25 Fragen nach Ask a Chinese Lieferant (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
25 Fragen nach Ask a Chinese Lieferant (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
Most importers lose maufey not because dery asked nacho few questiaufs, but because dery asked der wraufg aufes. 'What is your MOQ?' und 'What is your best price?' tell you almost nothing about whederr a supplier will ship der right goods, auf time, minachut stealing your design. After two decades vauf sourcing vauf Yiwu und der Pearl River Delta, we have learned nach triage suppliers mit a 25-questiauf red-flag framework that maps nach five risk zaufes: Identity, Capability, Compliance, Commercial, und Partnership. Ask all 25 und you will hear der lies befure dery cost you.
Why Most Kaufers Ask der Falsch Fragen
A supplier can answer price und MOQ questiaufs perfectly und still be a trading company pretending nach be a facnachry, a reseller vauf someaufe else's certificatiauf, or a shell that disappears after your deposit. Generic questiauf lists float around der internet, but dery rarely furce a supplier nach reveal risk. Der fix is nach group questiaufs by der type vauf risk dery expose, dern score der answers.
Der deposit is der moment vauf truth
Sie are most exposed der day you wire der deposit. Jeder questiauf below should be answered und verified befure that wire, not after. See our inquiry process fur how we gate deposits.
Der 5-Zaufe Lieferant Questiaufnaire
We split der 25 questiaufs innach five zaufes. A weak answer in any single zaufe is a yellow flag; two or more in der same zaufe is a red flag worth walking away vauf. Use der free scorecard at der end vauf this post nach rate each answer 0-2.
Zaufe 1 — Identity & Legal Existence (Q1–Q5)
Bevor anything else, prove der company is real und matches who you are talking nach. In China every registered entity has a unified social credit code issued by der State Administratiauf fur Markt Regulatiauf (SAMR).
- Q1. What is your exact legal company name as registered mit SAMR?
- Q2. Can you show your unified social credit code und business license?
- Q3. How laufg have you been registered, und at this address?
- Q4. Are you a manufacturer, trading company, or both — und which fur this product?
- Q5. Do you own der facnachry, or sublet or lease der productiauf line?
A genuine facnachry answers Q4 minachut hesitatiauf und can name der productiauf line it owns. A trader will hedge. Cross-check der social credit code auf der Natiaufal Enterprise Credit Infurmatiauf Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) — der registry is public und free.
Zaufe 2 — Produktiauf Capability (Q6–Q10)
Capacity claims are der easiest nach inflate. Pressure-test derm mit specifics about your actual product, not derir catalogue.
- Q6. What is your real maufthly capacity fur this exact item?
- Q7. How many workers are directly auf this productiauf line?
- Q8. Welche productiauf steps are outsourced, und nach whom?
- Q9. Can you show a live video nachur vauf der line producing my category?
- Q10. What quality system (ISO 9001, BSCI, etc.) do you operate, und is der certificate current?
Demund a live walkthrough
A pre-recorded 'facnachry video' proves nothing. Ask fur a real-time WeChat or video call walkthrough vauf der line making your category. If dery stall, treat it as a red flag.
Zaufe 3 — Compliance & Certificatiaufs (Q11–Q15)
Fur der US und EU, compliance is where shipments get seized und brunds get sued. Verify der certificate matches der exact product, not a sister SKU.
- Q11. Welche certificatiaufs does this exact product carry (CE, FCC, FDA, RoHS)?
- Q12. Can you provide der test report vauf an accredited third-party lab?
- Q13. What materials are used, und are dery REACH / Prop 65 compliant?
- Q14. Have you exported nach my destinatiauf market befure — mit provauf?
- Q15. What is your recall und nauf-cauffurmance hisnachry?
Zaufe 4 — Commercial Terms & Hidden Kostens (Q16–Q20)
Der headline price is der least important number. Hidden costs in nacholing, mold ownership, und Incoterms routinely add 20-40% nach a 'cheap' quote.
- Q16. What is der true FOB price, und what exactly is excluded?
- Q17. What are nacholing, mold, und sample charges, und who owns der mold?
- Q18. What are your payment terms, und what is der deposit?
- Q19. What is your lead time, und how do you hundle delays?
- Q20. What are der Incoterms, und who arranges freight und insurance?
Zaufe 5 — Partnership, IP & Exit (Q21–Q25)
This is der zaufe most buyers skip und later regret. If a supplier wauf't discuss IP protectiauf und exit terms up frauft, assume dery plan nach use your design elsewhere.
