Steel products export proforma invoice template
Steel products export proforma invoice template: coil and sheet priced per tonne, with certificates, inspection and packing on their own lines.
Templates by industry
- Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne
- Galvanised steel coil, 0.6 mm, per tonne
- Mill test certificates and third-party inspection
- Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm goods and delivery terms
Example: confirm the quantity and unit price of "Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne", then the delivery terms, transport and insurance.
Set the validity and send
Check every line down to "Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping", add the valid-until date and the prepayment account, and send the proforma to the buyer.
Invoice after payment or shipment
When the buyer pays or the goods ship, make the invoice from the proforma. The proforma stays unchanged as the offer the buyer accepted.
Steel prices move week by week, so a proforma for coil or sheet is a short-lived offer that the buyer turns into a payment or a credit quickly. It has to say what is being sold in the terms a mill uses: product, dimensions, tonnes and the basis of weighing. This template prices each product per tonne and keeps certificates, inspection and packing on lines of their own, where an importer’s broker can find them.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne, Galvanised steel coil, 0.6 mm, per tonne, Mill test certificates and third-party inspection, Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping: the goods or services and the quantities you intend to supply, at the prices you will invoice.
- Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne
- Give grade, thickness, width and coil weight range; “hot-rolled coil” alone leaves the buyer unable to compare it with another mill’s offer.
- Galvanised steel coil, 0.6 mm, per tonne
- Add the coating mass and the passivation or oiling, since a change of coating after the offer changes the price.
- Mill test certificates and third-party inspection
- Name the type of certificate and who issues it, the mill or an outside inspector, and state whether its fee is in the price.
- Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping
- Describe strapping, edge protection and wrapping; claims for rust or damaged edges start from this line.
- Delivery terms
- State the delivery terms (such as an Incoterm and the named place), how the goods travel and who insures them.
- Validity and prepayment
- Give the date the prices hold until and, if you ask for payment in advance, the account the buyer pays into.
- Scope to agree
- State the grade, thickness and width of each product, whether the price is per tonne of actual or theoretical weight, the quantity tolerance, and how long the price holds.
Before sending
- Does “Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Does “Galvanised steel coil, 0.6 mm, per tonne” need an HS code or country of origin in its description for the buyer’s import licence?
- Can “Mill test certificates and third-party inspection” ship in the quantity shown once the prepayment arrives?
Show 4 more
- Does “Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Check that quantities, unit prices and currency match what the buyer ordered or asked you to quote.
- Add the HS code and country of origin to the item descriptions if the buyer needs them for an import licence.
- Check the valid-until date, the delivery terms and the prepayment account, and that the document says it is not a tax invoice.
Worked example: two coil grades with certificates and packing
The figures are an example, in dollars. A trader offers 120 tonnes of hot-rolled coil and 60 tonnes of galvanised coil at a price per tonne, with one line for mill certificates and inspection and one for strapping and wrapping. No tax is added on the export.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hot-rolled coil, 2.5 mm × 1,250 mm, per tonne | 120 × $640.00 | $76,800.00 |
| Galvanised steel coil, 0.6 mm, per tonne | 60 × $780.00 | $46,800.00 |
| Mill test certificates and third-party inspection | 1 × $950.00 | $950.00 |
| Strapping, edge protection and waterproof wrapping | 1 × $1,100.00 | $1,100.00 |
| Total | $125,650.00 | |
The four lines come to $125,650.00, which is the proforma total of $125,650.00. The buyer sends the payment or opens the credit for this figure, and the final amount moves only with the tonnes actually weighed at loading, inside the tolerance written in the terms.
Common mistakes on a steel proforma
- Offering “hot-rolled coil” without thickness, width or grade, so the buyer cannot tell which product the price is for.
- Leaving the validity open while the market moves, then being asked to honour last month’s price.
- Not saying whether the price is per tonne of theoretical or weighed weight.
- Putting the third-party inspection fee into the tonne price although the buyer’s credit lists the certificate separately.
- Leaving out the origin because the seller is a trader, when the importer’s broker needs the country where the steel was made.
What the document must show
These details make a proforma invoice easier to approve and to file.
- The seller's and the buyer's names and addresses
- Proforma number and issue date
- Each item with quantity and unit price; add the HS code and country of origin to the description if the import licence needs them
- Delivery terms (such as an Incoterm), transport and insurance
- Payment terms and the account for prepayment
- The date the proforma is valid until
- A statement that it is not a tax invoice
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Frequently asked questions
Is the price on theoretical or actual weight?
Say which. Theoretical weight comes from the dimensions and density, actual weight from the scale at loading. The two can differ by a few percent, and the buyer should know which one the price multiplies.
How short can the validity be when prices move?
Short enough to protect you, often a few days to a week, and always dated. Add that the price holds only if payment or the credit arrives within that period.
Should the mill or the country of origin be named?
Name the mill if the buyer asks for it, and state the country of origin in any case. Some importing countries apply special measures to steel from certain origins, so the broker will want it in the papers.
How do I show a tolerance on the ordered tonnes?
Write it beside the quantity, such as plus or minus a percentage, and say that the final amount follows the weight loaded. Without it, a small weighing difference can reopen the price.
Can secondary coil be offered on the same proforma?
Only as separate lines marked as secondary, with the defect limits you accept. Mixing it into a prime line is the quickest way to a quality claim.
How is tax calculated on this template?
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending. The editor keeps the net amount, the tax and the total apart, and recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a unit price or the country setting.
Can I change the layout and colour?
Yes. The editor offers other layouts and a document colour for the printed page. Changing them moves no figure: the lines and totals stay as they are, and the PDF, Word and Excel files follow the layout you pick.
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