Free tools · For overseas buyers
Free Tools for Buyers Dealing With Chinese Suppliers
First published · Updated
Five short checks for common questions from overseas buyers. Use them before you pay, before you sign, when a factory holds your molds, and before you sue. Each takes a few minutes. Nothing you enter is sent to us.
Before you pay or sign
Eleven questions to answer before you pay a Chinese supplier: company name, payee, bank details, records and contract terms.
Open →Before you signSupplier contract checkTwelve questions to ask before you sign with a Chinese supplier: the registered name, who signs, two-language versions, disputes, inspection, molds and costs.
Open →When something has gone wrong
Eleven questions on a mold dispute with a Chinese factory: your mold list, payments, ownership terms, unpaid sums and who holds them.
Open →Before you sueCourt fee calculatorWork out a Chinese court's filing fee, freeze fee and enforcement fee for your claim, under the national fee rules.
Open →Documents from abroadApostille checkWhich documents from abroad need notarisation, legalisation or an apostille for a Chinese court case, by country and document type. Checked October 2026.
Open →These tools give general information on dealing with Chinese suppliers. They don't review your documents. A clean result is not a guarantee.
Want a lawyer to read your documents?
Send a short summary and the supplier's Chinese company name. Once I've checked that I don't act for the other side, I'll ask for the contract or order, the payment record and the supplier's last message. I'll tell you where you stand and what your options are.