20 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Chinese Supplier

The right questions to ask a Chinese supplier are not the ones on most checklists. Most lists hand you generic prompts like "What is your MOQ?" and stop there, but almost any supplier can answer those. What separates a reliable factory from a risky one is not whether they answer. It is how they answer: specific, checkable, and fast, or vague, evasive, and slow.

Below are 20 questions in five themes: identity and legitimacy, factory and capacity, quality and compliance, pricing and terms, and communication and reliability. Each comes with why it matters and what a good versus bad answer looks like, because the interpretation is where the real vetting happens. If you would rather have someone run this gauntlet for you, CN Ally vets and audits Chinese suppliers for importers every week.

How to actually use these questions

Send them in two waves, not all at once. Wave one is questions 1 through 4 plus your product RFQ. A supplier that fails wave one is not worth sixteen more questions.

For the RFQ itself, use a structured format rather than a chat message. Our RFQ template for Chinese suppliers shows how to lay out specifications so quotes come back comparable. Keep the questions in the same email thread as the RFQ so answers and quotes stay linked.

One cultural note: Chinese sales staff are often reluctant to say no directly. You will hear a lot of "yes" and "no problem" that really means "we'll try," a pattern Cosmo Sourcing's Alibaba questionnaire guide describes well. When an answer is vague, rephrase the question and press for specifics. A supplier that sharpens its answers under pressure is usually a good sign. One that stays vague is telling you something.

Identity and legitimacy: who are you really dealing with?

Start here. If a supplier cannot prove it legally exists and tell you plainly who it is, nothing else it says matters.

1. What is your full registered company name, in Chinese characters?

Why it matters: The English trade name on Alibaba and the legal entity on the business license are often different. The Chinese-character name unlocks every registry check: license, export rights, litigation history.

Good answer: They send the full legal name immediately, and it matches the license and the bank account details.

Warning sign: They stall, offer only an English trade name, or the license name does not match the invoice. Name mismatches across documents are classic supplier red flags.

2. Are you a factory or a trading company, and what share of my product would be made in-house?

Why it matters: Traders are not automatically bad, but you need to know who controls production and whose margin sits in your price.

Good answer: A direct answer either way, plus which processes are in-house and which are subcontracted. Honest traders often name the factory they work with.

Warning sign: They insist they are a manufacturer but cannot name their equipment or describe the production line. See our guide on telling factories from trading companies for eight concrete tests.

3. Can you send me a copy of your business license?

Why it matters: The license proves the company legally exists and shows its registered capital, business scope, and establishment date.

Good answer: A clear scan within a day or two, with the company name matching everything else and the scope covering your product category.

Warning sign: Refusal, long delays, or a blurry copy. If you receive one, here is how to verify a Chinese business license line by line.

4. Who will I actually be working with day to day?

Why it matters: You need to know whether your counterparty is the factory's own staff, a trading company employee, or an independent agent taking an undisclosed cut.

Good answer: A named person with a title and a company email address, with their role stated clearly.

Warning sign: "Let me be your agent" vagueness or rotating anonymous contacts. When nobody puts a name to the relationship, accountability later will be a problem too.

Factory and capacity: can they actually make your order?

These questions test whether the supplier can physically produce your order, on time, at the promised volume.

5. What is your main product line, and what share of your output does my product represent?

Why it matters: Factories do their best work on core products. If your item is five percent of their output, you get five percent of their attention when something goes wrong.

Good answer: Your product sits inside their main line, and they can describe similar products and order volumes.

Warning sign: Your product is a tiny side line, or they claim every category is their specialty. A factory that makes "everything" usually makes nothing well.

6. Which production processes do you do in-house, and which do you subcontract?

Why it matters: Every subcontracted step is a step the supplier does not control: its timeline, its quality, its cost.

Good answer: A specific list. "Injection molding and assembly in-house; plating goes to a partner we have used for six years."

Warning sign: "Everything is in-house" for a complex product, or an inability to name a single process. Ask how they control subcontracted quality. Silence is your answer.

7. What is your current monthly capacity for my product, and how much is already committed?

Why it matters: Capacity decides whether your delivery date is a plan or a wish. A factory at 95 percent utilization has no buffer for rework or rush orders.

Good answer: Concrete numbers: units per month, current utilization, and an honest statement of when your order could slot in.

Warning sign: Unlimited capacity claims, or numbers that fail basic arithmetic. A 30-person workshop does not produce 100,000 units a month.

