project to four well-documented risks: grade substitution at the mill (a "304" coil that turns out to be 201), falsified mill certificates that fall apart on a third-party retest, packaging that lets a marine container reach the destination as a rust delivery, and trader margins stacked on top of mill prices.
A sourcing partner shifts those risks back to the supplier. We pre-qualify mills with on-site audits, witness sample cuts during production, sign off on packaging before sealing the container, and book vessels under our own freight contracts. For most buyers, the saved rejection rate alone pays the sourcing fee — and the price-stability improvement is a bonus.
What you receive on every metal order
Mill certificates
EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 for every heat. Chemistry, mechanical and dimensional results tied to the actual production batch.
Inspection report
Third-party PSI report with photos, video and pass/fail against the spec sheet — issued before shipment.
Packing list
Detailed packing list with bundle weights, marks, and customs HS codes for fast clearance at destination.
Export documents
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin and any FTA forms (RCEP, ASEAN, etc).
Sample retention
Retained mill samples held in our warehouse for 12 months in case of a downstream technical query.
Sourcing dossier
A PDF dossier of the supplier audit, quality plan and inspection results — signed by your project owner.
Metal sourcing — frequently asked questions
Which metal grades do you cover?
Carbon and HSLA steels (Q235, Q345, A36, A572, S355), stainless (304, 316L, 321, 2205, 2507), aluminum (1050, 5052, 5083, 6061, 6082, 7075), copper and copper alloys (C11000, brass, bronze), nickel alloys (Inconel, Monel, Hastelloy) and titanium grades 1, 2 and 5. If your spec is more exotic, we will tell you up front whether it is procurable.
Will you help write the specification?
Yes. Most disputes happen because the original RFQ was incomplete. Before we go to market we lock alloy, dimensions and tolerances, surface finish, mechanical requirements, certification level, packaging, marking, Incoterm and inspection clause — and we get your signature on the resulting spec sheet.
How do you stop grade substitution and fake mill certificates?
Three ways. We only deal with audited mills, not traders that aggregate from anonymous heats. We witness the heat or insist on retained samples cross-checked by a third-party lab. And we issue PSI reports tied to the heat number — so the certificate, the sample and the shipment all match.
What are your minimum order quantities?
It depends on alloy and form. Carbon steel coil typically starts around 25 tonnes. Stainless plate from 5 tonnes. Aluminum extrusions from 1 tonne with custom dies. Titanium and nickel alloys from 500 kg. We will tell you when an MOQ is the constraint and propose alternatives.
Do you arrange shipping?
Yes, end-to-end. We book FCL or LCL under our own freight contracts, handle export documentation, certificates of origin and FTA forms. You receive a tracking link from the day the container leaves the mill until it clears customs at destination.
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Tell us what you need to source
Send specs, target volumes, and timelines. Our sourcing team replies within one business day with a sourcing plan and price guidance.