A factory may be capable of making your product and still be unprepared to complete its first direct export. The risk is not automatically that the supplier is unreliable; it is that exporter identity, payment instructions and document responsibilities remain unresolved until the goods are ready.
This guide is for a mainland Chinese company exporting goods directly under general trade and receiving foreign currency through a mainland bank. An export agent, cross-border RMB payment, e-commerce arrangement or specially regulated product can require a different workflow. Official public information was checked on 10 September 2026. This is an operational checklist, not transaction-specific legal, banking or tax advice.
Use five separate readiness checks
Do not ask only, “Do you have an export licence?” That phrase can hide several questions. Ask for a named owner and a checked result for each workstream.
| Check | Supplier owner | Evidence to confirm | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customs registration | Administrator or export coordinator | Correct entity and current consignee/consignor registration result | Manufacturing capability or product compliance |
| Electronic-port access | Actual operator and broker | Named operator, usable credential and necessary permission or delegation | That every shipment document is ready |
| Foreign-currency receiving arrangement | Finance | Bank-confirmed beneficiary, currency, account and routing details | Automatic acceptance of every payment |
| Trade foreign-exchange directory | Finance and bank | Registration result and first-transaction requirements checked | That bank review is unnecessary |
| Export-tax preparation | Finance or tax operator | Applicable route, filing owner and records needed after export | That a refund has been approved or paid |
1. Confirm the contracting seller and the exporter
Ask which legal entity will sign the sales contract, issue the commercial invoice, receive payment and appear as the exporter in the Chinese customs process. If those roles are split between a factory, trading company or export agent, obtain a written explanation before approving payment details.
For a direct export, ask the supplier to check
- whether the correct company appears in the China Customs enterprise information system;
- whether its status is the registration of a consignee or consignor of imported or exported goods;
- who operates the electronic-port workflow and coordinates the customs broker;
- which product or destination requirements remain outside that registration.
The supplier can use the China Customs enterprise credit platform. Customs' official guide describes the channels and publication of the result.
“The contracting seller and direct exporter are Company A. Our administrator checked Company A's current Customs registration on the official platform. Person B coordinates the broker, and Person C owns the electronic-port credential.”
Follow up when unclearAsk for exact entity names and responsibilities. Do not request passwords or identity documents you do not need.
Registration alone does not establish capacity, quality control or compliance. Keep sample approval, specification control and inspection separate. See how to vet a Chinese supplier.
2. Ask for bank-confirmed payment instructions
T/T means telegraphic transfer. It is a payment method, not a special account called a “T/T account.” An existing domestic RMB account also does not establish that the supplier can receive your payment currency.
Ask supplier finance to confirm with its corporate international-settlement contact:
- the beneficiary legal name, account number, bank name, SWIFT and required routing information;
- the receiving currency and whether a new account or receiving function is needed;
- documents or declarations expected for the first transaction;
- fees, branch handling and who will answer a bank request after payment is sent.
Bank of China's public account-service description illustrates possible company and authorization material. It is not a universal checklist for every bank or branch.
Do not accept a last-minute beneficiary or bank-account change solely through the same chat or email that announced it. Verify through a previously trusted contact route. A buyer's transfer receipt also does not prove that the supplier's bank credited the funds; supplier finance must confirm the actual account status.
3. Confirm that the supplier discussed trade registration with its bank
Under SAFE Notice Hui Fa [2024] No. 11, companies within this guide's scope complete registration in the trade foreign-exchange receipts and payments enterprise directory through a mainland bank before the first relevant receipt or payment. Since 1 June 2024, banks handle this registration directly rather than requiring approval at a SAFE branch.
Ask separately: “Has your bank confirmed the receiving account or function?” and “Has your bank confirmed the trade foreign-exchange directory registration?” An answer to one is not necessarily an answer to the other.
The registration result, bank query instructions or platform account, the responsible bank contact and the first-transaction document list.
What you do not needBank passwords, internal tax credentials or broad access to supplier systems.