8. What is your standard production lead time, from deposit and approved samples to finished goods?

Why it matters: Your whole launch calendar hangs on this number, and it only starts when the deposit lands and samples are approved.

Good answer: A specific range with conditions: "25 to 30 days after deposit and sample approval, assuming standard materials."

Warning sign: "No problem, very fast" with no number, or a lead time that ignores material procurement. Custom materials add weeks; a supplier that never mentions them has not thought it through.

Quality and compliance: will the goods be right and legal to sell?

This is where most bad supplier relationships are decided. Look for specific evidence, not slogans.

9. Walk me through your quality inspection process: incoming materials, in-process, and final.

Why it matters: "We have strict QC" is a slogan. Real quality control has visible checkpoints with people assigned to them.

Good answer: Named checkpoints, who performs them, and the standard used, such as AQL levels. Bonus points for a sample inspection report.

Warning sign: The slogan with no substance. If there is no defined process, there is no process.

10. Which certifications do you hold, and can I see the certificates?

Why it matters: ISO 9001, BSCI, and product certifications are independently issued and verifiable. A supplier with none operates without any external oversight.

Good answer: Actual certificate copies with issuing bodies and expiry dates, in the supplier's legal name.

Warning sign: Logos on the website but no documents on request, expired certificates, or certificates issued to a different company.

11. Have your products passed third-party lab testing for my market? Can I see a recent report?

Why it matters: Market compliance is the buyer's legal responsibility. A toy that fails CPSIA in the US or electronics that fail RoHS in the EU can mean seized shipments. Only an accredited lab report counts as evidence.

Good answer: A recent report from a recognized lab (SGS, TUV, Intertek, Bureau Veritas) for a similar product against your market's standard.

Warning sign: "Our products are safe, no problem" with no report, or a five-year-old report for a different product. If they have never tested, ask whether they will submit samples at your expense before mass production. Refusal is disqualifying.

12. What is your policy if I find defects after delivery?

Why it matters: Every production run has some defect rate. What matters is the remedy: rework, replacement, credit, or a shrug. Settle this before you pay, not after the container lands.

Good answer: A written policy with concrete remedies and timeframes.

Warning sign: No policy, or "our quality is good so this won't happen." Suppliers most confident defects never occur are usually least prepared when they do.

13. Will you accept an independent third-party inspection before shipment?

Why it matters: This is the single most revealing question on the list. A supplier confident in its quality says yes without hesitation.

Good answer: "Yes, no problem. We work with inspection companies regularly."

Warning sign: Refusal, or insistence that you use "their" inspector. Never skip this on a first order of real size; pre-shipment inspection is exactly what our quality control service provides.

Pricing and terms: what will this actually cost, and how do I pay safely?

A price only means something when the terms around it are clear. These four questions expose what hides inside the number.

14. Can you break down your quotation: unit price by quantity tier, tooling fees, packaging, and what is included versus excluded?

Why it matters: A lump-sum price hides whether tooling is separate, whether the price is EXW or FOB, and whether decent packaging costs extra. Itemized quotes are comparable; lump sums are not.

Good answer: A line-item breakdown with quantity tiers, separate tooling costs, packaging specs, and the Incoterm stated.

Warning sign: One number, no detail, and irritation when you ask for more. Suppliers who will not itemize are hiding margin in the fog.

15. What payment terms do you offer a first-time buyer?

Why it matters: Payment terms allocate risk. Thirty percent deposit with seventy percent before shipment is standard because it shares risk instead of dumping it on you.

Good answer: 30/70 by wire, Alibaba Trade Assurance, or a letter of credit for large orders.

Warning sign: One hundred percent upfront by wire, especially to a personal account, or refusal of any escrow-style protection. Read our guide to payment terms with Chinese suppliers before sending money.

16. What is your MOQ for this product, and is there any flexibility?

Why it matters: MOQ reflects real economics: material minimums, setup costs, line time. The reasoning tells you whether the number is negotiable or structural.

Good answer: A specific MOQ with the reasoning, plus what changes at higher volumes. Some suppliers offer a trial quantity at a higher unit price, which is often the honest compromise.

Warning sign: An MOQ that swings wildly between emails, or a suspiciously tiny one for a product that clearly needs tooling. See our MOQ guide for the full picture.

17. Which Incoterms can you quote, and which do you recommend?

Why it matters: A supplier fluent in FOB, CIF, DDP, and EXW has exported before and knows where its responsibility ends. One that only knows EXW may never have handled export logistics.

