How to verify a cement or clinker seller
Verify a cement or clinker seller by confirming the company in its registry, the plant behind the offer, the loading port and terms, and inspection at loading. Pay by LC, not by advance transfer to a company you have not checked.
Check this Cement offer free
Cement and clinker are sold by plants and their trading partners, usually FOB at a named port. Problems come from intermediaries who do not hold the product, from offers with impossible prices, and from documents copied from real plants. These checks help.
5 steps
- Check the seller in its registry. Confirm the company, its registration number, address and directors in the official registry of its country.
- Confirm the plant. Ask which plant produces the cement or clinker and confirm with the plant, through its own website contacts, that the seller is authorised to sell.
- Check the loading port and terms. Real offers name the loading port, the incoterm and the loading rate. Check they make sense for the plant's location.
- Agree independent inspection. Quality (type, strength class, chemistry) and quantity certified at loading by a surveyor you appoint.
- Pay by LC. An irrevocable LC opened by your bank, against shipping documents, protects you better than an advance transfer.
Red flags
- A price far below plant prices in the region
- No named plant or loading port
- Payment by TT before loading on a first deal
- A seller website that is only months old
- No registration number on the offer
- Copies of plant certificates with a different company name
Documents to ask for
- Company registration extract. Legal name, number, address and directors.
- Plant authorisation letter. If the seller is not the plant, a letter from the plant, confirmed by you with the plant.
- Product specification and test certificates. Cement type and strength class, or clinker chemistry, as written into the contract.
- Loading port, incoterm and loading rate. They must fit the plant's location and the vessel size.
- Draft contract with inspection and LC terms. Inspection at loading by a surveyor you appoint; an irrevocable LC opened by your bank.
What a sound deal looks like
A sound cement or clinker offer comes from a plant or an authorised trader, names the loading port and the incoterm, and quotes a price close to plant prices in the region. The specification is written into the contract, inspection at loading is by a surveyor you appoint, and payment is by an LC against shipping documents. Freight and vessel details are clear: who charters the vessel, the laycan and the loading rate. If those details are missing, ask for them before you sign anything.
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FAQ
What is the difference between cement and clinker?
Clinker is the intermediate product; cement is clinker ground with gypsum and other additives. Both are sold in bulk or bags.
Should I accept CIF from a plant that sells FOB?
Some plants sell only FOB. A CIF offer from an intermediary is possible but check who charters the vessel and who holds the cargo.
How do I confirm the plant knows the seller?
Contact the plant through its official website, not the contacts in the offer, and ask.
What does a site visit include?
A field officer visits the plant or warehouse, with geotagged photos and video, in 3–5 working days where we have an officer.
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General information, not legal or financial advice. Vanguard Trade Capital Goods Wholesalers DWC-LLC, Dubai South, UAE · [email protected]