How to Verify a Factory's Export Licence and Business Status in China

July 2026 · 6 min read · Sourcing

Every Chinese supplier can show you a business licence — they all have one. The question is what the licence actually says, whether it matches the entity you are dealing with, and whether the factory is legally entitled to export. Verification takes half an hour once you know where to look.

Step 1: Get the right documents

Ask for, at minimum: the business licence (营业执照), the legal representative's ID page (name match), the export registration (对外贸易经营者备案 or the current customs registration), and the customs registration number. If they hesitate on the export registration, that is itself a finding.

Step 2: Verify the licence details

• Registered name exactly matches the entity on your contract and invoice — a different name means a different legal person.
• Registered address exists and matches where production is claimed to happen — many licences list an office address, with production elsewhere (legitimate, but verify both).
• Registration status: check the national enterprise credit information system (国家企业信用信息公示系统) or aggregator services for the company's status — active, cancelled, abnormal (经营异常), or restricted.
• History: look for name changes, frequent address changes, and any administrative penalties or litigation records.

Step 3: Verify the export qualification

Since the licensing reform, export registration is a filing rather than a licence, but it still exists and matters. The supplier should be able to provide their customs registration or customs code (海关编码). If they claim to export through a trading company instead — fine, but then that company is your contractual party, not the factory.

Step 4: Cross-check on the ground

• Visit the registered address — is there actually a factory there?
• Check the business licence at the factory: name, address, legal representative, scope of business (经营范围 should include the product category or general import/export).
• Ask to see a recent export declaration or a bill of lading in the factory's own name — a powerful practical proof of export experience.

The one rule

Verify documents yourself or through a third party — never accept a screenshot as proof. A screenshot can be edited; a licence checked against the official registry cannot.