4. Assign the shipping-document work before production finishes
Name the owner for customs-broker coordination, freight booking, commercial invoice, packing list, customs data, transport-document draft and final release. The Incoterm changes who arranges transport and pays certain costs, but it does not remove the need to agree document responsibilities.
| Decision | Owner | Completion evidence | Open question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seller and exporter | Supplier sales lead | Names match the transaction structure | Is an export agent involved? |
| Receiving bank instructions | Supplier finance | Bank-confirmed beneficiary details | Any first-payment documents? |
| Customs and electronic port | Administrator / broker | Registration checked; operator named | Any missing permission? |
| Invoice and packing list | Supplier shipping team | Drafts checked against order and shipment | Who approves revisions? |
| Transport document | Forwarder and approver | Draft approved before final issuance | Who receives release notice? |
Product restrictions, destination-country import rules and buyer-side clearance remain separate. Next, use the shipping-document checklist before departure.
5. Keep the supplier's export-tax work separate from your payment
Chinese export VAT and consumption-tax treatment concerns the supplier's tax position. Its finance team should determine the applicable route using the actual company, product and business model.
The tax authority's 2026 explanation says taxpayers file the export-tax registration when first claiming export-tax treatment or requesting related certificates. Filing is not a universal bank prerequisite for receiving the buyer's payment. Registration, transaction filing, authority review and refund payment are different stages.
If the supplier says it is “waiting for export registration,” ask whether it means Customs registration, electronic-port access, bank readiness, trade foreign-exchange registration or export-tax filing. Similar shorthand can hide different blockers.
A message you can send to the supplier
Please confirm the legal entity that will sign the contract, export the goods and receive our payment. Ask your administrator to verify the entity's current Customs registration and electronic-port operating arrangement. Ask your finance team to confirm the receiving currency, bank-issued beneficiary details, trade foreign-exchange directory status and first-payment document requirements. Please also name the owners of the commercial invoice, packing list, customs data and transport-document approval, and list any product or destination requirements that remain unresolved. We do not need system passwords; we need named owners, checked results and open issues.
A useful answer separates completed checks from applications still under review. “Submitted” is not the same as “approved,” and a payment screenshot is not the same as funds credited to the supplier's account.
Common exceptions and the next question to ask
The factory already has a Customs record
Verify the legal entity, status and direct-export role. Do not ask it to reapply only because sales was unaware of the registration.
The contract, exporter and beneficiary differ
Request a written responsibility map and commercial arrangement before payment. An agent can be legitimate; an unexplained mismatch is not acceptable.
The supplier has only an RMB account
Ask finance to confirm receiving currency, account or function, trade directory and first-transaction review with its bank.
The supplier sent a payment screenshot
That is not confirmation of credit. Wait for supplier finance and its bank to confirm the account status.
An online menu no longer matches a screenshot
The supplier should search the full official service name and contact the authority or bank instead of guessing fields.
The supplier expects an immediate tax refund
Ask finance to separate registration, return filing, authority review and payment. Do not rely on an unverified refund rate or timing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Customs registration prove that the factory is ready for my order?
No. It confirms one administrative part of direct export. Manufacturing capability, product compliance, payment readiness and document ownership still require separate checks.
Can I rely on payment instructions sent in a chat message?
Treat them as unverified until the supplier confirms that the details came from its bank. Independently verify any last-minute account change through a previously trusted channel.
Is export-tax filing required before the supplier can receive my payment?
It is not a universal bank prerequisite. The supplier should keep bank readiness and tax administration separate and check both against the transaction.
Is the downloadable checklist available in English?
The 24-page PDF is in Chinese for the factory's administrator and finance staff. This English page contains the complete buyer-facing checklist.
Official reference boundary
Public sources were rechecked on 10 September 2026: China Customs registration guide, SAFE Notice Hui Fa [2024] No. 11, Bank of China account-service example, and the tax authority's 2026 export-tax explanation. Public instructions do not establish what a particular company, bank branch, product or shipment will be approved to do.
Free download · No registration
24-page Chinese checklist for the supplier team
The fixed-layout September 2026 PDF is a portable overview and progress checklist for the factory's administrator and finance staff. This web article contains the fuller buyer-facing questions and exceptions. The PDF is in Chinese and its fixed-layout text is not designed for copying.
No form or phone number is required. Reconfirm current requirements with the relevant authority, bank and transaction parties.