The Paper Trail — 6 Documents Every China Supplier Should Send

Before money moves, documents should. The most underrated risk in China sourcing is not a fake factory — it is a real factory whose paperwork you never asked for. A supplier that cannot produce the right documents at the right time is telling you something, whether they mean to or not.

Here are the six documents that should cross your desk before you wire a deposit.

1. Business license (营业执照)

The identity document. Check the registered name, unified social credit code, business scope, and address. Cross-check the license against the entity on your PI. If the license name and the seller name differ, that is a question, not a detail.

2. Proforma invoice (PI) and quotation sheet

The commercial baseline. The PI should carry the seller's registered name, your company, the product, quantity, unit price, Incoterm, port, payment terms, and validity date. A PI that leaves out Incoterm or validity is a PI that will be revised in your favor later — or not.

3. Product datasheets and specification sheets

The technical baseline. Demand the datasheet that matches the exact model you are buying — not the "similar product" brochure. For modules and cells, the datasheet defines power tolerance, efficiency, temperature coefficient, and warranty terms. These are contract inputs, not marketing materials.

4. Test reports and certificates

IEC, TÜV, CE, UL, UN38.3 — depending on your market. Ask not just "do you have certificates" but "please send the test report covering this model." Check that the certificate's company name, model number, issuing body, and dates are consistent. Fake certificates usually fall apart in the details.

5. Packing list and shipping documents template

Before production, agree what the shipping document set will look like: commercial invoice, packing list, B/L, and the certificates of origin/test you need. Small inconsistencies between invoice and packing list are a top cause of customs delays.

6. Bank details on company letterhead

Payment details should come on official company stationery (or a document that matches the license), not as a casual WhatsApp text. If the bank account name does not match the registered entity, stop and verify before sending anything.

The evidence-led habit

Collect these six in a folder per supplier, in the order above, before the deposit conversation. You are not being difficult — you are building the file that protects both sides. A serious supplier will send them without drama. That speed itself is information.

Before money moves, documents should.

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Use this as a procurement framework, not as engineering, legal or tax advice. Always confirm supplier identity, product specs and payment terms in writing.