What is a Certificate of Analysis?
CoA · Certificate of Analysis
The laboratory document stating the measured composition of a specific parcel — purity, contaminants, moisture. It refers to the lot actually shipped, unlike a typical or datasheet analysis which describes what a plant usually produces.
Key points
- Reports the lot actually shipped, not what the plant usually makes.
- A typical analysis is not a contractual guarantee.
- Check the sampling method and date are stated — an umpire will ask.
At a glance
| What it covers | One identified lot or parcel |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Producer lab or independent inspector |
| Not the same as | Typical analysis or datasheet |
| Should state | Lot reference, sampling method and date, laboratory name |
| Proves | Condition at sampling, not on arrival |
What a CoA is
A Certificate of Analysis records the laboratory-measured composition of an identified lot: assay or purity, the contaminants that matter for that commodity, and usually moisture. It is tied to a batch number, a parcel or a shipment, not to the product in general.
That specificity is the whole value. A CoA is evidence about the material you are actually buying.
CoA versus typical analysis
Producers also publish a typical analysis or datasheet describing what the plant normally makes. It is useful for deciding whether a product is worth pursuing and useless as a contractual guarantee, because it describes no particular tonnes.
Contracts should call for a CoA on the shipped lot, issued or countersigned by an independent inspector such as SGS. A seller offering only a typical analysis at the point of shipment is offering nothing enforceable.
What to check on one
Confirm the lot reference matches the shipping documents, that the sampling method and date are stated, and that the laboratory is named. A certificate with no sampling protocol is difficult to defend if a dispute reaches an umpire lab.
Check that the parameters listed are the ones the contract prices against. A urea CoA without biuret, or an iron ore CoA without moisture, is missing the number that determines what you pay.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a CoA and a typical analysis?
- A CoA reports measured results for a specific lot. A typical analysis describes what a plant usually produces and refers to no particular tonnes, so it cannot support a claim.
- Who issues a Certificate of Analysis?
- Either the producer’s laboratory or an independent inspection company. For cross-border trade buyers normally require an independent CoA, or one countersigned by an inspector, because a seller-issued document is hard to enforce against the seller.
- Does a CoA guarantee quality on arrival?
- No. It records condition at the time and place of sampling, normally at the load port. Deterioration in transit is a matter for the contract terms and the cargo insurance, not the certificate.
Related terms
The largest independent inspection, testing and certification company in the world, founded in 1878 and headquartered in Geneva. In commodity trade its certificates of quality and weight are what a buyer, a bank and an insurer all rely on instead of taking the seller’s word.
Independent verification of quality, weight and packing at the load port before the cargo sails, typically by SGS, Intertek, Bureau Veritas or CIQ. It is the buyer’s main protection because a claim after discharge is far harder to enforce.
The analytical determination of metal content in an ore, concentrate or refined product. Buyer and seller assays commonly differ slightly; contracts usually set a tolerance and appoint an umpire laboratory to settle disputes beyond it.
An impurity formed when urea is overheated during production. It matters because high biuret damages foliage in leaf-applied fertilizer — agricultural urea is normally capped at 1% maximum, with tighter limits for foliar use.
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