Good answer: Multiple options with a recommendation and reasoning: "FOB keeps your forwarder in control; DDP if you want one landed price."

Warning sign: Confusion about the terms. Acceptable if you run your own freight, but know what you are signing up for.

Communication and reliability: will they tell you the truth when it counts?

How a supplier communicates during vetting is how it will communicate when your money is on the line.

18. Who is my day-to-day contact, and what is your normal response time?

Why it matters: Communication quality now predicts communication quality during production. A named contact answering within a day will probably keep answering when the order is late.

Good answer: A named person, a direct contact method, and a realistic norm: "I reply within 24 hours on working days."

Warning sign: Rotating anonymous contacts, or week-long silences during the courtship phase. It only gets worse after the deposit.

19. Can you give me two export references I can contact?

Why it matters: References are the closest thing to a checkable track record from your desk. A supplier with real export history should produce at least one buyer willing to vouch.

Good answer: Contact details for past buyers, ideally in your market, with permission arranged.

Warning sign: Permanent confidentiality: "all our customers are confidential." Some discretion is normal, but years of exports with zero referenceable customers is a contradiction.

20. When production runs late, how and when will you tell me?

Why it matters: Delays happen to every factory. The difference between good and bad suppliers is whether you hear about them in time to react. This tests honesty under hypothetical pressure, the closest you can get to the real thing.

Good answer: A concrete early-warning process: "We flag delay risks at least two weeks out, with the cause and the recovery plan." Suppliers who describe past delays honestly are usually the trustworthy ones.

Warning sign: "We are never late." Every factory is sometimes late. One that will not admit it in theory will not admit it in practice.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask an Alibaba supplier before ordering?

Ask who they are (legal name, factory or trader), whether they accept Trade Assurance, what their export history to your country looks like, and whether they agree to third-party inspection. Then run the full 20-question list above. On Alibaba specifically, check the number of transactions and reviews on their profile, but treat those as a starting filter, not proof.

How do I know if a Chinese supplier is legitimate?

Cross-check three things: the business license (real, current, matching name), the bank account name (must match the licensed company), and a live verification such as a video call from the factory floor or an independent audit. Any one of these alone can be faked. All three together rarely are.

Is it normal to ask a supplier for their business license?

Yes. Legitimate Chinese suppliers are asked for it constantly and send it without drama. Treat the request as routine in your first email. A supplier that acts offended or stalls is answering your question with its behavior.

What is a reasonable MOQ from a Chinese factory?

There is no universal number. It depends on material minimums, setup costs, and whether tooling exists. Simple assembled products can run a few hundred units; custom molded products often start in the thousands. Be skeptical of MOQs that look too accommodating for the product, and of suppliers who cannot explain theirs.

How do I ask a supplier if they are a trading company?

Ask directly: "Are you a factory or a trading company?" Then verify the answer with questions 2, 5, and 6 above. Being a trading company is not disqualifying, but lying about it is. A trader that answers honestly about its role and its factories can still be a good partner.

What payment terms should I ask for on a first order?

Thirty percent deposit with seventy percent against inspection or before shipment is the industry norm. Alibaba Trade Assurance or a letter of credit adds protection on larger orders. Never agree to 100 percent upfront by wire transfer to an account whose name does not match the supplier's licensed company.

Scoring the answers: when to proceed and when to walk away

Twenty questions produce a lot of information, and information without a decision rule is noise. Score each answer: two points for specific and checkable, one for vague but plausible, zero for evasion. Above 30 out of 40, the supplier is worth an audit or visit. Below 20, walk away regardless of price. Between 20 and 30, dig into the weak spots first.

Watch for clusters. One vague answer on certifications might be a paperwork problem. Vague answers on identity, references, inspections, and payment together are a pattern.

And respect the sequence. Questions 1 to 4 are gates: fail them and nothing else matters. Questions 5 to 13 test whether the supplier can deliver. Questions 14 to 20 test whether you will enjoy working with them. Never let a great unit price in question 14 override failed gates in questions 1 to 4. Price is the most common reason buyers talk themselves into bad suppliers, and the most expensive mistake in this process.

Running this gauntlet for every candidate is nearly a full-time job. CN Ally does supplier vetting, factory audits, and pre-shipment inspections for importers who would rather spend their time selling. Write to hi@cnally.com with your product and your shortlist, and we will tell you honestly which suppliers deserve your purchase order.