This is my first import from China. Where do I actually start?
Before choosing a supplier, define the product, destination requirements, budget and order terms. Use the guide to plan the checks before your deposit.
BUYER GUIDE MAPCN / WORLD
China supplier checks, organised by the decision in front of you.
Choose your buying stage or browse a question below. Find what to request, what to compare and what still needs checking. These guides never approve a supplier, product, payment or shipment.
Starting before a deposit? Use the six-check China supplier due-diligence route first.
Shortlist · Place an order · Production and shipment · Payment
- Evidence, not a trust badge
- Buyer-owned decisions
- Limits stated on every route
START HERE / PLAIN LANGUAGE
Not sure what the problem is called?
Choose the question closest to your situation. Each guide explains what to check and what the evidence cannot tell you.
Browse all 50 questions
What does “know your supplier” actually require?
Check who the supplier is, then gather evidence for the work you need. Company records alone cannot confirm production capability or delivery performance.
How do I score a supplier I have never bought from?
Keep unknowns separate from low scores. Use records for identity checks and samples or order history for quality and delivery evidence.
Can I check whether a Chinese supplier is financially sound?
Public financial information may be incomplete. Read disclosed figures alongside dated enforcement and penalty records; missing entries do not establish financial health.
Why would my container arrive before I can legally receive it?
Check importer accreditation and product requirements before agreeing a shipping date. Plan these alongside your supplier checks, rather than waiting for the goods to arrive.
Does my Chinese supplier’s certification cover me in South Africa?
Check the South African requirements for your product and importer role. A supplier certificate alone does not establish that you can import or sell it.
I am importing from China to India: what has to be in place before I pay?
Check which importer registrations and product approvals apply to your order. Resolve these alongside the Chinese seller and payment details before your deposit.
Can I approve a supplier on the certificates they sent me?
Match each certificate to your supplier and product. Approval also needs evidence for the order requirements, with someone responsible for reviewing unresolved gaps.
I only have an English supplier name. Which Chinese company is it?
Ask for the exact Chinese legal name or 18-character Unified Social Credit Code. An English sales name may refer to more than one registered company.
Is Alibaba safe to order from?
Check the seller, order terms, payment route and inspection plan. Platform badges alone cannot establish that a particular order is safe.
Are there scams on Alibaba, and how do they actually work?
Learn the warning signs of identity substitution, changed payment details and misleading evidence. The guide also covers the next steps when money has already left.
Alibaba or AliExpress: what actually changes for me?
Compare the actual seller, order terms and dispute route. The platform name alone does not tell you which protections apply to your purchase.
What does the MOQ actually commit me to?
Confirm whether the minimum applies per product, colour or size, and how it changes with packaging or customisation. Compare quotations on the same basis.
Who controls my cargo once it ships?
Identify the transport document and release arrangement. Confirm who may collect the cargo with your carrier or forwarder before relying on the document.
Will an NNN agreement actually protect my design?
Identify the company signing and its authority to agree. The guide explains identity checks to prepare before seeking advice on terms and enforceability.
If the inspection passes, am I safe to pay?
A report covers the agreed inspection scope and sample. Check its findings separately from the seller identity, payment details and your release decision.
Can I verify a Chinese company chop?
A stamp image alone cannot prove authenticity or signing authority. Check the named company and supporting authority; unresolved authenticity questions need specialist review.
How do you safely buy an ebike from Alibaba?
Check the model, battery, seller and destination requirements before paying. Match any test or certification evidence to the exact equipment you intend to buy.
Is buying a food trailer from Alibaba legit?
Check both the vehicle and kitchen requirements where you will operate. Resolve the model, seller, payment details and local approval questions before the deposit.
What are the risks of buying from Alibaba?
Separate identity, payment, product and contract questions. Use the relevant records, document comparisons and inspections while keeping their limits in view.
How much does verifying a Chinese supplier actually cost?
Compare the scope and dated price of each option. A record check, desk report and site visit answer different questions and can leave different gaps.
Which verification method actually fits my situation?
Choose between self-checks, scoped records, desk reports and site visits by the question you need answered. Compare sources, deliverables and limits before price.
The contract, invoice and bank beneficiary names differ. What now?
Compare the wording of the three names in your browser. Resolve differences through known contacts; matching text does not confirm company identity or account ownership.
The bill of lading arrived. What do I check before paying the balance?
Compare the shipper, consignee and cargo-release instructions with your order. Resolve differences with the carrier or forwarder before deciding on the balance payment.
The supplier sent a proforma invoice. What do I check before the deposit?
Compare the named seller, product details, price and bank instructions with your agreed order. Resolve missing or conflicting terms before paying a deposit.
Everyone says they are verified. What counts as third-party due diligence?
Ask who produced the evidence, where it came from and when it was checked. Review the scope, conflicts of interest and unanswered questions.
I have the unified social credit code. What does it actually prove?
Check the code structure and check digit in your browser. A passing result does not confirm that the company exists, is active or can export.
They say they are a factory. How can I tell?
Compare the registered company with evidence from the production site. An address, business scope or video alone does not establish who will make your order.
Can I trust this supplier before I pay a deposit?
