How do I verify a Chinese company’s business licence?
Search the company’s exact Chinese name or its 18-character Unified Social Credit Code at gsxt.gov.cn, the national registry run by China’s market-regulation authority. The record shows legal status, registered capital, legal representative, business scope and any abnormal-operation listing. A licence image sent by the supplier proves nothing until it matches that record.
Every legitimate Chinese company appears on one national system, free to search, run by the State Administration for Market Regulation. If a company is not on it, the company does not legally exist. That makes verification cheap — the difficulty is that the system is in Chinese, the search requires the exact registered name, and the fields need interpreting.
The steps
- Get the supplier’s registered Chinese name and their 18-character Unified Social Credit Code. Ask for both in writing. A supplier who will not give you the code is telling you something.
- Search either value at gsxt.gov.cn. The English trading name will not work — only the registered Chinese name or the code.
- Confirm the status field reads 存续 or 在业 (existing / in operation). 吊销 means the licence has been revoked; 注销 means the company has been deregistered and no longer exists.
- Read the business scope (经营范围) and check it covers what they are selling you.
- Open the annual reports (年报) for headcount, and check the abnormal operations list (经营异常名录) — a listing there usually means they failed to file or cannot be reached at their registered address.
- Compare every field against the licence image the supplier sent you. Any mismatch is the end of the conversation until it is explained.
| Field (Chinese) | What it is | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| 统一社会信用代码 | Unified Social Credit Code — the 18-character company ID | Must match the licence image exactly |
| 登记状态 | Registration status | 存续 / 在业 good · 吊销 revoked · 注销 dissolved |
| 法定代表人 | Legal representative — the individual who can bind the company | Should match whoever signs your contract |
| 注册资本 / 实缴资本 | Registered vs paid-in capital | Registered capital is a promise, not money in the bank |
| 经营范围 | Registered business scope | Must cover manufacturing if they claim to manufacture |
| 成立日期 | Date established | A company incorporated last quarter is not a 20-year manufacturer |
| 经营异常名录 | Abnormal operations list | Any entry needs explaining before you pay |
Four things the registry will not tell you
- Whether they actually manufacture. Scope shows permission, not capability.
- Whether they are solvent. Look at court records and enforcement listings separately.
- Whether the bank account you were given belongs to them. It should be in the registered company name — never a personal account, never a third party.
- Whether the person emailing you works there. Email compromise is the single most expensive fraud in this trade.
We publish this method because it is the same one we use, and because you should be able to check us the same way. Our own registration number is on every page of this site.
Want this done rather than explained?
The 24-hour answer to “is this company real?” — US$95, Usually 1 working day.
Sources
- National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (国家企业信用信息公示系统)
- China Judgements Online (中国裁判文书网)
- Credit China (信用中国)
All sources checked 23 August 2026. This page is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Requirements vary by product, market and circumstance — confirm your own position before acting.
