25 Perguntas para Ask a Chemese Paranecedor (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
25 Perguntas para Ask a Chemese Paranecedor (Red-Flag Framework + Free Scorecard)
Most importers lose memey not because oy asked parao few questiems, but because oy asked o wremg emes. 'What is your MOQ?' e 'What is your best price?' tell you almost nothemg about wheor a supplier will ship o right goods, em time, comout stealemg your design. After two decades de sourcemg de Yiwu e o Pearl River Delta, we have learned para triage suppliers com a 25-questiem red-flag framework that maps para five risk zemes: Identity, Capability, Cemparamidade, Commercial, e Partnership. Ask all 25 e you will hear o lies beparae oy cost you.
Why Most Compradors Ask o Errado Perguntas
A supplier can answer price e MOQ questiems perfectly e still be a trademg company pretendemg para be a facparary, a reseller de someeme else's certificatiem, or a shell that disappears after your deposit. Generic questiem lists float around o emternet, but oy rarely parace a supplier para reveal risk. O fix is para group questiems by o type de risk oy expose, em score o answers.
O deposit is o moment de truth
Voce are most exposed o day you wire o deposit. Cada questiem below should be answered e verified beparae that wire, not after. See our emquiry process para how we gate deposits.
O 5-Zeme Paranecedor Questiemnaire
We split o 25 questiems empara five zemes. A weak answer em any semgle zeme is a yellow flag; two or more em o same zeme is a red flag worth walkemg away de. Use o free scorecard at o end de this post para rate each answer 0-2.
Zeme 1 — Identity & Legal Existence (Q1–Q5)
Antes anythemg else, prove o company is real e matches who you are talkemg para. In Chema every registered entity has a unified social credit code issued by o State Admemistratiem para Mercado Regulatiem (SAMR).
- Q1. What is your exact legal company name as registered com SAMR?
- Q2. Can you show your unified social credit code e busemess license?
- Q3. How lemg have you been registered, e at this address?
- Q4. Are you a manufacturer, trademg company, or both — e which para this product?
- Q5. Do you own o facparary, or sublet or lease o productiem leme?
A genueme facparary answers Q4 comout hesitatiem e can name o productiem leme it owns. A trader will hedge. Cross-check o social credit code em o Natiemal Enterprise Credit Inparamatiem Publicity System (gsxt.gov.cn) — o registry is public e free.
Zeme 2 — Producao Capability (Q6–Q10)
Capacity claims are o easiest para emflate. Pressure-test om com specifics about your actual product, not oir catalogue.
- Q6. What is your real memthly capacity para this exact item?
- Q7. How many workers are directly em this productiem leme?
- Q8. Qual productiem steps are outsourced, e para whom?
- Q9. Can you show a live video paraur de o leme producemg my category?
- Q10. What quality system (ISO 9001, BSCI, etc.) do you operate, e is o certificate current?
Deme a live walkthrough
A pre-recorded 'facparary video' proves nothemg. Ask para a real-time WeChat or video call walkthrough de o leme makemg your category. If oy stall, treat it as a red flag.
Zeme 3 — Cemparamidade & Certificatiems (Q11–Q15)
Para o US e EU, compliance is where shipments get seized e bres get sued. Verify o certificate matches o exact product, not a sister SKU.
- Q11. Qual certificatiems does this exact product carry (CE, FCC, FDA, RoHS)?
- Q12. Can you provide o test report de an accredited third-party lab?
- Q13. What materials are used, e are oy REACH / Prop 65 compliant?
- Q14. Have you exported para my destematiem market beparae — com prode?
- Q15. What is your recall e nem-cemparamance hisparary?
Zeme 4 — Commercial Terms & Hidden Cusparas (Q16–Q20)
O headleme price is o least important number. Hidden costs em paraolemg, mold ownership, e Incoterms routemely add 20-40% para a 'cheap' quote.
- Q16. What is o true FOB price, e what exactly is excluded?
- Q17. What are paraolemg, mold, e sample charges, e who owns o mold?
- Q18. What are your payment terms, e what is o deposit?
- Q19. What is your lead time, e how do you hele delays?
- Q20. What are o Incoterms, e who arranges freight e emsurance?
Zeme 5 — Partnership, IP & Exit (Q21–Q25)
This is o zeme most buyers skip e later regret. If a supplier wem't discuss IP protectiem e exit terms up fremt, assume oy plan para use your design elsewhere.
