China Supplier Verification
China is Africa's largest trade partner, supplying over $100bn of goods annually — electronics, textiles, machinery, chemicals and construction materials. Yet it remains the highest-risk sourcing corridor for African importers, with widespread counterfeit goods, advance-payment fraud, and unregistered factories operating under legitimate names.
Active Fraud Pattern — Q2 2026
Canton Fair Ghost Factory & USCC Certificate Fraud
Fake trading companies are presenting forged SAMR Business Licences (营业执照) with fabricated Unified Social Credit Codes (USCC) to collect 30–100% advance T/T payments, then delivering substandard goods or disappearing entirely. Always verify the exact 18-digit USCC at gsxt.gov.cn before any wire transfer. Legitimate Chinese manufacturers do not object to a registry cross-check. Personal WeChat Pay / Alipay payment requests for any B2B order are an immediate red flag.
Verify before you pay →Official Registry
National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System
Regulatory authority: State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
Open official portal →Key Red Flags
- ⚠Factories trading under a different registered entity name
- ⚠Missing or invalid Unified Social Credit Code (18-digit)
- ⚠Products failing SGS/BV inspection after payment
- ⚠Advance payment requested via personal WeChat Pay / Alipay
- ⚠Canton Fair exhibitors with no verifiable factory address
Document Checklist — China Suppliers
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check a Chinese supplier's registration number?
Search the 18-digit Unified Social Credit Code (USCC) at gsxt.gov.cn (Mandarin) or aicr.samr.gov.cn. Our AI report cross-references this automatically.
What is a red flag for a Chinese factory?
Key red flags include: registered address is residential or a shared serviced office, company age < 1 year, no ISO or export certification, requests for 100% advance T/T to a personal account.
Does KeyBS verify Canton Fair suppliers?
Yes. Enter the company name or booth number and we'll run a full registry check + AI red-flag analysis promptly.
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