Every order leaves with the documents that prove what the material is and where it came from. This page lists what can travel with a shipment, who issues each one, and when it is provided — so that the paperwork is settled with the quotation rather than discovered at the port.
Certificates are issued against the order
The documents that matter to a buyer are written against the material, not held on a shelf: the mill test certificate belongs to the heat that went into your order, and the Bill of Lading to the vessel that carried it.
Mejor Steel is a trading company and export agent. The mill test certificate is issued by the producing mill, from its own laboratory — not by us. Which mill will produce your material is named on the quotation before you commit to the order; how we supply sets out who is accountable for what. The company itself — what we supply, and what we are accountable for on an order — is on about Mejor Steel.
What is issued, and by whom
| Document | Issued by | When provided |
|---|---|---|
| Mill test certificate — EN 10204 3.1 | The producing mill’s own inspection department, independent of production | Every order. Carries the heat number, the chemical analysis and the mechanical results |
| Mill test certificate — EN 10204 3.2 | The mill, countersigned by an independent third-party inspector you nominate, typically SGS, BV or TUV | On request, specified at the order stage |
| Third-party inspection report | The inspection agency you appoint | On request — at the mill while the order is in production, or before shipment |
| Non-destructive and pressure test records | The mill’s laboratory | To the level the specification requires — ultrasonic, radiographic, hydrostatic or eddy current testing |
| Commercial invoice and packing list | Mejor Steel | Every shipment, matched to the packing marks on the goods |
| Bill of Lading | The carrier | Every shipment, issued once the cargo is loaded |
| Certificate of origin | The authorised body in China | On request, where the destination or the letter of credit calls for it |
| Legalised or consular documents | The destination country’s embassy or consulate in China | On request, where the importing authority requires it |
| Packing marks and heat number stencil | Applied by the mill at packing | Every shipment. What arrives can be matched to its certificate without opening the packing |
What is verified and tested on every order — and which tests apply to which specification — is set out in full on the quality control page.
How to read a mill test certificate
A mill test certificate is worth what it is checked against. The certificate describes one heat and one order; read it by matching each field back to the order it is supposed to cover.
- The heat number — the identity of the steel. It should match the heat number stencilled on the pipe and on the packing list; if it does not, the certificate does not belong to the material.
- The standard and grade — API 5L X65 PSL2, ASTM A106 Grade B, API 5CT N80Q. This is the requirement the rest of the certificate is measured against.
- The size and quantity — outside diameter, wall thickness and length should match the order line by line.
- The chemical composition — the cast analysis, element by element, each within the limits the grade allows.
- The mechanical results — tensile, yield, elongation, and hardness or impact where the grade requires them, each meeting the minimum (or the cap, for hardness).
- The tests that apply — hydrostatic, non-destructive examination, and any extras the order called for (HIC / SSC, PMI, coating), each with its result.
- The issue and the signature — who issued it and when. A 3.1 is signed by the mill’s inspection department; a 3.2 carries the countersignature of an independent third party on top.
How to read a 3.2 report
A 3.2 certificate is a 3.1 with an independent check on top: an inspection agency you nominate — typically SGS, BV or TUV — witnesses the testing or verifies the results and countersigns. Read it in two passes: first the mill’s results, exactly as above, then the third-party layer — the agency’s name, the certificate reference, and the statement of what was witnessed or verified. The third party does not replace the mill’s results; it confirms them.
When to tell us which documents you need
Name anything specific when you send the enquiry: a certificate of origin, legalised or consular documents, a third-party inspection report, or a particular invoice or packing list format. Documents that have to be issued by a chamber, an embassy or an inspector take time to obtain, and the cost belongs on the quotation rather than on a separate invoice after the goods have sailed.
If you are buying against a letter of credit, the L/C lists the documents required. Send that list with the enquiry — the documents, the shipment dates and the expiry date are far easier to reconcile with the specification while the quotation is being put together than once the goods are ready to load. The how to order page shows where in the order each one is issued.
What this page does not claim
Everything listed above is issued against a specific order. Nothing on this page is a company approval, or a certificate held by us, and nothing here should be read as one. If your procurement process needs something beyond the order documents — a vendor registration, a pre-qualification questionnaire, or a set of company papers — send it with the enquiry and we will say what can be provided before you commit to anything.
Common questions
- Do you provide mill test certificates?
- Yes. Material is supplied with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 mill test certificates, traceable to the heat number.
- What is the difference between EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2?
- Both are inspection certificates based on specific testing of the products supplied. A 3.1 is issued by the inspection department of the mill that produced the material; a 3.2 carries the additional countersignature of an independent third party. Specify which one you need at the order stage. The quality control page covers which tests apply to which specification.
- Can third-party inspection be arranged?
- Yes, third-party inspection can be arranged on request, either at the mill or before shipment. Tell us the dates and the scope and we arrange it with the mill while your order is in production. Inspectors are welcome at the mill.
- Can I see a certificate before I order?
- A mill test certificate is written against the heat it belongs to, so it is issued with the material rather than before it. If your procedure requires the certificate to be reviewed before purchase, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will say what can be shown for the grade you are buying.
Tell us with the specification which documents your order needs, and they are quoted with it.
Request a quotation