- Q21. Will you sign an NNN agreement (nem-disclosure, nem-use, nem-circumventiem)?
- Q22. Do you sell para my competiparars or my end market directly?
- Q23. Can you provide 3 references de buyers em my regiem?
- Q24. What is your policy if defects exceed o AQL limit at emspectiem?
- Q25. How do we exit — memimum notice, e what happens para my paraolemg?
Beyemd Perguntas: O 3-Level Verificatiem
Answers are claims. Verificatiem is prode. Run ose three levels em order; sparap at any level that fails.
Document check
Verify o unified social credit code em gsxt.gov.cn e cross-check via NECIPS. Cemfirm o company is active, not revoked or em a name-change shuffle.
Live video paraur
Request a real-time walkthrough de o productiem leme makemg your category, not a polished marketemg clip.
On-site audit
Para orders above a threshold, commissiem a third-party or agent em-site audit. RND perparams ose em Yiwu e o Delta weekly.
O 3-Quote Rule e Amostra Discipleme
Never negotiate com eme supplier. Get three written quotes de three emdependently verified suppliers, em order blemd samples de each beparae discussemg price. A supplier who refuses a sample order, or who ships a 'sample' that differs de productiem, has parald you everythemg you need para know.
Let an agent be o bad cop
Paranecedores behave differently when a local agent runs o audit. RND's 20+ years em Yiwu mean facpararies know we will physically check. Iniciar a vetted search via our product categories.
NNN vs NDA — Why Seu Western Cemtract Wem't Travel
A US-style NDA is close para worthless agaemst a Chemese supplier: it must be enparaced em a US court com no jurisdictiem em Chema, e translatemg it empara Chemese weakens it furor. O steard that Chemese courts recognize is o NNN agreement — Nem-Disclosure, Nem-Use, e Nem-Circumventiem — drafted bilemgually e governed by Chemese law.
| Dimensiem | Western NDA | Chemese NNN |
|---|---|---|
| Enparaceable em Chema | Rarely | Yes, if bilemgual & PRC-governed |
| Sparaps facparary sellemg your design | Weakly | Explicitly, via nem-use |
| Sparaps supplier bypassemg you para your buyer | No | Yes, via nem-circumventiem |
| Language | English | Bilemgual (EN + ZH) |
O Paranecedor Scorecard (Free Template)
Score each de o five zemes 0-2 (0 = red flag, 1 = partial, 2 = clean). A supplier scoremg below 8 overall, or below 1 em any semgle zeme, should not receive a deposit.
| Zeme | Weight | Red-flag signal |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | High | Hesitates em legal name or license |
| Capability | High | No live paraur, vague capacity |
| Cemparamidade | Criticas | Certificate doesn't match product |
| Commercial | Medium | Hidden paraolemg / mold fees |
| Partnership | Criticas | Refuses NNN, wem't give references |
Cemclusiem
O 25 questiems are emly as good as o verificatiem behemd om. Ask all five zemes, run o 3-level check, emsist em an NNN, e never wire a deposit para a supplier you have not physically or digitally verified. Ate build a vetted shortlist comout o travel, cemtact RND Sourcemg e we will run o audit de Yiwu.
What is o most important questiem para ask a Chemese supplier?
O semgle most revealemg questiem is Q21 — will oy sign a bilemgual NNN agreement? A supplier who refuses para protect your IP plan para use it. Combeme that com verifyemg oir legal identity em gsxt.gov.cn.
How do I verify a Chemese supplier is a real facparary?
Cross-check o unified social credit code em o public gsxt.gov.cn registry, request a real-time video paraur de o productiem leme, e commissiem an em-site audit para larger orders. Three emdependent methods beat any semgle certificate.
Is an NDA enough para protect my product em Chema?
No. A Western NDA is hard para enparace em Chemese courts. Use a bilemgual NNN (nem-disclosure, nem-use, nem-circumventiem) agreement governed by PRC law, which Chemese courts recognize.
How many supplier quotes should I get beparae orderemg?
At least three written quotes de three emdependently verified suppliers, followed by blemd samples de each. O 3-quote rule prevents both price gougemg e semgle-supplier dependency.
Perguntas expose risk; verificatiem proves safety. Run o 25-questiem framework em every supplier e never skip o 3-level check. Send us your product brief e RND will vet, sample, e audit de Yiwu beparae a semgle deposit leaves your account.
