China · Fujian
Supplier Dispute in Fujian? A Xiamen Lawyer for Overseas Buyers
I am a PRC-licensed lawyer in Xiamen. I act for overseas buyers who deal with Chinese suppliers. This page is for buyers whose supplier is in Fujian province. It covers where the factories are, which court or arbitration body hears a claim, and how long the first steps take.
This page does not suggest that Fujian suppliers cause more disputes than suppliers elsewhere. If something goes wrong with a supplier here, you need to know which local court to use and how it works.
Where Fujian's suppliers are
Fujian's export manufacturing sits mainly around Xiamen, Quanzhou and Fuzhou. Each county has its own industries.
Main industries by city and county
- Xiamen. The city's pillar manufacturing industries are electronic information and machinery and equipment. Xiamen Port handled 12.51 million TEU (standard containers) in 2025, the seventh-largest container port in China.
- Jinjiang (Quanzhou). Known as China's Shoe Capital. Its town of Chendai has more than 3,000 shoe firms. Sportswear brands such as Anta, Xtep and 361 Degrees grew up there.
- Shishi (Quanzhou). Built its economy on textiles and clothing. In 2025 its casual-wear cluster was named a national-level industrial cluster.
- Nan'an (Quanzhou). The local government calls it China's largest base for plumbing and kitchen-and-bath products. It also has a fire-safety equipment cluster and a large stone industry.
- Hui'an (Quanzhou). Holds the titles China Stone Carving Capital and World Stone Carving Capital.
- Dehua (Quanzhou). Known as a porcelain capital. The county government counts more than 4,000 ceramics firms.
- Fuzhou. The city has six industrial clusters each worth over RMB 100 billion, including textiles and chemical fibre, machinery, metallurgy and building materials, and light industry and food.
Which court hears your claim
A Chinese court can hear your claim against a supplier based in China. Under Chinese law, a contract claim goes to the court where the defendant is based or where the contract was performed (Civil Procedure Law (in Chinese) art. 24). A court you and the supplier chose in writing can also hear it (art. 277).
Your case is "foreign-related" if you are a foreign company or are based outside mainland China. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan parties are treated the same way. Since 2023, a foreign-related claim under RMB 40 million usually starts in a basic-level court (SPC Provisions on Foreign-Related Jurisdiction, art. 1). Earlier Supreme People's Court replies to the Fujian High Court named particular courts in Quanzhou, Xiamen and Fuzhou. They are still listed as in force, but courts have not applied them the same way since 2023. The table shows both. For the rules across China, see which Chinese court hears your claim.
| Where the supplier is | Usual court since 2023 | Court named in an older reply |
|---|---|---|
| Nan'an, Hui'an (including the Quanzhou Taiwanese Investment Zone), Jinjiang, Shishi | The local court of the same name | The same court |
| Dehua, Anxi, Yongchun | Not settled | Nan'an People's Court |
| Quangang | Not settled | Hui'an County People's Court |
| Quanzhou city: Fengze, Licheng, Luojiang | The district's own court | Fengze District People's Court |
| Xiamen: Huli District and the Xiamen area of the Fujian Free Trade Zone | Huli District People's Court | Huli District People's Court |
| Xiamen: other districts | The district's own court | None |
| Fuzhou city (Gulou, Taijiang, Cangshan, Jin'an), Minhou, Minqing, Yongtai | The district or county's own court | Cangshan District People's Court |
| Mawei, Lianjiang, Luoyuan | The district or county's own court | Mawei District People's Court |
| Fuqing, Changle | The city or district's own court | Fuqing People's Court |
Quanzhou and Fuzhou city districts
In 2023, the Fengze court in Quanzhou and the Cangshan court in Fuzhou sent foreign-related cases to the local district court.
Dehua and Quangang
In 2023, the Dehua and Quangang courts still sent foreign-related cases to the Nan'an and Hui'an courts. Quangang relied on the 2015 reply, and Dehua on a 2019 notice from the Quanzhou Intermediate Court.
Xiamen
In July 2026, the Xiamen Intermediate Court said that since 2023, Fujian's basic-level courts hear these cases below RMB 40 million.
Before I file
I confirm the court with its case-filing office. A case filed in the wrong court has to be sent on, and that costs time.
Larger claims
Claims of RMB 40 million or more go to the intermediate court of the city, one level up (SPC Provisions on Foreign-Related Jurisdiction, art. 2). An intermediate court can also take a smaller case if it is complex, has many parties on one side, or has a major local impact.
International commercial courts
The Xiamen and Quanzhou intermediate courts each have an international commercial court division. The Xiamen International Commercial Court opened on 7 September 2022.
To find the first-instance court, answer three questions.
- Does the contract have a valid arbitration clause? If yes, the case goes to arbitration. If no, go to step 2.
- Is the claim RMB 40 million or more? If yes, it goes to the city's intermediate court. If no, go to step 3.
- Where is the supplier, or where was the contract performed? Find the court in the table above. Then confirm it with the court's case-filing office.
