1. Bill of Lading (BL)
The bill of lading is the carrier-issued transport document. It is the contract of carriage, the receipt for the goods, and (in original form) the document of title — possession of the original BL gives the holder the right to take delivery at the destination port.
Three originals are issued by default ('original 3/3'). Telex-release BLs are used where time pressure makes original BL courier impractical; the carrier electronically authorises release at destination against confirmation that the originals have been surrendered at origin.
2. Commercial Invoice
The commercial invoice is issued by the seller and states the buyer, seller, Incoterm, currency, unit price (and the LME reference if pricing is formula-based), quantity, total value and the BL reference. It is the document customs uses to assess duty and the document the bank uses to verify the trade value.
Invoices for LC shipments must match LC terms exactly — buyer name spelling, Incoterm wording, port names — or the LC presentation is discrepant and payment is delayed.
3. Packing List
The packing list details every container in the shipment: container number, seal number, tare weight, net weight, gross weight, packing type (bulk, baled, drummed) and grade. The packing list ties the inspection certificate to the BL and is the operational reference at every step downstream.
Discrepancies between packing list and BL weight are the single most common cause of customs hold-up. Reputable exporters reconcile these before document release.
4. Annex VII Movement Document (EU Regulation 1013/2006)
Annex VII is the simplified movement document required for non-hazardous, Green-listed scrap leaving the EU. It identifies the exporter, the consignee, the receiving facility, the waste codes, the quantity, the transport route, the planned shipment date and is signed by both the exporter and the consignee.
Annex VII travels physically with the shipment and is presented at both origin and destination customs. Without a signed Annex VII the shipment is not eligible to load under EU 1013/2006.
5. Certificate of Origin (EUR.1 / Non-Preferential)
The EUR.1 certificate is the preferential certificate of origin used under EU trade agreements (with Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam and others) and entitles the importer to reduced or zero duty when the material qualifies.
Where no preferential agreement applies, a non-preferential certificate of origin is issued by the chamber of commerce. Both are accepted by destination customs; which one is required depends on the receiving country and the relevant trade agreement.
6. SGS / BV / Cotecna Inspection Certificate
The third-party inspection certificate is the metallurgical and physical reference for the cargo. It states grade, weight, packing, moisture, foreign-attachment percentage, radiation clearance and (where requested) XRF PMI composition.
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) certificates issued under specific country regimes (e.g. India's DGFT) carry the same inspection content plus additional country-mandated attestations.
7. Weight Certificate and Beneficiary's Certificate
The weight certificate is issued by the loading-port weighbridge (trade-verified in the Netherlands) and provides the legal weight reference for the BL. The beneficiary's certificate is a self-issued document the exporter uses to attest to specific contract conditions — typically the LME pricing date, the inspection nomination, and the document courier reference.
Together these documents close the audit trail between yard intake and bill of lading.