SOLUTION 05 / CHINA SUPPLIER INTELLIGENCE
Find. Verify. Evaluate. Source.
China Sourcing Intelligence
Supplier research and due diligence for international pet buyers sourcing from China — from first shortlist to on-site factory audit.
- 20,532
- China company profiles in the index
- 21
- pet product categories
- 3
- verification levels
- 5–10
- business days per research project
Company count is live from the directory, as of 2026-11-10 (UTC) · Counting rules · Data coverage
This service is new. We are accepting a limited first cohort of paid research projects. No client names, logos or testimonials appear on this page — we publish none until a client authorises it in writing.
01 / WHY THIS EXISTS
Finding a factory in China is easy. Knowing which one to trust is not.
International buyers rarely fail at search. They fail at the seven questions below, and a directory listing answers none of them.
Which factories actually manufacture?
Many listings are trading companies reselling from a plant you never see.
Manufacturer, trader, or agent?
The registered business type rarely matches what the sales pitch implies.
Is the scale real?
Headcount, floor space and monthly output are self-reported and seldom evidenced.
Will it pass my market's rules?
EU, US and UK requirements differ by product. One certificate does not cover them all.
Is this quote fair?
Without a capability baseline there is no reference point for price.
Can I afford to go and look?
A factory visit costs a week and a flight. Nobody does that per candidate.
Who keeps tracking them?
Supplier risk changes after the first order, and almost nobody re-checks.
What this service is for
Turning a long list of names into a short list of evidenced decisions — and stating exactly what is still unknown.
02 / WHAT WE HELP YOU DO
Five things a directory cannot do for you
Identify qualified manufacturers
Shortlist by category, capability and target market — not by which supplier paid for placement.
Verify business backgrounds
Registry status, registered scope, shareholding and public legal risk, each with source and date.
Assess manufacturing capability
Equipment, lines, QC flow, OEM/ODM ability and R&D, scored against one published model.
Evaluate export readiness
Certifications relevant to your market, export history where public, and English-capable sales contact.
Reduce risk before you wire money
Commercial terms, red flags and missing information stated before the deposit, not after.
And tell you what we could not confirm
Every report lists its own blind spots. A confident report with hidden gaps is worse than no report.
03 / THE PROCESS
Four stages, each with a defined deliverable
You can stop after any stage and keep the document. Nothing is bundled to force the next step.
Supplier discovery
Where do I look?
- Brief: category, volume, target price, market
- Screen the index + desk research
- Separate manufacturers from traders
Business due diligence
Is this company real and active?
- Registry name, code, status, established date
- Registered scope vs. what they sell you
- Public legal and enforcement records
Capability assessment
Can they actually do my job?
- Lines, equipment, QC process, R&D
- Certifications for your target market
- MOQ, lead time, terms, English level
On-site audit & support
Is it worth going further?
- Site, line, warehouse and QC inspection
- Management interview, sample check
- Photo/video record with written scope
| Stage | The buyer's question | What you get | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Where do I look? | A defensible shortlist | Not yet verified |
| Verification | Is it real? | Registry evidence with dates | Desk-level, no site visit |
| Assessment | How capable? | Score, strengths, risks | Remote or documented |
| Factory audit | Worth partnering? | On-site report | Only within the written scope |
04 / THE FRAMEWORK
What we actually check
Not every supplier needs every check. Every supplier that reaches a shortlist passes the first two blocks.
| Block | What is examined | Typical evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business due diligence | Registered name and unified social credit code · operating status · established date · entity type (manufacturer / trader / brand) · shareholders and related entities · public legal and enforcement records · registered business scope · public export history | National enterprise registry · public court and enforcement records · company documents supplied by the supplier |
| Manufacturing capability | Plant area and site · main equipment and automation level · headcount (production vs. technical) · monthly and annual capacity · product range · OEM/ODM support · R&D and tooling · QC flow (IQC / IPQC / OQC) | Company profile documents · video walkthrough · photographs with dates · capability questionnaire |
| Product & compliance | Product-specific certifications for the target market · management systems (ISO 9001, HACCP, FSSC 22000 where applicable) · pet food production licence and formula disclosure · materials and chemical safety for accessories · import requirements of the destination country · trademarks and patents where public | Certificate copies with numbers and validity · licence records · third-party test reports supplied by the supplier |
| Commercial capability | MOQ · Incoterms (FOB / EXW / CIF) · price bands · sample provision · lead time · payment terms · OEM/ODM terms · English-capable export team · main export markets · referenceable past projects | Quotations · sample invoices · pro-forma terms · correspondence capability assessment |
| On-site audit (optional) | Site and address match · production lines running · equipment condition · warehouse and raw material storage · QC stations in operation · management interview · sample inspection | Auditor's own photographs, video and written notes, dated on site |
Pet food, supplements, toys and electronics are regulated differently. We do not apply one generic certificate checklist to all four — the compliance block is rebuilt per product and per destination market.
