01What an order can carry
Documents are agreed on the quotation, not discovered at the port. These are the ones that exist; ask for the set you need and it is written into the quote.
| Document | What it proves | Typical availability |
|---|---|---|
| Mill certificate | Alloy and heat number of the plate | From the mill, with the heat number |
| Inspection sheet | Measured dimensions and edge tolerance | Produced by us, per part |
| Packing list | Parts, quantities, weights | Produced by us |
| Declaration of conformity, food contact | Material suitability for food use | Confirmed on the quotation |
| Material safety data sheet | Handling and processing | On request |
What we do not produce: a CE mark for a countertop. A CE mark applies to products under a specific directive or regulation — construction products, machinery, pressure equipment. A fabricated countertop is not one of them, and a supplier who offers a “CE certificate” for a worktop is selling you a piece of paper with no regulation behind it.
02What each market actually asks
| Market | Instrument | What it means for the top |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | 1935/2004 framework, 2023/2006 GMP | Material must not transfer constituents in unsafe quantities; documentation expected |
| United Kingdom | Assimilated 1935/2004 | Same requirement, separate instrument |
| United States | FDA 21 CFR indirect additives | Stainless is generally accepted; coatings and adhesives need checking |
| Australia / NZ | Food Standards Code (FSANZ) | Surfaces smooth, impervious, cleanable — a design requirement |
| Germany | LFGB | Stricter migration testing in some categories |
None of these certify a countertop. They set requirements on the material and on the surfaces, and the buyer is expected to hold evidence. That evidence is the mill certificate and a declaration — which is why those two documents matter more than any logo on a page.
The detail per market: EU and UK · Australia and New Zealand.
03What we cannot tell you
We are a fabricator, not a customs broker and not a notified body. Three things are therefore outside what we will put in writing:
- Your import duty and tariff classification. Our invoice states the goods accurately; the classification applied at your border is your customs entry, and it is worth getting professional advice on.
- Whether your specific installation complies with your local code. Building codes govern installation, not fabrication.
- Migration test results for your conditions. We can supply the material certificate; the test, if your market requires one on the finished article, is arranged on your side.
Compliance requests that arrive after the parts are packed are expensive. Tell us on the enquiry which documents your customer needs, and the quote lists them.
04The material facts behind the paperwork
Every document on this site traces back to four facts about the plate, and it is worth knowing them because they are what an auditor will ask you for second, after the certificate.
| Fact | Value we work to | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | 304 (1.4301) or 316L (1.4404) | Mill certificate, heat number |
| Thickness | 5 / 6 / 8 / 10 mm | Inspection sheet, packing list |
| Edge tolerance | ±0.05 mm, machined edge | Inspection sheet |
| Surface | No.4 brushed, grain along length | Drawing and packing mark |
Those four are also the four things that change the price, so a document set and a quotation should agree with each other. If a certificate says 316L and the invoice prices 304, one of them is wrong and the buyer carries the consequence at the border.
The fabrication steps are in scope too, not just the plate. We cut, machine, fold, weld, grain and passivate, and we inspect and pack in the same building — which matters because 2023/2006 puts the processes under GMP, and a fabricator who cannot say where a weld was dressed cannot honestly sign a declaration about it.
On timing: documents are confirmed on the quotation, not assembled after the fact, and they travel with the packing list. Our lead time is 15 working days from a confirmed drawing, and if a specific declaration has to be worded for your market, that wording is agreed before the plate is cut rather than after it is packed.
EU and UK detail · Australia and NZ detail · Warranty limits
05Related
Order terms · Warranty and its limits · How to judge a supplier · Request a quote