How to verify a Chinese car exporter before you pay (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Rules last checked 2026-10-28 · General information, not legal advice

Quick answer

Before paying, check the seller's business licence on gsxt.gov.cn, ask which exporter on MOFCOM's 2026 list will declare the car, and pay only to the company account named in the contract.

Key facts

Step by step: before you pay

1. Ask for the seller's full legal name and unified social credit code. Search both on gsxt.gov.cn and compare with the licence copy.
2. Ask the seller to name the licensed exporter that will declare the car in China.
3. Open Attachment 1 of Announcement No. 85 and look for that company, or the carmaker that authorised it. Match the name and code exactly.
4. Put the exporter, car, VIN and payment account in the written contract.
5. Pay the deposit only to the company account in the contract.
6. Before the balance, ask for a live inspection video that shows the VIN on the car.
7. Before the balance, confirm the bill of lading with the shipping line.

Rules and where they come from

• Business registry: after a real-name login, search by company name or unified social credit code (People's Daily, 2023-11-27, checked 2026-10-28). SAMR Decree No. 128 says serious violation listings are published on this system (SAMR, effective 2026-07-15, checked 2026-10-28). The site did not load for us on 2026-10-28, so try again.
• Electric cars: from 2026-01-01 battery-electric passenger cars need an export licence (Announcement 2025 No. 54, checked 2026-10-28).
• New cars: automobiles and chassis (new cars only) are on the 2026 catalogue; one licence may be used for several customs clearances, up to 12 (Announcement 2025 No. 89, checked 2026-10-28).
• Who may export: carmakers qualify, then authorise a limited number of export companies. Their contract must state shared liability for quality and after-sales service. Exporting cars that are not self-made or not authorised can cost the exporter its qualification (Notice 318 of 2012, checked 2026-10-28).
• The list: it names carmakers and their authorised export companies with unified social credit codes (Announcement 2025 No. 85, issued 2025-12-26, checked 2026-10-28). Appearing on it shows eligibility to apply for a licence. MOFCOM may adjust the list during the year (Notice 318).
• Bank details: confirm any change in payment details by phone, using a number you already know and not one from the email (FBI IC3, 2017-05-04, checked 2026-10-28).
• Bills of lading: the ICC International Maritime Bureau says websites listed on shipping documents, especially bills of lading, should be independently validated (ICC IMB, 2007-02-07, checked 2026-10-28). IMB reports over 90% of suspect bills of lading in its database came from non-vessel-operating carriers (Gard, 2019-09-11, checked 2026-10-28).

Red flags

• Price far below the market for the same car
• Pressure to pay fast or to skip the contract
• Seller cannot name the licensed exporter
• Payment requested to a personal account or a company with a different name
• New bank details by email: always confirm by phone with a number you already know
• Inspection video refused, or the VIN is hidden

Documents to ask for

• Business licence copy and unified social credit code of the seller and the exporter
• Written contract naming the exporter, the car, the VIN and the bank account
• Proforma invoice from the same company that receives payment
• Inspection video showing the VIN
• Bill of lading and the carrier's name

How CRAVEUO EV Export works

CRAVEUO EV Export works only with exporters on the MOFCOM licence list, and the contract names the company that will declare the car for export. Payment goes only to the company account named in the contract. CRAVEUO EV Export is not a carmaker and does not claim any carmaker's authorisation.

Have a model in mind? Send an inquiry through the form at www.craveuo.com with your country, model and quantity.