Check a China supplier
Paste a company name, website, or 18-character USCC code. We search 5,579 public-record supplier profiles and validate the code’s checksum — facts only, no scores for sale. Below the tool: the 8-step checklist for verifying any Chinese supplier yourself.
How to verify a Chinese supplier — the 8 checks
The same sequence our sweeps automate, in the order that catches problems cheapest-first. Every step checks a verifiable fact — none of them requires paying anyone except step 7.
- 01
Get the USCC and pull the official registry record
Ask the supplier for their 18-character Unified Social Credit Code — it’s printed on every business licence. Look it up on gsxt.gov.cn, China’s official enterprise registry. You want three facts: the company exists, its status is 存续 (active), and its registered business scope actually covers what you’re buying. A supplier who stalls on sending the code is telling you something.
- 02
Match the registered name to the bank account
The single most expensive mistake in China sourcing: paying an account that doesn’t belong to the registered company. The beneficiary on the proforma invoice must match the licensed entity — not a personal account, not an unrelated Hong Kong company. If they offer a “boss’s personal account to save tax”, your money has no contract behind it.
- 03
Read registered capital and company age together
Neither number alone proves anything — a young company can be excellent. But paid-in capital of ¥100k, registered last year, quoting a $200k order is a mismatch worth explaining. Both fields are on the registry record and on every FactoryBase profile.
- 04
Establish whether it is a factory or a trading company
Both are legitimate — but you should know which one you’re paying, because it changes pricing, QC access and who actually controls your lead time. Business scope containing 生产 / 制造 (production / manufacturing) and a registered address in an industrial zone point to a factory; “trade”, “import & export” and an office-tower address point to a trader. Full walkthrough: factory or trader — how to tell.
- 05
Ask for export evidence in your market
A real exporter can show customs records, bills of lading, or named references in your region within a day. Ask specifically: “show me a B/L from the last six months to my market.” Vague answers (“we export everywhere”) cost nothing to make and mean nothing.
- 06
Do a live video walkthrough — not a video file
A pre-recorded factory tour proves someone once filmed a factory. A live video call where you direct the camera — “show me the machine that makes my product, show me the outside gate sign” — proves this supplier controls that floor today. Ten minutes, free, and it filters out most misrepresentation.
- 07
Commission a third-party audit before large orders
For orders that would hurt to lose, a factory audit by an independent inspector (SGS, Bureau Veritas, TÜV, QIMA and similar) runs roughly $300–500 and verifies premises, licences, lines and headcount on site. A pre-shipment inspection before the balance payment closes the loop.
- 08
Structure payment so a stranger can’t hurt you
Standard terms are 30% deposit, 70% against shipping documents — never 100% upfront to a new supplier. And treat any email announcing a “changed bank account” at payment time as compromised until confirmed by video call: invoice-swap fraud is the most common scam in this trade, and it targets your inbox, not the factory.
Common questions
How do I check if a Chinese supplier is legitimate?
Start with the company’s 18-character Unified Social Credit Code (USCC) from its business licence and look it up on gsxt.gov.cn, the official government registry — confirm the company exists, is active, and its business scope covers your product. Then verify the bank account name matches the registered entity, ask for export evidence such as a recent bill of lading, do a live video walkthrough of the premises, and use third-party inspection before large payments. No single check proves legitimacy; the pattern across checks is what protects you.
What is a USCC (Unified Social Credit Code)?
The USCC is China’s single national business identifier: 18 characters covering registration authority, entity type, region, and a checksum digit, printed on every business licence. It replaced the old separate business-registration and tax numbers in 2015. Any Chinese company can be looked up by USCC on public registries, which makes it the fastest way to confirm you are dealing with a real registered entity.
A supplier is not listed on FactoryBase — is that a red flag?
No. FactoryBase profiles 5,000+ export suppliers, built mainly from Canton Fair exhibitor records, and China has millions of registered companies. Absence from our library means we have not swept that company yet — nothing more. Use the checklist on this page to verify any supplier directly from public records, or send us the name and we will run the sweep.
Does a valid USCC checksum mean the company is real?
No. A valid checksum only means the code is well-formed — it filters out typos and invented numbers, but a fraudster can copy a real company’s code. Always confirm the code on gsxt.gov.cn and check that the registered company name matches the name on your invoice and bank transfer.
FactoryBase is an independent directory — suppliers can’t pay to change what their record says. How profiles are built · Browse the archive