PO · pdf-lib

Purchase order maker

Fill the buyer and seller blocks, line items with HS and CAS, payment and shipping terms. The tool generates a branded PDF in the Sourzi format ready to sign and send. All data stays in your browser; nothing is uploaded.

Last updated 2026-05-08. Math runs in your browser, no data leaves your computer.

General guidance only, not legal or professional engineering advice. Verify against the cited primary sources (IMDG, REACH, ChAFTA, RCEP, Customs Tariff Act, supplier SDS, etc.) before committing to a shipment, declaration, or contract. Sourzi assumes no liability for outcomes based on these calculators.

Match the seller block to the official registered company name on the supplier business licence (营业执照). The legal representative on the licence and the contact on this PO should be the same person, or at least linked. Mismatches at this layer are red flags worth a phone call before signing.

Buyer (you)

Seller (supplier)

PO header

Line items

One row per SKU. Description should include HS code, CAS number (for chemicals), grade or purity, and packaging.

Terms

Name the split and the trigger event explicitly. Vague terms ("balance on shipment") cause disputes.

Incoterm + named port + target ETD or ETA. Incoterms 2020.

What goes on a chemical PO

A purchase order is more than a price-and-quantity record. For chemical procurement, the PO is the contract that sets the specification the buyer is willing to receive. The HS code on each line item tells the customs broker at both ends what to declare; a mismatch between the PO HS, the supplier export declaration, and the buyer import declaration is the most common cause of customs delay. The CAS number ties each line item to the corresponding SDS, which in turn drives DG handling at the port. Skipping the CAS at PO time often means the SDS arrives late and the cargo sits while the carrier waits for the DG declaration.

Grade or purity specification matters more than buyers expect. Citric acid FCC (food chemicals codex) is not the same product as citric acid technical grade, even at the same CAS number; the food-grade specification commands a 15 to 30 percent price premium and is the only acceptable input for downstream food and beverage manufacture. The PO should name the grade explicitly and reference the relevant test standard (USP, BP, FCC, ACS Reagent). A PO that says "citric acid 99 percent" without naming the grade is ambiguous and gives the seller a path to ship the cheaper grade if the market moves.

Packaging specification belongs on the PO, not in a separate email. 200 L drums, 1,000 L IBCs, 25 kg paper bags on a 1 metric tonne pallet, big bags 1 MT FIBC, are not interchangeable; each one drives the freight cost (chargeable weight differs), the destination handling (drum tipping is different work from IBC discharge), and the shelf life (paper bags carry hygroscopic risk that drums do not). The PO should name the exact packaging.

Quality requirements live in two places: the Certificate of Analysis (CoA) requirement (each batch ships with a fresh CoA showing the test results against the spec) and the pre-shipment inspection (PSI) requirement (third-party inspector pulls samples and validates QC at seller cost or buyer cost depending on what was negotiated). Both should be on the PO. Skipping them gives the seller plausible deniability if a batch later fails QC at destination.

Worked example. The grade-mismatch PO

The booking. A US food-and-beverage manufacturer issues a PO to a Chinese citric acid supplier. PO line says "Citric acid monohydrate, CAS 5949-29-1, 99 percent purity, 25 kg paper bags, 200 bags per pallet, 20 pallets total". Price is 1,250 USD per metric tonne FOB Qingdao, payment T/T 30/70. PO total: 25,000 USD. Looks fine on paper.

The failure. Cargo lands at the buyer warehouse. Buyer QC pulls samples, runs the citric acid through their food-and-beverage inputs spec. Heavy metals fail (the cargo tests at 4 ppm lead vs the FCC 2 ppm limit). Buyer rejects the batch. Supplier insists the PO said 99 percent purity, not "FCC grade" or "food grade", and the cargo meets 99 percent purity by HPLC. Both sides are right by the literal text of the PO. Buyer eats the freight back to China plus a write-off of 25 tonnes plus the 21 to 35 day stockout cost at downstream customers.

The fix. On the next PO, line says "Citric acid monohydrate, CAS 5949-29-1, FCC grade per USP-NF current monograph, heavy metals less than or equal to 2 ppm, 25 kg paper bags". The PO references the test standard. The supplier prices 1,420 USD per tonne, 13 percent above the technical-grade quote. Buyer pays the premium. Cargo arrives, passes QC, ships into the buyer customer JIT line on schedule. The 170 USD per tonne premium pays back as zero rejected batches, zero freight write-offs, zero stockout cost. The PO is the contract; it has to say what is acceptable, not what is broadly true.

Frequently asked

What is a purchase order versus a proforma invoice?

A purchase order (PO) is issued by the buyer to the seller and represents the buyer commitment to buy the listed goods on the listed terms. A proforma invoice (PI) is issued by the seller to the buyer and represents the seller offer to sell on the listed terms. Both are pre-shipment documents, not commercial invoices, but the PO comes from the buyer side and the PI from the seller side.

Is a PO legally binding?

Yes, in most jurisdictions a signed PO is a contract once accepted by the seller (often by signing and returning, or by acting on the order). The PO sets the agreed price, quantity, specification, payment terms, delivery terms, and any quality requirements. If you need a stronger contract for high-value or first-time orders, attach a separate Sales and Purchase Agreement and reference it in the PO Notes section.

What payment terms should appear on a PO?

Common terms: T/T 30 percent deposit + 70 percent before shipment, LC at sight, LC 60 days, D/P, D/A, OA 60 days, OA 90 days. The PO should name both the percentage split and the trigger event (against PI, against BL copy, against arrival, against acceptance). Vague terms ("payment in advance", "balance on shipment") cause disputes; specify the exact event.

What are the must-have fields on a PO for chemical procurement?

Beyond the standard fields: HS code per line item (so customs at both ends matches the declaration), CAS number where applicable (so the SDS travels with the cargo), purity specification or grade (FCC, USP, BP, technical grade), packaging specification (drum size, IBC type, paper bag spec), Certificate of Analysis requirement (each batch, retain duplicates), and pre-shipment inspection requirement (SGS, BV, or buyer-appointed inspector).

Should the PO be in the buyer currency or the seller currency?

Whichever the buyer and seller agreed on. Most China-out chemical orders are quoted in USD regardless of where buyer and seller sit. AUD or EUR PO is common for buyers in Australia or Europe with established Chinese suppliers; the seller usually accepts but may add a 1 to 3 percent currency-adjustment surcharge. State the currency clearly on every line.

Why generate a PDF and not a Word document?

PDF is the format procurement and finance teams actually file and forward. Word documents get edited downstream (sometimes by mistake, sometimes intentionally) and the original-source-of-truth gets lost. A signed PDF is harder to alter and easier to verify. Most Chinese suppliers expect a PDF PO; some require it for their factory ERP intake.

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