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
China supplier verification service
Supplier verification is available only as part of NNN drafting or contract review and is not offered separately. China Legal Hub checks the Chinese supplier’s legal identity, registration and available court and enforcement records. The additional fee is USD 200 per company, with a short English written report in 3 business days after the entity, materials and engagement are confirmed.
What your English report covers
A short written assessment of the records available for the identified Chinese entity, with findings and limits relevant to your proposed transaction. A clear registration record is not a guarantee of solvency, factory capacity or future performance.
PRC-lawyer-led service through China Legal Hub. Scope and engagement are confirmed before work begins. About the legal team
Report outline
- Entity identification: Chinese name, credit code and relationship to the supplier details you provided.
- Registration and role: status, registered particulars and manufacturer or trading-company signals.
- Public legal records: available litigation, enforcement information and basic trademark findings.
- Findings and limitations: identified discrepancies, unavailable records and matters needing further evidence.
This is an outline of the service deliverable, not a client case or a completed supplier report.
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 (IP work such as trademark filing is available from us as a separately quoted service).
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 I order supplier verification on its own?
No. Supplier verification is available only as part of NNN drafting or contract review and is not offered separately. The additional fee is USD 200 per Chinese supplier. We confirm the entity and scope before work begins; additional entities or wider investigations require a separate quote.
What do I receive, and what should I send first?
You receive a short English written report of the public-record findings and their limitations. Send the supplier’s Chinese legal name or Unified Social Credit Code; a business licence, website and quotation or draft contract help us match the company to your transaction. Standard turnaround is 3 business days after the entity, materials and engagement are confirmed.
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 English written report. Standard turnaround is 3 business days after the entity, materials and engagement are confirmed.
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.
Available only as part of NNN drafting or contract review. Additional fee: USD 200 per supplier. Standard turnaround: 3 business days after the entity, materials and engagement are confirmed. Wider investigations require a separately confirmed scope.
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