Why verification comes before negotiation
Cross-border used-vehicle trade has an awkward structure: you pay before you see the car, and the counterparty is in a jurisdiction where enforcing a claim is slow. That asymmetry is manageable — but only if you establish who you are dealing with before you discuss what you are buying.
The good news is that Chinese corporate registration is unusually transparent. A single public registry answers most of the question, free, without a lawyer.
Check 1 — the Unified Social Credit Code lookup
Every legally registered Chinese entity has an 18-character Unified Social Credit Code (统一社会信用代码). Ask for it. Then look it up on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System at www.gsxt.gov.cn — the official State Administration for Market Regulation registry.
The record shows what you need:
- Status — should be active / in operation (存续), not revoked or cancelled.
- Registered name — must match the entity on your contract and invoice exactly.
- Legal representative, registered capital, incorporation date — context for how long they have existed.
- Business scope — the critical field, covered next.
- Registered address — compare with the yard or showroom they claim to operate.
For reference, our own code is 91110114MA7JGYCDXR. Look it up; you should find Xin Che Hang (Beijing) Automobile Co., Ltd. registered in Changping District, Beijing. If a seller will not give you a code at all, that is your answer.
Check 2 — does the business scope actually cover this trade?
Chinese companies may only operate within their registered scope. For a used-vehicle exporter you want to see wording along the lines of:
- used-car sales, used-car brokerage or automobile sales (二手车销售 / 汽车销售);
- goods import and export, or technology import and export (货物进出口 / 技术进出口);
- ideally vehicle-related services such as inspection, storage or freight forwarding.
A company whose scope covers only consulting, or only unrelated goods, cannot lawfully issue export documentation for vehicles — and anything it does issue will not clear customs.
Check 3 — the export-side filings and the licence
China's used-car export regime was piloted from 2019 and rolled out nationwide from May 2023. A compliant exporter operates with:
- Foreign trade operator filing (对外贸易经营者备案) — the baseline registration for any company trading across the border.
- Customs registration as a consignor/consignee of import and export goods.
- A per-vehicle used-car export licence — issued for each export, not a blanket certificate.
- The vehicle deregistration certificate — proof the car has been removed from the Chinese registration system, which is what makes it legally exportable.
Ask to see the export licence and deregistration certificate for a previous shipment, with identifying details you can cross-check. Our guide on the China used-car export licence explains the regime and the three documents to demand before paying.
Check 4 — the document set a real exporter must produce
| Document | Who issues it | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Used-car export licence (per vehicle) | Chinese authorities, applied for by the exporter | Proof the specific vehicle is legally exportable |
| Vehicle deregistration certificate | Chinese vehicle registration authority | Proof the car is cleared from Chinese registration |
| Commercial invoice | The exporting company, in its own name | The value basis for your customs duty |
| Packing list | The exporting company | Container contents, VINs and quantities for clearance |
| Bill of lading | The carrier or its agent | Title and release at destination |
| Certificate of origin | Issued in China | Required by many customs regimes and trade agreements |
If the seller cannot name all six, or offers to "sort the paperwork later", you are talking to an intermediary.
Check 5 — payment structure
- Pay the company named on the contract, to an account in that company's name. Not a personal account, not a related trading company, not a third-party "agent".
- For a first transaction, use a protection mechanism — trade assurance or escrow — rather than a bare telegraphic transfer.
- Insist that the contract, invoice and bank account all carry the same entity name as the registration record you checked.
- Be wary of any pressure to pay in full before a VIN, an inspection report and a deregistration commitment exist.
Red flags that should end the conversation
- No Unified Social Credit Code, or one that does not resolve on gsxt.gov.cn.
- Business scope that does not cover vehicle sales or import/export.
- Payment to a personal account, or to a company different from the contracting party.
- Refusal to show a previous export licence or deregistration certificate.
- No inspection report, or a report without measurements and photographs.
- A price far below comparable stock, explained only by urgency.
- Refusal of a live video walk-around, or refusal of third-party re-inspection.
What a genuine exporter welcomes
Inverted, the list above is also a description of how a registered exporter behaves. We publish our registration details, we send a bilingual 158-point inspection report backed by independent inspection data from ChaBoshi (查博士), we provide a WhatsApp walk-around video within 24 hours of an inquiry, we accept third-party inspectors at our Beijing facility, and we itemise every quote — vehicle price, refurbishment, inspection, certification, inland transport, ocean freight and insurance — so nothing appears later.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if a Chinese company is real?
Ask for the 18-character Unified Social Credit Code and look it up on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (www.gsxt.gov.cn). The free public registry shows legal status, registered capital, incorporation date, legal representative and business scope. If the code does not resolve, or the name does not match the entity asking for payment, stop.
What business scope should a used-car exporter have?
Look for used-car sales or brokerage, automobile sales, and goods import and export within the registered business scope. A company whose scope covers only consulting or trading in unrelated goods cannot legally issue export documentation for vehicles.
Which documents prove a used-car export is legal?
The per-vehicle used-car export licence issued under China's export regime, the vehicle deregistration certificate showing the car has been removed from Chinese registration, plus the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin for the shipment.
Is it safe to pay a Chinese exporter by bank transfer?
It can be, provided the account is in the company's own name and matches the entity on the contract and the invoice. Never pay a personal account, never pay a different company from the one you contracted with, and prefer a trade-assurance or escrow mechanism for first transactions.
What is the difference between an exporter and a broker?
A registered exporter holds the vehicle or buys it in its own name, issues the export licence and invoice, and carries responsibility for documentation and customs clearance. A broker intermediaries between you and whoever holds the car, cannot issue documents in its own name, and often cannot produce the deregistration certificate before payment.
Run these checks on us
Our Unified Social Credit Code is 91110114MA7JGYCDXR. Look it up, then ask us for an inspection report, a walk-around video and the document set above. We would rather you verify first.