How to Check a Chinese Supplier License
Before you wire a deposit, verify the company is real. Here's how to read the business license, confirm the registration number on China's official registry, and spot the red flags that expose a fake or trading-only supplier.
To check a Chinese supplier's license, get a scan of their business license (营业执照), read the 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code, and verify it and the company name on China's official registry at gsxt.gov.cn. Confirm the company is active, then match the business scope, registered capital, and export rights to what the supplier claims. For a factory, a physical visit or third-party audit is the only firm proof it exists.
How to verify a supplier's business license
Six checks that separate a legitimate, registered company from a risky one.
- 1
Ask for the full business license (营业执照)
Request a clear, colour scan or photo of the supplier's Chinese business license — not a screenshot of a listing. A genuine license is issued by the local Administration for Market Regulation (AMR/SAMR) and shows the registered company name in Chinese, the legal representative, registered capital, business scope, and the address. Be wary of English-only certificates; the authoritative document is in Chinese.
- 2
Read the 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code
Every current Chinese company has an 18-character Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码) printed on the license. This is the registration number you verify against. Check it is 18 characters (letters and digits), matches the company name exactly, and is not blurred or edited. Older licenses may show a 15-digit registration number instead — those companies should have re-registered by now.
- 3
Verify the code on China's official registry
Cross-check the code and company name against China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统, gsxt.gov.cn), the government-run registry. It confirms whether the company exists, its status (active vs. revoked/deregistered), registered capital, and business scope. The site is in Chinese and can be region-restricted, so many buyers ask a China-based partner to run the lookup.
- 4
Match the business scope to what you're buying
The license lists a 经营范围 (business scope). A pure trading company's scope reads like wholesale/import-export of goods; a real manufacturer's scope names production or processing of specific product categories. If a supplier claims to be a factory but the scope only mentions trade, treat the factory claim with caution and ask which manufacturer actually produces the goods.
- 5
Sanity-check registered capital and age
Registered capital and the establishment date give a rough sense of scale and track record. In China registered capital is often 'subscribed' (a commitment) rather than paid-in cash, so a large figure is not proof of financial strength — but a very small capital on a supplier promising huge orders is a flag. Combine this with company age; a firm registered years ago carries less setup risk than one incorporated last month.
- 6
Confirm export rights and, ideally, inspect in person
A domestic business license does not by itself grant the right to export. For direct exports the company (or its agent) needs customs and foreign-trade filings. Ask how goods will be exported and whose name is on the export documents. The most reliable final check is a physical visit or a third-party audit that confirms the address, the premises, and that the factory actually exists.
What a genuine license shows
- Registered company name in Chinese (the authoritative name)
- 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码)
- Legal representative and registered address
- Registered capital and establishment date
- Business scope (经营范围) — trade vs. manufacturing
Red flags and common mistakes
- English-only 'certificates' with no Chinese business license attached
- Company name on the license doesn't match the name on the quote, contract, or bank account
- Blurry, cropped, or edited license image where the credit code can't be read
- Business scope is trade-only but the supplier insists it is the manufacturer
- Refusal to allow a video call, factory visit, or independent third-party audit
- Bank account in a different company name or a personal account, especially offshore
Official lookups
The authoritative source is China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统, gsxt.gov.cn), run by the market-regulation authority. Enter the Unified Social Credit Code or the exact Chinese company name to confirm the company exists, its registered status, capital, and scope. The interface is in Chinese and can be region-restricted or throttled for overseas users, so it's realistic to expect a Chinese-language reading of the results — or to have a China-based partner run and interpret the search. Treat English aggregator sites as a starting hint only, not proof; always trace back to the government registry.
Checking a Chinese supplier license — FAQ
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