B2B Trade Guides & Sourcing Resources
Practical, buyer-focused guides on factory verification, supplier audits, RFQs, Incoterms and quality control — built around the China Factory List directory.
Three guides that prevent most sourcing mistakes
Read the license before you wire a deposit, audit the factory before you place a bulk order, and agree the Incoterm before you compare quotes.
How to read and verify a Chinese business license (营业执照)
Check the unified social credit code, legal representative, registered capital and business scope before you place an order.
Factory audit checklist for overseas buyers
Production capacity, QC logs, certifications, worker safety and raw-material traceability — the checks that actually matter.
Incoterms 2020: EXW vs FOB vs CIF vs DDP
Who pays freight, insurance and customs — and where risk transfers when you compare quotes from Chinese factories.
How to read and verify a Chinese business license
The 营业执照 is the starting point for any supplier check. Cross-check the document against the factory profile and the public registry before you send a deposit.
See how China Factory List verifies factories →Unified Social Credit Code
An 18-character code that identifies the legal entity. Check it on the license and in the public registry.
Company name & legal representative
The name on the license must match the quotation, invoice and bank account beneficiary.
Registered capital
A useful signal of scale, but not a guarantee. Compare it with the factory size and order value.
Business scope
Confirm that manufacturing, processing and export of your product category are within the licensed scope.
Operating status
Look for “in operation” / 存续 status. A revoked or abnormal license is a hard stop.
Address & establishment date
Match the registered address with the factory location and check how long the entity has operated.
China Factory List admins review the uploaded business license before a claimed factory listing is approved. Contact details are published only on featured profiles.
Factory audit checklist for overseas buyers
A remote or on-site audit should answer one question: can this factory consistently make your product at the quoted quality and volume?
Browse factory profiles →Production capacity
Machine list, number of lines, monthly output and current utilization. Ask for a video walkthrough of the production floor.
Quality control
Incoming material checks, in-process inspection, final inspection and recorded defect rates.
Certifications
ISO 9001, industry-specific certificates and test reports. Verify the certificate number and scope.
Workforce & safety
Headcount, skilled operators, safety equipment and working conditions — especially for labor-intensive products.
Materials & traceability
Where raw materials come from, how batches are tracked, and whether substitutions are allowed.
Sample validation
Approve a pre-production sample and keep a signed golden sample before mass production starts.
Incoterms 2020: EXW vs FOB vs CIF vs DDP
Incoterms decide who pays which logistics cost and where risk transfers. Compare the four terms buyers use most with Chinese factories.
Find a factory to quote →Buyer collects at the factory and handles export clearance, freight, insurance and import. Risk transfers at the factory.
Seller handles export clearance and loading at the named Chinese port. Risk transfers once goods are on board.
Seller pays freight and insurance to the destination port. Risk still transfers on board; buyer handles import.
Seller delivers to your door and pays import duty. Highest seller responsibility and usually the highest quoted price.
What to include in an RFQ to a Chinese factory
A clear RFQ gets an accurate quote and fewer back-and-forth messages. Include the details that change the factory's cost.
See the buyer workflow →Product name & use
What it is and how it will be used; include reference photos or a drawing.
Material & dimensions
Material grade, dimensions, tolerances and surface finish.
Quantity & MOQ
Trial order quantity, annual volume and the factory's minimum order quantity.
Packaging & labeling
Inner/outer packaging, barcodes, private label and carton marks.
Certifications
Required test reports, compliance marks and destination-market rules.
Delivery & terms
Target date, Incoterm, destination port and payment terms.
Pre-shipment checks and safer payment terms
Quality problems and payment risk are the two most common sourcing failures. Build checks into both before the first bulk order.
Find verified suppliers →Pre-production sample
Approve the sample and keep a signed golden sample. Reference it in the purchase order.
In-line inspection
Check during production, not only at the end, so defects can be corrected before packing.
Pre-shipment inspection
Agree an AQL sampling level and a written inspection report before the balance payment.
Payment terms
A common structure is 30% deposit / 70% before shipment. Use a bank transfer to the company account, not a personal account.
China Factory List does not process buyer payments. Commercial terms and payments are agreed directly between the buyer and the factory.
Sourcing glossary
The terms that appear most often in quotations, audits and shipping documents.
The 12-point China sourcing checklist
Use this before placing a first bulk order. Print this page or save it as a PDF for your sourcing file.
Source from verified factories with confidence.
Browse profiles, compare capabilities and contact featured suppliers directly — or read how factories are verified before you shortlist.