How to Verify a Chinese Supplier: The Complete 2025 Checklist

Your step-by-step guide to avoiding scams, quality issues, and costly mistakes when sourcing from China.

Verifying a Chinese supplier is the single most important step you can take before placing an order. Whether you're sourcing packaging, apparel, vegan leather goods, hardware, or electronics, confirming that your supplier is legitimate and capable is the foundation of a successful supply chain.

In 2025, supplier verification has become even more critical as more factories digitize, more trading companies appear online, and the line between “real manufacturer” and “middleman” becomes harder to distinguish. This guide will walk you through exactly how to verify a Chinese supplier — before you pay anything.

Why Supplier Verification Matters

A supplier can look perfect on Alibaba, social media, or even on a polished website — but once production begins, the truth comes out.

Common issues include:

• Delayed production

• Quality fade after the first batch

• Missing or fake certifications

• Disappearing once payment is made

• Borrowed or staged factory photos

A proper verification only takes about 30 minutes and can save you months of stress and thousands of dollars.

Step-by-Step Supplier Verification Checklist (2025 Edition)

1. Confirm the Company’s Legal Registration

Ask for the supplier’s:

• Business license (营业执照)

• Unified Social Credit Code

• Registered capital

• Legal representative

Check that:

• The company name matches their English name

• Business scope includes manufacturing of the product

• They have a physical factory address

You can cross-check on:

• QCC.com

• Tianyancha

• Government enterprise registry

If the supplier hesitates to share a business license → red flag.

2. Verify Whether They Are a Manufacturer or Trading Company

Many sourcing problems happen because buyers unknowingly work with trading companies pretending to be manufacturers.

Ways to check:

• Look for original factory photos (machinery, production lines, workers)

• Ask for photos/videos of production in real time

• Request the number of workers, machines, and facility size

• Check if they have R&D or engineering teams

• Compare product lines — real factories focus on one category

Trading company red flags:

• Too many product categories

• No factory address

• No on-site workers visible during video calls

• Fast, aggressive pricing without technical details

Trading companies aren’t always bad — but you need to know who really makes your product.

3. Request Certifications and Test Reports

Depending on the category, ask for:

• CE / UKCA

• RoHS / REACH

• FDA / LFGB

• ISO 9001

• FSC / GRS (for sustainable materials)

• EN 1634-1 (for doors / fire ratings)

Verify authenticity by checking:

• Issue date & validity

• Testing laboratory (must be accredited)

• Brand names used on the certificate

Fake certificates are extremely common — always verify the lab.

4. Check Production Capability

Before you order, confirm the factory can actually produce your item.

Ask:

• What materials they use

• Machinery list

• Daily production capacity

• Lead time for sampling & mass production

• Tolerances they can meet (size/color/weight)

A good factory answers with specific numbers, not vague promises.

5. Review Past Clients and Case Studies

Real factories can show:

• Previous production for known brands

• Samples they’ve produced

• Export markets

• Quality control processes

They don’t need to reveal brand names — but they should demonstrate real experience.

6. Request a Live Factory Video Call

A 10-minute video call can expose 80% of fake suppliers.

Ask to see:

• Production lines

• Workers on site

• Raw material storage

• Machinery

• Packaging area

• Office & reception

If they refuse a video call → do not continue.

7. Ask for Detailed Samples Before Mass Production

Samples reveal:

• Quality level

• Material realism

• Craftsmanship

• Color accuracy

• Weight & dimensions

• Safety

If a supplier cannot match their catalog quality in the sample, they won’t match it in mass production.

8. Use Third-Party Factory Audits and QC

If it’s a large order, get:

• Factory audit

• Pre-production inspection

• During-production check

• Pre-shipment inspection

Audits verify:

• Production capability

• Social compliance

• Quality management system

This step prevents 90% of quality disasters.

9. Red Flags You Should Never Ignore

Stop immediately if you see:

• Prices dramatically lower than competitors

• Urgency to close the deal quickly

• Refusal to video call

• No business license or mismatched names

• Too many product categories

• Slow, inconsistent communication

• Avoidance of showing the factory floor

Good suppliers are transparent. Bad suppliers disappear when you ask questions.

10. How Axonscale Helps Verify Suppliers

Most buyers don’t have time to:

• Audit factories

• Verify documents

• Check certifications

• Compare multiple quotes

• Manage QC

• Communicate details in Chinese

Axonscale combines AI-powered supplier verification with human audits, ensuring every supplier on the platform meets strict quality and compliance standards before you even receive a quote.

This means you can source confidently — without worrying about scams or fakes.

Conclusion

Verifying a Chinese supplier isn’t complicated, but it must be done before any money is exchanged.

With the 2025 supplier verification checklist above, you’ll be able to quickly identify legitimate factories, avoid high-risk suppliers, and build a stronger, more transparent supply chain.

If you want help verifying suppliers or finding better ones, Axonscale can help you get started in minutes.