No account requiredPrivate case link
They say they are the factory. Check the company records behind that claim.
Compare the supplier’s claim with dated company records. See the registered activities, licences and filings, then identify what still needs evidence from the production site.
Start with the free business-scope reader if you already have the wording.
Factory-claim check
$53.10 for 10 record lines covering company identity and factory-related filings. Review the selected lines in the report menu before ordering. The order confirmation states the delivery window. Your first paid report is refundable. If it leaves you unhappy, for any reason or none, tell us within 14 days of delivery and we refund it in full to the original payment method. That guarantee applies once per buyer. Refund terms.
Where this sits: a free browser check first, $53.10 on this page, human portal reading from $128, and on-site factory verification from $169 per man-day. Each answers a different question — the cheaper ones do not become the dearer one.
This price covers records. A site visit is quoted separately.
What the records can tell you
Start with the legal company name. The report shows selected records and their limits, so you can ask precise follow-up questions.
- Business scope and licences: registered activities and any returned permissions, with their stated scope.
- Customs: returned registration records, not a shipment history. Missing data does not prove use of an export agent.
- Trademarks and patents: the recorded holder or filing, not evidence of a working production line.
- Website filings: the named organiser of the site, not proof of factory control.
| Frame | Companies | Scope carries 进出口 (import-export) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shandong excerpt | 136 | 109 | 80.1% |
| Anhui excerpt | 113 | 77 | 68.1% |
| Yunnan excerpt | 15 | 11 | 73.3% |
| All three | 264 | 197 | 74.6% |
In this defined cohort, 197 of 264 scopes contained import-export wording. The other 67 did not. The wording does not prove factory operation, shipment history or the route for your order.
No single filing, or pattern of missing filings, can classify every supplier as factory or trader. Ask for evidence of who will make your goods.
What this cannot show
- Production: a licence concerns the permitted activity. It does not show current output or prove that your order will run on that line.
- Trade: a customs registration does not show goods, volumes or buyers for actual shipments.
- Site control: ask for the operator and production address. A scoped site visit is arranged separately; this record report does not include one.
How it runs: no account, one private case
- 1. Choose the checks. Adjust the selected lines and review the price before ordering.
- 2. Save your private link. No account is created. Email is optional; without it, keep the link to return to your case.
- 3. Review and pay. Checkout shows the available payment routes. Fulfilment starts after payment is confirmed.
- 4. Track delivery. Self-service reports have a confirmed window of at most 72 hours after payment. If we miss it, you may cancel the affected lines for a full refund.
- 5. Read the evidence. Each line names its source, query date, relevance and limits. View a specimen report and the service terms.
Check who runs the production site
Company records do not establish who controls the production site. Keep that question open when you order a record report.
We checked branch records for 45 uniquely matched companies in the NHTSA study on 22 August 2026.
| Returned result | Companies |
|---|---|
| Branch record returned | 8 of 45 |
| No branch record returned | 37 of 45 |
A branch entry identifies a registered relationship. It does not show that your goods are made there. No returned entry does not prove there are no other sites.
Ask for the factory address, operator’s Chinese name and credit code, and its link to the seller. Then define the production evidence your order needs.
This cohort does not represent all Chinese manufacturers. Its branch counts do not measure production capacity or supplier quality.
Questions buyers ask
How can I tell if a Chinese supplier is a factory or a trading company?
Match the seller’s Chinese legal name and records first. Then ask who runs the site and which processes happen there. Records alone do not settle who makes your order.
Does it matter if my supplier is a trader rather than the factory?
A trader can be a suitable supplier. Confirm the factory, price, tooling arrangements and responsibility for quality. Make those roles clear in the order.
Can you verify the actual production line?
This record report does not verify a production line. A site visit is a separate service with an agreed scope and quote.
Sources and study limits
Guidance checked 5 September 2026. The figures above concern dated study cohorts, not all Chinese manufacturers or your supplier.
- State Council: company registration rulesRegistered activities and the distinction between general and licensed business.
- NHTSA: manufacturer informationManufacturer-reported records, not an audit of a production site.
Review the 264-company scope study and NHTSA cohort method before using the figures.
How we checked
The census figures come from reading the official registry excerpts of 264 listed specialised manufacturers ourselves. Fill rates come from running our report process on real companies and counting how many of the twelve dimensions returned data on the date stated. The most recent query date on this page is 22 August 2026. Where a table carries its own date, that date governs.
The official pages we read are listed on this page with the date each was accessed, so every figure can be re-checked at source.