Sources and gaps
Look for one of three labels on each material claim: a traceable dated source, a supplier-provided claim, or an unresolved gap. Missing evidence should stay visible.
No factory profile is published by this note. The factory-profile area is in preparation. A future profile must disclose the sources and dates for that specific company.
Legal identity and site relationship
Match the exact Chinese legal name and Unified Social Credit Code to a dated public record. The National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System is the official mainland registry.
Then ask how the proposed production site relates to the seller: owned, leased, branch, affiliate or subcontractor. A scope line does not prove site control or who will make your order.
Follow the official company-registration search steps. See how to read the full business scope.
Product and process evidence
Look for evidence tied to your product, the named workshop and a date. Ask which steps are done there and which are outsourced. Treat the seller’s capacity figures as claims until checked.
A catalogue or workshop photo cannot prove the site can make your order. Alibaba’s Gold and Verified Supplier badges have different verification scopes; neither guarantees your order.
Use the factory capability checklist to define the process, sample and site checks you need.
Certificate and test-report scope
Check the document type, holder, issuer, number, status, date, scope and covered site. Match the product or process to your order.
ISO does not issue certificates. External certification bodies do. Confirm a certificate with its issuer; IAF CertSearch covers accredited management-system certification.
A management-system certificate is not product certification. A test report covers the tested sample and stated conditions, not every future batch or market.
Annual-report counts
Annual reports can give you dated filing information to inspect. They are company-submitted records, not an independent factory audit.
Our query on 22 August 2026 covered 45 Chinese entities matched from the NHTSA list:
| Reports returned | Companies |
|---|---|
| 11–13 | 25 |
| 6–10 | 13 |
| 2–5 | 6 |
| No report returned | 1 |
The highest returned count was 13. Six entities had two to five reports; one had no report returned. The query does not establish why counts differ.
State the count, source and query date. Do not convert the count into company age, quality or proof of filing compliance. NHTSA listing does not prove current production. Study frame and limits.
Commercial fit and change control
Confirm the minimum order quantity, custom options, lead time and responsible contact for your order. A profile’s listed terms may have changed.
Check again if the seller, site, product version, process or certificate changes. Keep the agreed specification and revision date with the order.
Use the purchase order checklist to record those terms.
What each field leaves open
| Field | Still to check |
|---|---|
| Legal identity | Who controls the proposed production site? |
| Site address | What is made there, and when was it checked? |
| Process evidence | Does it cover this product and order? |
| Certificate or report | Does its scope match the site or product? |
| Commercial terms | Have these terms been agreed for your order? |
Method and limits
Currawong's original publishing framework groups evidence into identity and site, process, documents and commercial terms. It helps you inspect claims. It is not an audit standard.
Source dates matter too. For 106 NHTSA records queried on 28 August 2026, the median time since the stated last update was 2.1 years. The update field does not tell us what changed or whether the details remain correct. Record-age method and data.
This guide has not assessed your supplier, site or order. Use it to identify missing evidence before making a decision.
Sources
ISO, Alibaba and NHTSA guidance checked on 5 September 2026. IAF CertSearch could not be opened in this check; ISO also provides the issuer-contact route.