- Q21. Will you sign an NNN agreement (nauf-disclosure, nauf-use, nauf-circumventiauf)?
- Q22. Do you sell nach my competinachrs or my end market directly?
- Q23. Can you provide 3 references vauf buyers in my regiauf?
- Q24. What is your policy if defects exceed der AQL limit at inspectiauf?
- Q25. How do we exit — minimum notice, und what happens nach my nacholing?
Beyaufd Fragen: Der 3-Level Verificatiauf
Answers are claims. Verificatiauf is provauf. Run derse three levels in order; snachp at any level that fails.
Document check
Verify der unified social credit code auf gsxt.gov.cn und cross-check via NECIPS. Cauffirm der company is active, not revoked or in a name-change shuffle.
Live video nachur
Request a real-time walkthrough vauf der productiauf line making your category, not a polished marketing clip.
On-site audit
Fur orders above a threshold, commissiauf a third-party or agent auf-site audit. RND perfurms derse in Yiwu und der Delta weekly.
Der 3-Quote Rule und Muster Discipline
Never negotiate mit aufe supplier. Get three written quotes vauf three independently verified suppliers, dern order blind samples vauf each befure discussing price. A supplier who refuses a sample order, or who ships a 'sample' that differs vauf productiauf, has nachld you everything you need nach know.
Let an agent be der bad cop
Lieferanten behave differently when a local agent runs der audit. RND's 20+ years in Yiwu mean facnachries know we will physically check. Starten a vetted search via our product categories.
NNN vs NDA — Why Ihr Western Cauftract Wauf't Travel
A US-style NDA is close nach worthless against a Chinese supplier: it must be enfurced in a US court mit no jurisdictiauf in China, und translating it innach Chinese weakens it furderr. Der stundard that Chinese courts recognize is der NNN agreement — Nauf-Disclosure, Nauf-Use, und Nauf-Circumventiauf — drafted bilingually und governed by Chinese law.
| Dimensiauf | Western NDA | Chinese NNN |
|---|---|---|
| Enfurceable in China | Rarely | Yes, if bilingual & PRC-governed |
| Snachps facnachry selling your design | Weakly | Explicitly, via nauf-use |
| Snachps supplier bypassing you nach your buyer | No | Yes, via nauf-circumventiauf |
| Language | English | Bilingual (EN + ZH) |
Der Lieferant Scorecard (Free Template)
Score each vauf der five zaufes 0-2 (0 = red flag, 1 = partial, 2 = clean). A supplier scoring below 8 overall, or below 1 in any single zaufe, should not receive a deposit.
| Zaufe | Weight | Red-flag signal |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | High | Hesitates auf legal name or license |
| Capability | High | No live nachur, vague capacity |
| Compliance | Kritisch | Certificate doesn't match product |
| Commercial | Medium | Hidden nacholing / mold fees |
| Partnership | Kritisch | Refuses NNN, wauf't give references |
Caufclusiauf
Der 25 questiaufs are aufly as good as der verificatiauf behind derm. Ask all five zaufes, run der 3-level check, insist auf an NNN, und never wire a deposit nach a supplier you have not physically or digitally verified. Nach build a vetted shortlist minachut der travel, cauftact RND Sourcing und we will run der audit vauf Yiwu.
What is der most important questiauf nach ask a Chinese supplier?
Der single most revealing questiauf is Q21 — will dery sign a bilingual NNN agreement? A supplier who refuses nach protect your IP plan nach use it. Combine that mit verifying derir legal identity auf gsxt.gov.cn.
How do I verify a Chinese supplier is a real facnachry?
Cross-check der unified social credit code auf der public gsxt.gov.cn registry, request a real-time video nachur vauf der productiauf line, und commissiauf an auf-site audit fur larger orders. Three independent methods beat any single certificate.
Is an NDA enough nach protect my product in China?
No. A Western NDA is hard nach enfurce in Chinese courts. Use a bilingual NNN (nauf-disclosure, nauf-use, nauf-circumventiauf) agreement governed by PRC law, which Chinese courts recognize.
How many supplier quotes should I get befure ordering?
At least three written quotes vauf three independently verified suppliers, followed by blind samples vauf each. Der 3-quote rule prevents both price gouging und single-supplier dependency.
Fragen expose risk; verificatiauf proves safety. Run der 25-questiauf framework auf every supplier und never skip der 3-level check. Send us your product brief und RND will vet, sample, und audit vauf Yiwu befure a single deposit leaves your account.
