01
Legal identity
Match the supplier’s official Chinese name and 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码) to the entity that will sign, invoice and receive your information.
Public-record supplier verification
How to verify a Chinese supplier is a real factory
Start with the Chinese legal entity, not its English trade name, Alibaba profile or factory photos. Public records can test whether its registration is consistent with the role it claims — but they cannot replace physical factory evidence.
Five public-record checks
What should you check before trusting a Chinese supplier?
Each check answers a separate question. No single database field proves the whole supply chain.
02
Registration status
Check operating status, registered address, registered capital, legal representative, shareholders and registered business scope.
03
Supply-chain role clues
Assess whether the public record is consistent with the supplier’s claim that it manufactures, trades, subcontracts or acts through a related entity.
04
Court and enforcement records
Review available litigation records, including IP-related matters, and public enforcement information such as 失信被执行人 records where available.
05
Basic trademark scan
Run a basic trademark scan for names relevant to the proposed relationship and flag issues that need separate IP work.
Does the business scope prove it is a factory?
No. Under China’s registration rules, business scope (经营范围) is the registered range of activities the entity proposes to conduct. Entries such as 生产, 制造 or 加工 are relevant manufacturing signals; they are not proof that the company currently owns or controls a production line.
A scope centred on 销售, 批发 or 贸易 is a reason to investigate whether the entity is acting as a trading company. The conclusion should still be checked against the legal entity, related companies, contracts, invoices, address, operational evidence and—when the physical factory matters—an on-site audit.
Official source: SAMR business-scope registration rulesHow do you match the legal entity?
Use the official Chinese company name and the 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code. The code is the organisation’s unique identity marker and appears on the business licence.
Official code rulesWhy check enforcement records?
Public enforcement records can show unresolved enforcement cases and published dishonest-enforcement information. They are one risk signal, not a complete credit score or a prediction of performance.
Supreme People’s Court query guideWhen is an on-site audit still needed?
Use operational evidence or an on-site audit when your decision depends on machinery, staffing, capacity, quality systems, subcontracting or control of the factory shown to you.
Questions buyers ask
Chinese supplier verification FAQ
Can a business licence prove that a supplier is a real factory?
No. A business licence and registered business scope are important legal and registration evidence, but they do not prove that the company owns, controls or operates the production line shown to you. Public-record verification tests whether the supplier’s claim is consistent with official records; physical production capacity requires operational evidence or an on-site factory audit.
What do 生产, 制造 and 加工 in the business scope mean?
They are manufacturing-related entries in the entity’s registered business scope and therefore useful evidence. They are not conclusive proof of current factory operations. Conversely, a scope focused on 销售, 批发 or 贸易 is a reason to investigate a trading-company role, not an automatic finding that the entity cannot manufacture.
What does the USD 200 verification include?
The fixed scope covers one Chinese supplier: company registration details, the official Chinese legal name and Unified Social Credit Code, operating status, registered capital, address and business scope; available litigation records including IP matters; a basic trademark scan; and a short written note. Standard turnaround is 3 business days.
What is not included?
It is not an on-site factory audit, production-capacity audit, financial or credit assessment, product-quality inspection, sanctions screening or guarantee that the supplier will perform. Mapping an undisclosed factory or a complex affiliate chain may require a separately confirmed scope.
When should a supplier be verified?
Verify before you sign an NNN or supply agreement, disclose non-public designs or technical files, pay a material deposit, or rely on a new factory claim. The legal entity should be clear before the contract and the confidential information are sent.
Legal content reviewed by Matthew Chou · PRC-Licensed Attorney · Last reviewed August 31, 2026. General information only; not legal advice for a specific supplier.
Know the Chinese entity before you sign.
One supplier · USD 200 · standard turnaround 3 business days. If your question requires a physical factory audit or a broader affiliate map, we will say so before you order.
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