1. Confirm the legal identity
Ask for the supplier's exact Chinese registered name and Unified Social Credit Code before comparing quotes. China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) says its national registration database is made public through the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System. The official portal describes searchable registration fields such as company name, code, directors, shareholders, establishment date, registered address and business scope. Use the registered name and code together to reduce confusion between similar trade names.
SAMR's 2025 code-management measures describe the code as a unique, lifelong identifier assigned by the registration authority. Compare the official result with the quotation, draft contract, business licence copy and proposed payee. If a company has changed its name or address, ask for the relevant explanation and current documents. The public system may require real-name registration to view query results; do not treat an access block or incomplete result as proof that a company is false.
2. Establish who will make and sell the goods
A registered company is not automatically the factory, brand owner or exporter for your order. Ask the contact to state in writing whether it is the manufacturer, a trading company or an authorised intermediary, and identify the actual production site and subcontractors relevant to the product. Compare those names and addresses with the quotation and contract; ask who is responsible if production is moved or outsourced.
Request current, product-relevant evidence rather than a generic company profile: a live video walk-through of the proposed site, production steps, equipment relevant to the specification, and a sample labelled with the supplier's name and your reference. Where an in-person visit is not practical, use an agreed third-party check or staged evidence request. A video, certificate image or business licence alone does not establish capacity, product conformity or continuing authorisation.
3. Test product and process evidence
Send the same numbered specification to each shortlisted supplier and ask it to mark every deviation. Approve a sample against measurable criteria such as material, dimensions, finish, function and packaging, then retain the approved sample or a dated record. For regulated or safety-sensitive goods, the importer should identify the destination market and obtain product-specific advice from the competent authority or qualified local professional; a supplier's general certificate is not a universal import approval.
Before a larger order, agree what production updates, inspection access and non-conformance records will be supplied, by whom and at which milestones. If an inspection is requested, define the lot, sampling method, checks, evidence and hold/release decision in writing. These are buyer-side risk controls, not a guarantee that defects will be found or that a shipment will clear customs.
4. Match contract, payment and control points
The contracting seller, invoice issuer and bank beneficiary should make commercial sense together. Ask for the beneficiary's exact legal name and independently confirm any bank-detail change through a previously verified contact channel, not only by replying to the message that requested the change. If a third party will receive funds, require a written explanation and have the buyer's finance or legal adviser assess the arrangement before payment.
Put specification version, price basis, quantity, lead time, payment milestones, sample approval, inspection access, change control and remedies for non-conformity into the signed order documents. Start with a scope and order size proportionate to the evidence you have gathered. A registry check supports identity review; it does not replace a site assessment, contract review, independent inspection or destination-market compliance check.
Your next-order checklist
- Collect the exact Chinese registered name and Unified Social Credit Code; compare official registration fields with the quote, contract and payee.
- Identify the actual manufacturer, production address, subcontractors and each party's responsibilities in writing.
- Compare a controlled sample and numbered specification; document deviations, inspection scope and production-change approvals.
- Independently verify payment details and confirm the destination market's product requirements before authorising production or shipment.
Sources & reference dates
- SAMR — National Market Entity Registration Service: public registration database and information fields
- SAMR — Measures for Management of the Organization Unified Social Credit CodeSource published: 2025-12-22Effective: 2026-02-01
- SAMR — National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System: real-name queries and reputation informationSource published: 2023-11-24
- SAMR — National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System real-name query launchSource published: 2021-11-27
Prepared by the Yifeng Sourcing editorial team with AI assistance from the primary sources listed below. Source dates are recorded; destination-specific requirements should be reconfirmed before acting. This is not legal or tax advice.