Suppliers in China: platforms, registry, samples, inspection

Alibaba.com is built for export: English interface and the Trade Assurance programme. It covers late shipment and quality mismatch only when the order is paid through the platform. A direct transfer to the supplier’s account is not covered.

1688.com serves China’s domestic market. The site is in Chinese, payment runs through Chinese banks and payment systems, and shipping is mostly within China. A foreign buyer works through an agent who buys the goods and receives them at a warehouse in China.

A trading company pulls its range from several factories. A manufacturer usually has production in the scope of its business licence, shows the workshop on a video call and discusses changes to design and packaging. When the order goes through a trading company, the factory’s name goes into the specification so a repeat batch comes off the same line.

Chinese companies are listed in the state enterprise credit information system at gsxt.gov.cn. Search works by the Chinese name or the 18-digit unified social credit code from the business licence. The site is free and does not always open from outside China.

• Name, legal representative and code match across the registry, licence and contract.
• The status is active. The licence alone only shows the company was registered at some point.
• The payment account belongs to the same company.
• The certificate number appears on the issuing body’s website.

Samples and their shipping are usually charged for. Both sides sign the approved sample, and the batch is accepted against it. Samples are often made apart from the production run, so the contract states that the batch matches the approved sample.

The specification covers material, dimensions with tolerances, catalogue colour, weight, contents, marking, packaging and units per carton. A common payment pattern is part before production starts and the balance after the finished batch is inspected. The delivery basis is written under Incoterms 2020, for example EXW or FOB.

Inspection takes place when at least 80% of the order is finished. The inspector picks cartons by the ISO 2859-1 plan, usually at general inspection level II, and compares the goods with the sample and specification. The allowed number of defects is set by the AQL, agreed with the supplier before production. Cartons are checked too: marking, piece weight and dimensions, moisture protection.

Level Global Trade inspects the batch before dispatch and ships it to Kazakhstan: air 3⁠–⁠7 days, truck 10⁠–⁠18 days, rail 18⁠–⁠30 days.