How to Qualify a Metals & Minerals Supplier

Metals and minerals trade carries real fraud risk — forged assays, advance-fee demands, and shipments that do not exist. Qualifying a supplier before you commit is the single most effective protection. The aim is not suspicion but verification: a red flag is a reason to check, not proof of wrongdoing, and some real costs are legitimate.

Confirm the company is real and the goods exist

Verify the legal entity through an independent registry, not only documents the counterparty sends. Ask for evidence that the supplier actually owns or controls the material on offer — warehouse or stock records, mine or mill details, and prior export experience you can check.

Insist on independent, accredited assay

Require a Certificate of Analysis from an internationally accredited, buyer-appointed inspector, on a properly drawn sample, with sampling and chain of custody agreed in writing. Treat reluctance to allow a pre-payment assay as a signal to slow down and verify.

Be cautious with fees before shipment

A frequent pattern is a request for fees before any goods move — labelled as assay, insurance, export tax or clearance — often followed by a second request after the first is paid. Keep payments inside a structured process, and never pay fees to release goods outside agreed, documented terms.

Use secure, staged payment

For large tickets, prefer staged payment tied to shipping documents, or a confirmed letter of credit, rather than a single advance. Agreeing the payment mechanism before the deal is set removes most of the pressure that fraud relies on.

Keep the trade on the record

Sentrick Metals & Minerals qualifies buyers, suppliers, logistics and customs partners before they trade, keeps assay and company documents with the deal, and processes payment through the platform. See how suppliers get qualified, or how buyers source safely.