05 / THE SCORE
A 100-point assessment, with the weights published
Publishing the weights is the point: you can disagree with a score and see exactly where it came from.
06 / SAMPLE REPORT
What you receive
Illustrative only. The figures below are a worked example of the model. They are not an evaluation of any real company, and no real supplier is named.
STRENGTHS
- Registry clean: active since 2011, no enforcement records
- Owns injection moulding and sewing lines on one site
- Existing EU and UK customers, English-capable export team
POTENTIAL RISKS
- No ISO 9001 certificate on file at assessment date
- Q4 capacity already allocated — lead time may extend
- Payment terms require 40% deposit, above category norm
MISSING INFORMATION
- Current employee count not independently evidenced
- Two of five supplied certificates could not be verified online
- No sample submitted at assessment date
RECOMMENDATION
- Suitable for a trial order in the toy category
- Commission a site audit before any order above 20,000 units
- Negotiate deposit to 30% or request trade references
07 / WHAT "VERIFIED" MEANS HERE
Three levels. We do not blur them.
A registry lookup is not a factory audit, and a remote assessment is not an on-site verification. Each level below says what it can and cannot support.
Registry level
The company exists, is active, and the registered name, code and scope match what you were told. This is a desk check against public records.
× Does not confirm production capability
× Does not confirm product quality
Capability level
Documents reviewed, a capability questionnaire completed, usually a video walkthrough, and a score against the published model.
× Still not an on-site inspection
× Self-reported figures remain self-reported
On-site level
A person stood in the plant, within a written scope, and recorded what was seen. Only this level may be described as a factory audit.
× Covers only the stated scope and date
× Not a product certification
08 / COVERAGE
Where we can help — and where we hand off
For product safety testing, food-safety analysis and market access certification we coordinate with accredited third-party laboratories and notified bodies. We do not issue compliance certificates, and we do not present a laboratory result as our own opinion.
09 / ENGAGEMENT MODELS
Three ways to work with us
Indicative starting points for scoping, not a fixed rate card. Final price depends on category breadth, supplier count and whether travel is involved — and is quoted before any work starts.
Supplier research & due diligence
- Screen against one written brief — 5–10 candidates
- Registry and public-record verification, one source per claim
- Capability, compliance and export assessment
- Scored report with strengths, risks and missing information
- Stages 01–03, or stop after any of them
Factory audit & sourcing support
- On-site audit within a written scope
- Line, warehouse and QC inspection with photo/video record
- Sample and quality checks
- Supplier meetings, negotiation and follow-up
- Quoted by factory count, region and complexity
Both figures are scoping ranges, not a published rate card. Final price depends on category breadth, supplier count and travel, and is quoted in writing before any work begins.
10 / WHAT THIS IS NOT
Scope, sources and limits — stated before you buy
Not a sourcing agent
We are not paid commission on your order, and we do not place orders on your behalf. Our fee is for research, so the recommendation has no hidden incentive.
Not a certification body
We do not issue certificates or compliance opinions. Testing and certification go to accredited laboratories and notified bodies.
Not a guarantee
Registry data, certificates, capacity and ownership change after the assessment date. Every report states its date, sources, method and coverage.
Always dated and scoped
Each deliverable lists what was checked, what could not be confirmed, and the residual risk. Where a claim could not be verified, it is marked unverified rather than assumed.
11 / START A PROJECT
Tell us what you are sourcing
The more specific the brief, the more useful the shortlist. We reply within one business day with scope, price and timeline.
