Overview
Steel sheet, plate and coil are a grade and coating product: what is certified is the mechanical performance of the base steel — yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and, for forming grades, the drawing quality — verified against the grade standard, plus the coating designation and its durability for metallic-coated and pre-painted product. That makes their certification different from reinforcing bar (safety-critical, heavily verification-tested) and from steel pipes (pressure-tested) — the key evidence for flat product is a mill test certificate per heat, a coating-mass test for coated product, and thickness tolerance to the applicable flat-product standard.
Flat steel products fall under the SABER conformity scheme, generally within the Building Materials Technical Regulation (steel and metal group) for construction-grade material. A Product Certificate of Conformity (PCoC) is required for the product range and grade, and a Shipment Certificate of Conformity (SCoC) is required for each consignment before it can clear Saudi customs. Structural sections, angles and fabrications are covered on our Fabricated Steel page.
Product Types
The SABER route and flat-product requirements apply across products including:
- Hot-rolled steel coil, sheet and plate (structural, forming and pressure-vessel grades)
- Cold-rolled steel coil and sheet (drawing and deep-drawing qualities)
- Hot-dip galvanized (GI) and galvannealed coil and sheet
- Aluzinc / Galvalume (AZ) and zinc-magnesium (ZM) coated coil and sheet
- Electro-galvanized coil and sheet
- Pre-painted / colour-coated coil and sheet (PPGI / PPGL)
- Tinplate and electrolytic chromium-coated steel (ECCS / TFS)
- Corrugated and profiled roofing / cladding sheet and steel decking
The scope of your certificate is defined from the product form, the steel grade, the coating type and mass, the thickness range and the HS code. We structure the certificate so the flat-product range you actually export is covered.
HS Codes
Flat steel products are commonly classified under the headings below. These are examples only — the correct code depends on the exact product.
- 7208 — Flat-rolled products of iron / non-alloy steel, width ≥ 600 mm, hot-rolled, not clad, plated or coated
- 7209 — Flat-rolled products, width ≥ 600 mm, cold-rolled, not coated
- 7210 — Flat-rolled products, width ≥ 600 mm, clad, plated or coated (galvanized, aluzinc, painted, tinplate)
- 7211 / 7212 — Flat-rolled products, width < 600 mm, uncoated / coated
- 7225 / 7226 — Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel
Applicable Saudi Requirements
Flat steel products are certified through SABER registration on the Saudi platform. The main requirements are:
- A valid PCoC issued against the applicable flat-product grade standard
- An SCoC for each individual shipment before customs clearance
- Mill test certificate (EN 10204 3.1) for every heat / coil, stating chemistry and mechanical values
- Mechanical verification — yield, tensile, elongation and, for forming grades, the drawing-quality designation
- Coating-mass designation (for example Z275, AZ150) verified by a triple-spot test for metallic-coated product
- Paint-system data for pre-painted coil — coating thickness, flexibility (T-bend), adhesion, hardness and corrosion resistance
- Thickness, width and flatness tolerance to the applicable dimensional standard
- Restricted-substance evidence where required (for example hexavalent chromium in passivation, lead in paint)
- Product marking / coil tags identifying grade, coating, dimensions and heat
- A registered Saudi importer on the SABER platform to link the shipment
Technical Regulation
Flat steel products are assessed principally under Saudi Arabia's Technical Regulation for Building Materials (the iron and steel product group) for construction-grade material, together with the applicable product standard for the form and grade. Internationally these are EN 10025 (hot-rolled structural steel), EN 10111 (continuously hot-rolled low-carbon steel for cold forming), EN 10130 (cold-rolled low-carbon steel for cold forming), EN 10346 (continuously hot-dip coated steel — GI / GL / ZM), EN 10169 (continuously organic-coated / pre-painted steel), EN 10131 / EN 10051 / EN 10143 (dimensional tolerances), or the ASTM A36 / A1011 / A1008 / A653 / A792 / A755 and JIS G3302 / G3312 / G3321 series. Coating mass is verified to EN 10346 / ASTM A90 (triple-spot test) and paint-system durability to the EN 10169 / ECCA test methods. The exact regulation and standard set is confirmed at assessment from the product form and HS code. Our Technical Regulations guide explains how regulations are matched to products.
Testing / Standards
Flat steel products are typically evaluated against the applicable grade and coating standard for mechanical performance, coating and dimensions. Typical verification includes:
- Tensile test (ISO 6892-1) — yield strength, tensile strength and elongation
- Chemical analysis against the grade limits
- Bend test and, for cold-rolled forming grades, hardness and ageing-index / r and n values
- Coating-mass triple-spot test (EN 10346 / ASTM A90) — total both surfaces
- Coating adhesion (bend / impact) for metallic-coated product
- Paint dry-film thickness, specular gloss and pencil hardness (pre-painted)
- T-bend flexibility and cross-hatch / pull-off adhesion of the paint system
- Neutral salt-spray and humidity resistance of the coating system (EN ISO 9227 / EN ISO 6270)
- Thickness, width, flatness and edge-camber measurement against tolerance
- Surface-quality assessment
Existing accredited test reports and mill certificates may be accepted where they cover the exact grade, coating and thickness and are within validity. We review your certificates before arranging any new product testing, so you only test what is genuinely missing.
Documents Required
A typical flat-product application uses the set below; our full documents required guide explains each item.