No single check can establish trust or payment safety. Check identity, signing authority, capability, order fit and the proposed payee before deciding on a deposit.
The supplier says it is the same product. What needs to be in writing?
Write down the agreed materials, dimensions, finish and packaging. Give the specification a version and connect it to your approved sample and acceptance checks.
The certificate looks real. Does it cover my product?
Match the holder, issuer, status, product and scope to your order. A genuine document can still be irrelevant to the goods you are buying.
The supplier offers me a CE certificate. Is that the document I need?
The manufacturer is responsible for the EU declaration of conformity. Check the applicable product rules, named manufacturer and signatory; a certificate alone may not suffice.
One quote is much cheaper. Am I comparing the same offer?
Align the seller, product version, quantity, included work and delivery terms. Compare totals only after resolving differences in what each quotation includes.
The sample was good. Will production be the same?
Record the approved sample and specification version. Agree how changes and production batches will be checked; a good sample does not guarantee the whole order.
What should I lock down before the supplier starts production?
Record the named seller, approved specification, sample, price, delivery duties and acceptance rules. Agree who can approve changes before production starts.
The supplier changed a material or component. What should I do?
Pause affected work, record the proposed change and assess its impact. Give written approval for a specific revision before the supplier proceeds.
What should the factory check while making my order?
Agree what to check, when, how and against which specification. Name who records defects and who decides whether affected work can continue.
The supplier fixed the defect. How do I know the problem is closed?
Ask for the cause, the action taken and evidence that it worked. Decide whether to close the finding or require further checks.
Production has started. Is it too early to inspect?
Choose a point when problems can still be corrected. Record the units and processes observed, then decide whether production should continue or pause.
The goods are nearly ready. What should I inspect before shipment?
Agree the lot, sampling plan and defect rules before the visit. Read the findings and limits before your shipment decision; PASS does not cover every unit.
The quote says FOB or CIF. What is still missing?
Confirm the rule version and named place. Agree who handles costs, documents and instructions; the three-letter term does not settle every shipping duty.
The invoice and packing list look similar. What should match?
Compare product details, quantities, weights, packages and marks against the order. Resolve differences before shipment; matching documents do not establish customs compliance.
The bank account name is different. Is that fraud?
Pause and resolve the difference through known contacts and documented authority. A mismatch is a hold signal, not proof of fraud.
I am paying from Australia. Which entity should receive the money?
Compare the seller, invoice issuer and bank beneficiary, then confirm differences independently. The guide adds Australia-specific response options for payment concerns.
The official China registry will not load for me. Is it just my connection?
Dated tests show access failures under specific conditions. Compare the observations and limits; they do not diagnose your connection or establish availability today.
What do real Chinese manufacturers’ registrations actually look like?
Explore a dated study of 264 manufacturers: names, scope wording and capital fields. Read the sample limits before applying its findings to your supplier.
Which official Chinese sources can I actually check myself?
Compare dated front-page access tests for eight official hosts. Loading a home page does not establish that company searches work or English service is available.
I checked this supplier last year. Is that still good?
Check which details your decision still relies on and refresh those records. The dated study shows changes within its sample, not a universal recheck interval.
How do you even test if a Chinese government site is really down?
See how route checks, control hosts and user-agent comparisons affect an availability test. The method explains what failed measurements cannot establish.
My Chinese supplier took the money and went quiet — is chasing them worth it?
Gather the order, payment trail and company identity before seeking recovery advice. Dated court records may add context but cannot predict whether you will recover money.
STAGE / 01
Before you shortlist.
Identify the company, then check whether it can make your product.
At this stage, start with the registered entity, keep the broader due-diligence chain separate, and use site evidence for production claims.
STAGE / 02
Before you place the order.
Agree on the product, price, sample and acceptance rules before production starts.
Before ordering, connect the controlled specification, comparable quotation and purchase-order baseline.
STAGE / 03
During production and shipment.
Track changes, inspect against the agreed specification and resolve shipping-document differences.
During production, control changes, inspect while correction remains possible, then make a separate release-or-hold decision.
STAGE / 04
Before payment.
Compare the seller, invoice issuer and bank beneficiary. Resolve differences before transferring funds.
Before payment, compare the beneficiary with the legal seller and invoice issuer; use the Australia-specific route only where it fits the order.
RECORD LIMITS
What company records leave unanswered
In our 21–22 August 2026 checks of 45 manufacturers through a commercial data service, some record categories returned entries more often than others. A returned entry is not approval of a supplier or transaction.
| Record category | Companies | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Annual reports | 44 of 45 | Complete financial disclosure or financial health |
| Registration changes | 41 of 45 | Whether your order details remain correct |
| Branch records | 8 of 45 | Who operates the production site for your order |
| Import-export credit records | 41 of 45 | Ownership or authority of the proposed bank account |
A missing entry does not prove that no record exists. Read the research articles for methods and limits, and collect separate site, order and payment evidence for your decision.
NEXT CHECK
Need a first pass
or a dated record?
Use the free browser-based wording screen to frame your first question. When you need dated official-record evidence, prepare a China-side human check with the exact legal name or Unified Social Credit Code.