Factory or Trader · by ChineseCheck
Is your Chinese supplier a real factory — or a middleman?
We read the supplier's own VAT invoice flows, registry filings and licenses, then tell you what they really are — and when they are a trader, which factory they buy from.
Company name in English or Chinese, pinyin, or the 18-digit credit code (USCC)
A factory-looking listing can still be a middleman — and you pay for it.
Factory photos and “OEM/ODM” badges are easy to borrow. The money trail is not.
A trader between you and the line means slower changes, weaker quality control and a margin you never see.
Traders buy from factories every month. Their invoices show who.
What's in a report
One report, built from government registry records and the supplier's own tax invoices.
Factory, trader, combined or insufficient evidence — with a confidence level and the exact evidence behind it.
For traders, we rank the manufacturers they buy the same product line from, month after month.
Invoicing scale band, tax-credit grade, customer concentration and 24-month activity.
Shareholders, changes, annual reports, litigation with amounts, penalties, licenses, patents, customs and tenders.
Every claim tagged with its source, verification level and data date.
If the seller is a sales company owned by a factory, we show you the production entity to put on your contract.
How it works
- 01Search the supplier
English name, Chinese name or credit code. We resolve it to the registered legal entity.
- 02Confirm the entity — free
Check the registered name, status, legal representative and address match your supplier.
- 03Unlock the full report
Verdict, source factory, strength and due diligence — ready in minutes, saved to your account.
Simple pricing
Buy report credits once, use them on any supplier within 12 months.
Single report
Check one supplier before you pay a deposit.
- 1 × full supplier report
- Factory / trader verdict with evidence
- Likely source factory for traders
- Registry, litigation & license due diligence
- Credits valid for 12 months
3 reports
Compare a shortlist side by side.
- 3 × full supplier report
- Factory / trader verdict with evidence
- Likely source factory for traders
- Registry, litigation & license due diligence
- Credits valid for 12 months
10 reports
For sourcing agents and growing catalogs.
- 10 × full supplier report
- Factory / trader verdict with evidence
- Likely source factory for traders
- Registry, litigation & license due diligence
- Credits valid for 12 months
Questions buyers ask
Where does the data come from?
China's national business registry, tax-credit and court records, customs, IP and environmental registers — plus the supplier's own VAT invoice flows, which show what it buys and sells every month.
How is this different from a factory audit?
An audit visits the site the supplier shows you. We read records the supplier can't stage: what it registers, files, and invoices. Many buyers use the report to decide which suppliers are worth auditing.
How long does a report take?
Most reports are ready within a few minutes. You can close the page — the report is saved in your account.
What does “likely source factory” mean?
When a supplier is a trader, we look at the manufacturers it buys the same product line from, month after month, and rank them. You get names you can contact directly.
Do report credits expire?
Credits are valid for 12 months from purchase. Re-opening a report you already unlocked within 30 days is free.
Is ChineseCheck the same company?
Yes. Factory or Trader is ChineseCheck's supplier-verification product for importers and Amazon sellers.
Know who you're really buying from
Check your supplier before the deposit leaves your account.
See pricing