Hi 🙂 Today’s post is all about How to Use a China Company’s AIC (Administration for Industry and Commerce) Record. You will see how this resource can help you take your e-commerce business to the next level.
If you are serious about sourcing your product from China, you should be familiar with China’s AIC; but, you may not have seen the actual records.
All legitimate China companies must have a China AIC Record.
In this post, we are going to share some tips and tricks about how to use the China AIC Records
Are you ready? Let’s do it!
Who We Are?
China Verification is a service for finding and verifying China suppliers. We have verified hundreds of China companies
China’s AIC Records are a powerful source of information for finding and verifying China suppliers.
Depending on how deep you want to go with your verification process, you may find yourself looking at and trying to read a China AIC record.
At China Verification we are both serious and passionate about helping our clients. That is why we prepared this post to help hardworking entrepreneurs - just like you?
We are going to show you:
- What Does a China AIC record do?
- What Information is in a China AIC record?
- How to get a copy of a China AIC record from your potential supplier?
What does a China Company’s AIC Record do?
AIC records important information about practically all China companies.
With so many government and administrative bodies in China, the AIC is super relevant for small- and medium-sized China companies. Why? Because the AIC record is the closest thing to a centralized, single point of truth about a China company. In particular, the AIC offices maintain official records for each company as it registers
The AIC records are based on each company’s official registration records. (You may also have heard about “China’s National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System” - this is where the company’s records are indexed. )
In many cases AIC records contain not just the info created at registration but also additional information sources such as annual returns and even events that have happened to the company after it was first created (fines levied, licenses awarded, etcetera.)
Simply put, a China company’s AICs record is an official answer to your questions about “who is this guy / girl” when dealing with a potential supplier in Mainland China.
What Information is in a China AIC Record?
The above talked about the sources of information that go into a China company’s AIC record. What specific information can you find in the record as a result?
For sure you can confirm the details of the China Company’s business license this way. Here are some other examples of the information you can find in a China company’s AIC record
- Registration number. This is the official registration number of the company.
- Official company name. This is the registered name of the company according to the official records.
- Type of enterprise. This is the form in which the company is incorporated for example a limited liability company or a wholly foreign owned enterprise.
- Legal representative. According to Chinese law this is the only person who is entitled to sign legally binding documents for the company and is responsible for any action of the company.
- Registered address. This could be useful if you are investigating a suspected counterfeiter and are considering a raid action.
- Registered capital. This is the declared investment in the company. There is a minimum that has to be paid depending on the scope of business according to the local AIC under which the business falls. The registered capital has to be paid within a certain time limit.
- Date of establishment. This is the date the business license was issued.
- Operating period.
- License expiry date. This is the date the business license will expire. The business license can be extended upon approval from the AIC.
- Business scope. Under Chinese law a company is only allowed to operate within the scope of its business as registered with the AIC. By checking what the company does and what it is allowed to do under the business license, you can find out if the company operates in accordance with Chinese law.
- Registration bureau. This is the AIC under which the company is registered. The AIC mentioned here is the AIC that has all the official registration records of the company in hardcopy.
- Check and approval date.
- Registration status. This indicates the current registration status of the company.
- Shareholder information.
How to get a copy of a China AIC Record from your Potential Supplier?
If the company is in the AIC database you must compare the information.
In order to compare the information that you have found online, you can ask your potential Chinese supplier to send you their business license. Every Chinese company has a hard copy of their business license and reviewing the license is a common practice in China.
A Chinese company that is serious about doing business with you and has nothing to hide, will provide all the documents. Compare whether the business license is the same as the registered information on the AIC website or if there are differences between them.
Also look for differences between the officially registered basic information and information of the company you can see on its Chinese or English website or information that the Chinese company has provided via E-mail. If there are any differences (for example, the name of the person claiming to be the legal representative or the business scope is different from the AIC database), it could be an indicator that something is wrong.
What’s Next?
Guys 🙂 I really hope you found today’s post to be an assistance .
Like you know, we are serious and passionate about assisting hardworking entrepreneurs. If you have any questions about finding the right supplier in China, we are here to help.
If you are interested in this topic you are more than likely going to be interested in our Expert Guide. Check it out here.
