Field Notes
What to verify before you pay a Chinese supplier
Use this checklist to separate company identity, commercial claims and manufacturing capability. Each question should lead to evidence, not another promise.
Request supplier verification
Legal company name
Review legal company name against the current transaction or market, not a generic assumption. Record the source, date and unresolved point so another person can follow the decision trail.
Record the source, owner and review date for legal company name. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Business registration
Business registration should produce evidence that can be checked independently. Keep the relevant company record, purchase document, specification or market source with the project file.
Record the source, owner and review date for business registration. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Ownership and address
For ownership and address, write down what would change the decision before collecting more information. This prevents a long checklist from hiding the few items that carry the greatest risk.
Record the source, owner and review date for ownership and address. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Factory or trader status
Treat factory or trader status as an early control, not paperwork added after the order or campaign is underway. Gaps are cheaper to address while specifications, suppliers and market plans can still change.
Record the source, owner and review date for factory or trader status. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Export history and references
Export history and references needs a named owner and a clear version. Outdated records, conflicting files and verbal changes should be resolved before they become production or publishing instructions.
Record the source, owner and review date for export history and references. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Bank account consistency
Use the result of bank account consistency to choose a next action: accept, clarify, correct, escalate or obtain specialist advice. A checklist is only useful when it changes what happens next.
Record the source, owner and review date for bank account consistency. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
Public risk records
Public risk records may require evidence from the supplier, buyer, public records or a qualified outside provider. Note who supplied each item and what authority it does or does not carry.
Record the source, owner and review date for public risk records. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.
On-site capability
Recheck on-site capability when the product, supplier, destination, regulation or commercial route changes. An earlier conclusion may no longer fit the current decision.
Record the source, owner and review date for on-site capability. Keep it open until the evidence supports the answer.