ORDER BASELINE / 01
Put the agreement in one order record
Give the PO a revision, owner and release state. Both sides should know which version and attachments control the work.
Name the exact legal seller and payee path
Use the current Chinese legal name, Unified Social Credit Code where available, registered address and agreed English name. Compare them with the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, business licence, quotation, invoice, contract and beneficiary evidence.
If the manufacturer, exporter, seller and payee are different entities, name each role and preserve the evidence that connects them. The legal entity on the purchase order must be the same entity that owns the bank account, holds the export licence and appears on the commercial invoice. If any of those names differ, document why before you release payment. A related company or trading company can be legitimate; an unexplained substitution is a hold point.
Establish the legal seller with the official registration workflow →
Record the legal representative and contract signatory as separate evidence roles →
Confirm the entity behind the name
A search result is a candidate, not a confirmed seller. Match the full Chinese legal name, credit code and jurisdiction against supporting documents.
Our 18 August 2026 name lookup study records search candidates, not confirmed seller identities. Keep the verified party details in the order.
Fix the product version and quantity
List models, materials, colours, dimensions, tolerances, parts, labels and packing in a dated specification. Give drawings and samples an ID, revision and approval date.
State quantity, unit, allowed overrun or underrun and pack-out. Agree which language controls and how unavailable parts will be replaced.
Complete the product specification. Before sharing sensitive drawings, review NNN agreement terms and who signs with qualified counsel.
Link evidence to the order
List sample ID, approval date and custodian. Link certificates, test reports and inspection records by number and version. State the model, material, site and decision each document covers.
A changed model or material may need new evidence. Complete the sample record and document checks before release.
Set prices and payment milestones
Record currency, unit prices, setup charges, tax, total, deposit, balance trigger and refund terms. State the evidence needed before each payment.
Treat a changed beneficiary as a new check. Confirm through a known, independently sourced contact. Review the bank-account change process.
Name the delivery rule and point
Write the chosen Incoterms® 2020 rule and precise place, port or terminal. Record readiness and dispatch dates separately from the contractual delivery point.
The ICC rules allocate specified costs, risks and duties; the named point helps define the handoff. An Incoterms® rule does not replace the rest of the sales contract.
Record the responsibilities in the shipment checklist.
Define inspection and acceptance
Name the inspection stage, site, lot, sampling plan, defect classes, limits, test methods and reviewer. Set the response to rejection: rework, replacement, reinspection or a buyer decision.
ISO 2859-1:2026 covers lot sampling indexed by AQL. A result does not guarantee every unit. Put the agreed checks in the inspection brief.
List required shipment documents
List the invoice, packing list, transport record, origin evidence, test reports, labels, declarations and technical files needed for this shipment. Assign each an owner, required fields, format, language and due date.
Reconcile the invoice and packing list. Record the proposed HS code and rationale, then confirm destination requirements with the relevant authority or adviser.
Approve changes before work starts
Name who may request, assess and approve changes to parties, site, materials, design, packing, quantity, delivery, bank details or evidence. Issue a new revision before changed work starts.
Keep open items visible with an owner, due date and decision. Supplier receipt of the PO does not close missing evidence.
Use the change record and keep the PO within the wider supplier review.
CONTROL TABLE / 02
Minimum fields for a reviewable production baseline
| Control area | Put in the PO or controlled attachment | Evidence to match | Hold when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parties | Legal seller, buyer, manufacturer/exporter/payee roles | GSXT record, licence, invoice and bank review | An entity or role is substituted without an evidence trail |
| Product | SKU, specification revision, materials, quantity and packaging | Approved drawings, bill of materials and named sample | Production still depends on chat descriptions or an unnamed sample |
| Compliance evidence | Applicable document numbers, versions, models and decisions | Source-checked certificates, reports and destination review | The evidence does not cover the ordered model, site or destination |
| Commercials | Currency, unit price, total, milestones and beneficiary path | Approved quotation, invoice and independently verified bank record | A price, payee or payment trigger changes without approval |
| Delivery | Incoterms® 2020 rule and exact named place or point | Freight plan and allocation of export/import responsibilities | The named point or responsibility split remains ambiguous |
| Acceptance | Inspection stage, lot, defect classes, plan and remedies | Inspection instruction, result and exception log | No objective accept, reject, rework or reinspection rule exists |
| Documents | Shipment, origin, testing, labelling and technical deliverables | Buyer’s destination-authority or adviser review | A required document has no owner, content rule or due date |
| Change control | Revision, approvers, supplier acknowledgement and release state | Written approvals and closed hold-point record | Changed work can start before the new baseline is approved |
RELEASE GATES / 03
Use explicit states instead of a single “approved” label
| Gate | Minimum evidence | Permitted decision |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Seller, product, quantity and commercial assumptions captured; exceptions open | Request corrections and supporting evidence only |
| Commercially agreed | Price, payment milestones, delivery rule and named point agreed | Prepare controlled attachments; no production release yet |
| Evidence ready | Identity, sample/specification, applicable documents and acceptance plan matched | Authorised owner reviews remaining exceptions |
| Released | Correct revision acknowledged and every mandatory hold point closed or formally approved | Start only the work and quantity named by the release |
| Changed | Impact recorded and new revision issued | Hold affected work until the new baseline is approved |
METHOD / 04
How this checklist was prepared
The sources below cover company identity, contract scope, delivery terms, product classification and lot sampling. The eight checks are Currawong’s buyer workflow, not a contract form.
We have not reviewed your supplier, contract or shipment. Obtain the relevant legal, customs, product and inspection advice before release. This guide gives no supplier approval or quality guarantee.
PRIMARY SOURCES / 05
Official sources used for this guide
ICC, ISO and WCO pages reviewed on 5 September 2026. Access limits for other sources are noted below. Recheck requirements for your order and destination.
- National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity SystemOfficial registration portal; automated company queries are not used here.
- UNCITRAL: United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of GoodsInternational sale-of-goods scope. Direct page access failed on 5 September 2026; official search text was available.
- ICC: Incoterms® 2020Allocation of specified delivery costs, risks and duties.
- ICC Academy: Place of delivery and risk transferWhy the named delivery point matters.
- World Customs Organization: Nomenclature overviewIntroduction to the Harmonized System.
- ISO 2859-1:2026AQL-indexed lot-by-lot acceptance sampling.
COMMON QUESTIONS / 06
Common questions
- Is a supplier quotation enough to release production?
- Not when it leaves the legal seller, specification revision, sample, delivery point, acceptance rule or required evidence ambiguous. Convert the agreed quotation into one controlled order baseline first.
- Does a signed purchase order prove the factory can make the product?
- No. It records an instruction and acknowledgement. Capability, site, sample and document evidence still need to match the order.
- Should I put an HS code in the purchase order?
- You can record the proposed code and rationale as a controlled field, but the buyer should verify destination-country classification and tariff treatment with the relevant authority or qualified adviser.
- Does an AQL result mean every unit meets specification?
- No. Acceptance sampling supports a decision about a defined lot under a defined plan. It does not inspect every unit or guarantee future lots.
- What should happen when the supplier proposes a material change?
- Record the affected specification, evidence, cost, timing and destination impact; issue a new controlled revision; and hold affected work until the authorised owner approves it.