What does a chemical buyer check before asking you for a sample?
Answer
They confirm the substance is the one they need, that you make it rather than resell it, and that the paperwork will clear their site and their customs. In practice that means a CAS number, a grade and specification, a technical and safety data sheet, and a clear statement of your manufacturing role.
A procurement engineer has your name from a trade show badge and thirty seconds on your product page before deciding whether to open a second tab.
Information to make clear
Use the fields that affect this buying decision. Leave unsupported claims out.
- Product name and CAS number
- Without a CAS number the buyer cannot confirm it is the same substance their specification names.
- Grade and assay
- Technical, food, pharmaceutical and reagent grades of the same molecule are different purchases.
- Key specification values
- Assay, moisture, particle size or viscosity: whatever the buyer's spec sheet lists.
- Physical form
- Powder, granule, flake and liquid forms change handling, freight and storage.
- Packaging and pack sizes
- 25 kg bags, 200 L drums, IBCs and bulk are different logistics and different prices.
- Minimum order quantity
- Saves both sides an enquiry that was never going to work.
- HS code
- The buyer's import team needs it before they can cost the landed price.
Documents to prepare
State what can be published, shared on request or issued with an order.
| Document | What it supports | Suggested handling |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Data Sheet (TDS)May be requested at: first evaluation, before any contact | Product identity, grade and typical properties | Publish |
| Safety Data Sheet (SDS)May be requested at: before a sample can be shipped or received on site | Hazard classification, handling and transport information in the 16-section GHS format | Publish |
| Certificate of Analysis (CoA)May be requested at: with every shipment | That a specific batch met the published specification | Issue per shipment |
| ISO 9001 certificateMay be requested at: vendor approval | A quality management system, with a certificate number and issuing body | Publish |
| REACH registration statusMay be requested at: by any european buyer, early | The legal position for placing the substance on the EU market | Publish |
| Manufacturing role statementMay be requested at: immediately, and often decided without asking you | Whether you manufacture, repack or trade the product | Publish |
| Plant and capacity evidenceMay be requested at: before a first large order | That you can supply at the volume discussed | Publish |
Details to ask in an enquiry
Collect only the information needed to assess the request and respond.
- Product and CAS number
- Removes the first round of clarification email.
- Grade or specification required
- Decides whether you can quote at all.
- Quantity and packaging
- Drives price more than anything else on the form.
- Destination country
- Determines registration, documentation and freight.
- Sample requirement
- A sample request and a commercial enquiry need different responses.
- End use or application
- Often required for regulatory declarations, and it tells you which grade to offer.
Related questions
Should the Safety Data Sheet be downloadable without a form?
Yes. An SDS is a document the buyer's EHS team needs before they can even accept a sample, and gating it behind a form delays the part of the process you want to speed up. Gate commercial documents if you must; do not gate safety documents.
We are a trading house, not a manufacturer. Should we hide that?
No. Buyers who need a manufacturer will find out at the audit stage and the enquiry dies late instead of early. Buyers who need reliable sourcing and stock availability are looking for exactly what you are, and cannot find you when your site imitates a plant.
How much specification detail is too much to publish?
Publish what identifies the product and lets a buyer match it to their requirement. Keep customer-specific formulations, batch records and pricing private. If publishing a value would let a competitor replicate the product rather than recognise it, it belongs in the technical discussion.
This is an editorial checklist, not a compliance standard. Requirements vary by market, customer and contract. Confirm current requirements with the responsible technical and commercial teams.
Plact Research. Plact's editorial desk for buyer-evidence guides. The guides organize common buyer questions, documents and enquiry fields. Requirements should be checked against current standards, regulations and contracts.