Understand China's Steel Supply Chain
From the production to delivery, and the ordering methods, here is the information you need to know about the supply chain when placing orders.
The production and sales system of steel has a history of two hundred years globally, and in China, it has developed for 70 years. Although purchasing steel seems straightforward, merely requiring communication with a sales manager to confirm the requirements and place an order, the underlying steel plate supply chain is extremely complex. Baohui Steel Limited often collaborates with customers who have complex needs, assisting them in successfully managing the supply chain of wear-resistant steel plates.
From the production to delivery, and the ordering methods, here is the information you need to know about the supply chain when placing orders for wear-resistant steel plates.
Steel Production and Delivery Time
Delivery time plays a crucial role in the supply chain of wear-resistant steel plates as it involves various resources needed for production—including raw materials, equipment capacity, and labor—as well as time. We work closely with Baosteel to plan production schedules for months and determine specific delivery times after receiving orders. Baohui Steel Limited places orders with Baosteel at the end of each month, based on frontline market sales data and the estimated demand of long-term partners.
When submitting orders at the end of the month, we also include custom orders from customers, especially for futures of wear-resistant plates, which can have additional requirements for grade, size, and performance. Custom futures orders for wear-resistant plates usually require a delivery period of one to 45 days.
Delivery times may be extended due to the size and complexity of the order, and uncontrollable factors such as adverse weather, equipment failure, equipment maintenance, and holidays may also affect delivery times. Due to Baosteel's leading position in domestic steel production technology, there may be sudden military orders or national project orders, which could affect the production arrangement of ordinary wear-resistant steel plate orders. Therefore, buyers must consider these controllable and uncontrollable factors when placing orders.
Baohui Steel Limited maintains a long-term close cooperative relationship with Baosteel, so we can secure faster delivery times. At the same time, in terms of technical details, we are in close contact with Baosteel's technical department, and when producing steel orders with special performance requirements, we can match the end-user demand information with the steel mill production information for a rapid response.
To meet customers' urgent purchase needs, relying on the Ouyeel steel sales platform, we always keep thousands of tons of wear-resistant steel spot inventory, covering almost all wear-resistant steel specifications and sizes on the market. This meets the immediate needs of customers' project use. At the same time, relying on an efficient and fast logistics network, based on the distribution centers in Shanghai and Wuhan, we quickly deliver to the whole country and send to all parts of the world through the sea transportation of the Port of Shanghai.
Logistics Network
Baohui Steel Limited provides freight services to help customers coordinate the transportation of wear-resistant steel plates. Relying on the distribution centers in Shanghai and Wuhan, we quickly transport wear-resistant steel plates to the next link in the supply chain through railways, trucks, or barges.
Transportation methods include:
- Rail: Suitable for long-distance transportation, with an average transportation time of 10-14 days.
- Truck: Suitable for short-distance fast transportation, with a transportation time of 1-7 days.
- Barge: Suitable for large-volume transportation, with a transportation time of 10-30 days.
- Sea Freight: For international transportation across countries, transportation time is 1-3 months.
Sometimes, it is necessary to combine various transportation methods for multimodal transport to deliver wear-resistant steel plates to the final destination.
Baosteel Production Bases
Baosteel's heat treatment product line mainly has two bases, one located in Baoshan, Shanghai, and the other in Qingshan, Wuhan. The wear-resistant steel plates produced by the two bases are of the same quality, but the sizes differ. It takes about 10 days to transport from the Wuhan base to Shanghai.
Port of Shanghai
The Port of Shanghai, the busiest port in China, is a major hub port along the Chinese coast, ranking first in the world's port throughput with a throughput of 36.53 million TEUs this year. Baohui Steel Limited, close to Baosteel's production base in Baoshan and the Qingshan base in Wuhan, as well as the Port of Shanghai, has built distribution warehouses to meet the logistics needs of foreign trade customers from steel mill ordering to quick port shipment. If you are interested in importing steel from China, you can check the article below as well. How to Import Steel from China?
Purchasing Wear-Resistant Steel Plates
Managing the supply chain of wear-resistant steel plates is a challenging task, where delivery time and transportation are key factors in determining the arrival time of wear-resistant steel plates. When choosing a supplier of wear-resistant steel plates, consider the following factors:
- The proximity of the inventory location to the order destination.
- The reputation, knowledge, and experience of the supplier.
- Quality control processes, especially ISO-certified processes.
- Responsive customer service.
Baohui Steel Limited, relying on Baosteel's production bases, has built multiple strategic distribution centers with sufficient inventory to quickly meet customers' needs for wear-resistant steel plates. We welcome customers to contact Baohui Steel Limited to discuss their needs or to browse our products online and get a quote.