Court or arbitration
If your contract names arbitration
Many export contracts send disputes to arbitration. Arbitration is a private hearing before arbitrators instead of judges. If your contract has a valid arbitration clause, a Chinese court will not hear the claim, unless the other side fails to raise the clause before the first hearing.
Xiamen Arbitration Commission
The Xiamen Arbitration Commission was founded in 1996. Since September 2024 it also uses the name Xiamen Court of International Arbitration. It takes foreign-related cases. Its current rules took effect on 1 October 2026 and include provisions for foreign-related cases.
An award you won abroad
If you already won an arbitration award abroad, a Fujian court can enforce it against the supplier. China is a party to the New York Convention, the treaty on enforcing foreign arbitration awards. See enforcing a foreign award against a Chinese supplier.
How long the first steps take
These are typical times from my practice. They are not promises.
- Filing a case. Usually about seven days. It is harder near the end of the year and at the end of a quarter.
- Freezing the supplier's money. In court, about 10 to 15 days. Through arbitration it takes longer, because the arbitration body passes the application to a court. To apply, you need the supplier's bank account number. The court usually requires security, and most courts accept a litigation-preservation insurance policy as security.
- First-instance judgment. About six months from filing, if no expert testing is needed.
Finding the supplier's other assets is a job for the enforcement stage, after judgment. If the factory's property is already mortgaged to a bank, enforcement is harder. More on freezing a supplier's account.
Problems that come up, here and elsewhere
These problems arise with suppliers anywhere in China. What changes in Fujian is which local court and which local steps apply.
- The payee is not the company in the contract. Payment goes to another company's or a person's account.
- Quality is hard to prove once the goods have left the factory.
- A machine, such as a packaging machine, performs differently after shipping than it did at the factory test.
- The factory makes extra units of your product and sells them itself. See OEM overproduction.
- The factory will not return your molds, or claims it owns them. See mold disputes.
How I work in Fujian
On the ground
I am based in Xiamen. I go in person to factories in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Shishi, Nan'an, Hui'an, Dehua and Fuzhou.
Cases I have handled
I have handled cases before basic-level courts in the province and before the Xiamen Arbitration Commission. I have handled 74 supplier-dispute lawsuits and 136 trademark lawsuits.
Fees
My fees in Fujian are the same as on this website. Travel costs are charged at actual cost. See fees and process.
- Supplier disputes and refunds
- Suing a supplier in court or arbitration
- Supplier checks and factory visits
- Hiring a China lawyer from abroad
Questions from overseas buyers
Which court hears a claim against a supplier in Dehua or Jinjiang?
Since 2023, a Jinjiang supplier is usually sued in the Jinjiang People's Court. For Dehua it is not settled. An older reply names the Nan'an court, and the Dehua court still sent a case there in 2023. So confirm with the court before filing. Claims of RMB 40 million or more go to the Quanzhou Intermediate Court. A valid arbitration clause sends the case to arbitration instead.
What do I need to freeze a Fujian supplier's bank account?
You need the supplier's bank account number. The court usually requires security, and most courts accept a litigation-preservation insurance policy. In court, a freeze usually takes about 10 to 15 days. Finding the supplier's other assets is a job for the enforcement stage.
Can a foreign arbitration award be enforced against a Fujian supplier?
Yes, through the New York Convention. In one case, a Russian company applied to the Xiamen Intermediate People's Court in November 2024 to enforce a Moscow award against a Xiamen food company. The court recognised and enforced the award ((2024) Min 02 Xie Wai Ren No. 9). The Supreme People's Court's published summary says this took less than three months.
Do I have to sue in Fujian if my supplier is there?
Usually, yes. A contract claim goes to the court where the supplier is based or where the contract was performed, or to a court you both chose in writing. If your contract has a valid arbitration clause, the case goes to arbitration instead.
Sources
Official texts cited in this article.
- Civil Procedure Law of the PRC (2023 amendment) court.gov.cn · in Chinese
- New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (1958) uncitral.un.org
Supplier problem in Fujian?
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 last message from the supplier. I will tell you where you stand and what your options are. Discuss your supplier dispute →
General information about Fujian courts and arbitration. It is not advice on a particular matter. Court designations: Supreme People's Court replies (2013) Min Si Ta Zi Nos. 75 and 76, and (2015) Min Si Ta Zi Nos. 14 and 25; SPC Provisions on Foreign-Related Jurisdiction (Fa Shi [2022] No. 18), arts. 1 and 2. Court practice since 2023: transfer rulings of the Fengze, Cangshan, Dehua and Quangang courts (2023) and a ruling of the Xiamen Intermediate Court (2026). Moscow award: Xiamen Intermediate People's Court, (2024) Min 02 Xie Wai Ren No. 9, published by the Supreme People's Court as a typical case on 25 September 2025. Industry facts from the county and city governments, checked in October 2026. Translations are mine and unofficial. Check the originals before relying on them.
Have a China-side question?
Tell us what the supplier did or failed to do, and the Chinese company's name. List the documents you have, such as the contract or order, payment records and the supplier's last message. The responsible lawyer replies within one calendar day. We will tell you where you stand and what your options are.