By SteelDesk Tangshan · Updated
1. Freeze the specification and the proposed seller
Keep a dated copy of the quotation, company name, Chinese legal name, supplier contact, proposed factory address and payment instructions. Write down grade, dimensions, tolerances, coating, quantity, packing and destination. Without this baseline, a later visit may examine a different product or company from the one you thought you were buying from. A quotation is a supplier statement, not independent confirmation.
Ask which legal entity signs the sales contract, which site manufactures the material, who performs any processing and who exports it. These roles can legitimately belong to different companies. Your task is to understand and document the chain, rather than assume that every trader is unsuitable or every mill is reliable.
2. Check whether the location fits the claim
Request the Chinese business licence and a precise site address before arranging an appointment. Compare the legal name and registration identifier across the licence, quotation and contract draft. Ask for an explanation where the registered office and production site differ. Public registration information can help establish identity, but a business scope entry does not prove that a production line is installed or operating.
An appointment-based visit can document the entrance, nameplates, equipment, current activity and available stock. It should state which areas were accessible and whether production was running. A quiet line on the day is not automatically a failure; the reason and supporting evidence matter. A view of someone else's yard does not establish the seller's ownership.
3. Connect product evidence to your order
- Ask for a sample certificate linked to a specific coil, heat or batch, not just a generic certificate template.
- Compare markings, stock labels and document identifiers where access permits.
- Check the equipment's apparent capability against your dimensions and process, while treating stated capacity as unverified unless independently supported.
- Identify outsourced coating, slitting, fittings or fabrication. An unvisited subcontractor remains unvisited.
- Separate visual observations from measurements and from laboratory results. They answer different questions.
4. Review the commercial chain before releasing money
Compare the contracting entity, invoice issuer and proposed bank beneficiary. A mismatch needs an explanation and appropriate contractual review; it is not something a photograph can resolve. Confirm changed payment instructions through an established, independently checked contact channel. Do not rely solely on a reply to the email announcing the change. Your bank and qualified advisers should assess payment and contract protection. SteelDesk does not hold buyer funds or guarantee transactions.
5. Set a decision gate, not an automatic pass
For each important question, record observed, supplier-stated, document-only or not verified. List what would change your decision: a second site visit, an issuer confirmation, independent testing, a revised contract or no purchase. The buyer decides whether the remaining uncertainty is acceptable. A factory visit is dated commercial due diligence, not certification, a credit assessment or a guarantee of future delivery.
Supplier access must be agreed in advance, and filming needs permission. If a site refuses access, discuss document review, lawful external verification or cancellation; do not substitute an unannounced entry. See the factory inspection scope and the illustrative report specimen, which is a format example, not a client report.
Scope and evidence limits
This is commercial due diligence, not certification or a quality guarantee. We arrange supplier visits across China, with fastest access from Tangshan. Appointments and filming permission must be agreed before attending. Unavailable evidence stays not verified; it is not silently treated as a pass.