Short answer: China runs a licensed-exporter system for used cars, which gives you concrete things to check — a business registration, an export qualification, and per-shipment paperwork whose details must match official records. A legitimate exporter passes these checks without friction; a fake one pushes you to skip them. Work down the list below (the same seven-step framework this site uses across its safety guides) before any money moves.

Why there is a licence you can check

Used-car exports are subject to export licence administration nationwide under Announcement 2024 No. 6 (Ministry of Commerce, MIIT, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transport and the General Administration of Customs, effective 2024-03-01). Only two kinds of companies qualify: vehicle manufacturers exporting their own products, and circulation (trading) enterprises that must show fixed business premises, car sales or trading experience, and in-house appraisal capability with at least three certified appraisers. Provincial commerce departments review applications through MOFCOM’s unified system within 15 working days, and the qualification must be renewed annually. In plain terms: a company cannot lawfully ship a used car out of China without standing in this system — and licence details must match the official Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate.

Step 1 — Verify the company

  • Look the company up in the National Enterprise Credit Information Public System (gsxt.gov.cn, run by the State Administration for Market Regulation). It is the official company registry; it blocks automated tools, so open it in a normal browser — Chinese language required.
  • Match the exact registered name to the contract, the invoice and the bank account. A payment account held by a different name — a “sister company”, a personal account, an entity you have not seen on paper — is a stop sign.
  • Check establishment date, registered address (a real office, not a shared-address service) and business scope covering automobile sales/export.

Step 2 — Verify export eligibility

The licence operates as “whoever exports, applies”: the exporter who ships is the one who holds the qualification, and each shipment needs its own licence (one licence per shipment, up to 20 vehicles under one HS code, cleared in a single customs declaration; issuance within 3 working days). From 2026-01-01 the licence annex must also carry the vehicle’s registration date and transfer-for-export date, and non-compliant filings are refused. Ask the exporter for the licence copy for your shipment before you release the balance payment, and check the company name and vehicle list on it.

Step 3 — Verify the vehicle and its documents

  • Every licence application must include a third-party inspection report (passenger cars follow standard WM/T 8-2022) plus the inspection agency’s own compliance declaration — vehicles that fail are barred from export.
  • Ask for the Motor Vehicle Registration Certificate showing the transfer-for-export entry made when the exporter bought the car, and confirm the exporter applies for deregistration within two months after customs clearance.
  • Check VIN consistency across the registration certificate, inspection report, invoice and bill of lading.

Step 4 — Independent inspection

Pay your own inspector at the port before loading. The export inspection exists for the licence system; it is not performed on your behalf. For anything valuable, an independent pre-shipment inspection is the cheapest insurance in this trade.

Step 5 — Use a safe payment structure

Never pay 100% upfront to an unverified counterparty. The workable default is a deposit at contract and the balance against a defined document set (inspection report, export licence, bill of lading). Details: Is T/T payment safe for buying a used car from China?

Step 6 — Confirm destination eligibility before shipping

The exporter must declare in writing (company seal) that the vehicle meets the destination market’s access standards — but that declaration is not conformity approval. The destination country’s age limits, duty, spec and registration rules are yours to confirm first. Start from our UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia or other country guides, and the China-side rule summary at China Used Car Export Rules 2026.

Red flags we hear about repeatedly

  • Bank account name does not match the contract company.
  • Pressure to move conversation and payment to WhatsApp/personal accounts, or to a “new branch” entity.
  • Prices far below the documented range for high-demand models.
  • Refusal to share the inspection report or licence “for security reasons”.

When you need a professional

For a first purchase or any high-value unit, pay for the checks rather than the lesson: an independent inspection company in the loading port, a trade lawyer to review the contract’s payment and dispute clauses, and a licensed customs broker at the destination. There is no standard escrow service in this trade — see Can I use escrow when buying a used car from China? — so your contract and payment structure carry the protection.

Sources and scope

China-side licensing, inspection and disclosure rules: MOFCOM Announcement 2024 No. 6 (official, checked 2026-09-05) and the MOFCOM Quota & License Affairs Bureau application guide (official, checked 2026-09-05). This page is general trade guidance, not legal advice; it does not endorse any seller.