- Commercial invoice and packing list, with coil / heat numbers
- HS code of the flat-product range
- Technical datasheet stating the grade, coating type and mass, thickness range and standard
- Mill test certificate (EN 10204 3.1) for every heat / coil
- Mechanical verification test report — tensile and bend
- Coating-mass triple-spot test report for coated product
- Paint-system test report (T-bend, adhesion, hardness, salt-spray) for pre-painted coil
- Dimensional / tolerance report
- Restricted-substance declaration where applicable
- Manufacturer details and Declaration of Conformity where relevant
- Saudi importer registration details
PCoC Process
The Product Certificate of Conformity certifies the flat-product range and grade against the applicable standard. In outline:
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Classification and scope
We confirm the product form, grade, coating type and mass, thickness range, HS code and applicable standard, and define what the certificate should cover.
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Mill certificate and report review
We check the mill certificate chemistry and mechanical values against the grade, and whether your coating and paint reports match the product supplied.
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Verification testing
An accredited laboratory carries out tensile, coating-mass and, for pre-painted coil, paint-system testing where the certificate alone is not sufficient.
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Technical review
An approved certification body reviews the documents, marking and test evidence against the regulation.
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PCoC issued
Once the review is satisfied, the PCoC is issued on the SABER platform. It is typically valid for one year.
SCoC Process
A Shipment Certificate of Conformity is issued per consignment and is what customs checks at the border. In outline:
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Shipment details submitted
The invoice, packing list with coil / heat numbers and the linked PCoC are submitted for the specific consignment.
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Verification
The shipment is verified against the valid PCoC, the coils are checked against mill certificates and the declared grade and coating, and the SCoC fee is settled on the platform.
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SCoC issued
The SCoC is issued for that shipment, allowing it to clear Saudi customs. Each new shipment needs its own SCoC.
Certification Timeline
The main variable is whether complete mill certificates and valid coating / paint reports already exist for your exact grade, coating and thickness. Our SABER timeline guide covers this in detail.
- With complete mill certificates and acceptable coating data — a PCoC can typically be arranged within a few working days
- When fresh verification testing is required — tensile and coating-mass testing is quick; salt-spray and weathering for a pre-painted system is the longer variable
- SCoC — normally issued quickly per shipment once a valid PCoC is in place and the coils are covered
Common Problems
- Coating mass below the declared designation on the triple-spot test (for example Z180 supplied as Z275)
- Coated coil declared and documented as bare hot-rolled or cold-rolled
- A coil or heat in the consignment not covered by a mill certificate
- Pre-painted coil with no T-bend, adhesion or salt-spray data for the paint system
- Forming grade supplied against a structural-grade certificate, or vice versa
- Thickness outside the tolerance for the product form
- Datasheet values not backed by an accredited laboratory report
- Hexavalent-chromium passivation with no restricted-substance declaration
We check these points up front — especially the coating-mass evidence and the heat coverage — so consignments are not held at customs for avoidable reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the triple-spot test and why does it matter?
It is the standard method (EN 10346 / ASTM A90) for measuring the coating mass on metallic-coated steel — three samples are taken across the strip and the coating weight per square metre, both surfaces, is measured. A coil sold as Z275 must actually carry that zinc mass; the triple-spot test on the real coil is the evidence, not the datasheet.
Does bare hot-rolled coil need less evidence than coated coil?
Yes in one respect — bare coil is assessed on the mill certificate (grade, chemistry, mechanical properties) and dimensions, with no coating requirement. Galvanized, aluzinc or painted coil adds the coating-mass test and, for pre-painted product, the paint-system durability suite.
Is this the same as the Fabricated Steel certificate?
No. Structural sections, angles, hollow sections and fabricated steelwork are covered on our Fabricated Steel page. This page is for flat-rolled product — sheet, plate and coil — which has its own grade and coating standards and its own dimensional tolerances.
Do roofing and cladding sheets fall under this page or Building Materials?
Profiled steel roofing and cladding sheet is flat-rolled coated product and is assessed here on grade, coating mass and paint durability. Where it is sold as a roofing system with insulation and fixings, the wider Building Materials requirements can also apply. We confirm the scope at assessment.
How much does SABER certification for steel sheet and coil cost and how long does it take?
It depends mainly on whether complete mill certificates and coating data already exist for your grade and coating. When they do, a PCoC can often be arranged within a few working days; fresh tensile and coating-mass testing is quick, while salt-spray and weathering for a pre-painted system takes longer. Send your grades, coatings and mill certificates for a specific quote and timeline at no cost. See our SABER certificate cost guide.
Which products and HS codes does this cover?
The same SABER route applies across hot-rolled, cold-rolled, galvanized, aluzinc, pre-painted and tinplate sheet, plate and coil — generally classified under HS 7208 / 7209 for bare wide flat product, 7210 for coated wide flat product, 7211 / 7212 for narrow strip and 7225 / 7226 for alloy flat product. We confirm the correct classification for your exact product during assessment.
Get Your Steel Sheet, Plate & Coil Certified
Send us your product forms, steel grades, coating types and masses, thickness ranges, the HS code and your mill test certificates and any coating or paint test reports. We will confirm the applicable flat-product standard, the coating and dimensional requirements, review your testing, and coordinate the PCoC and each SCoC so your shipments clear Saudi customs without delay.