Apply for a certificate of origin from the local customs or trade promotion agency, proving that the country of manufacture is China. This is a necessary document for customs clearance in regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Ask the exporter for a copy of the vehicle registration certificate (机动车登记证书). It lists every owner change and any mortgage registration. If the car was financed, there will be a lien entry; make sure a release entry follows it. You can also verify the VIN against public records through the traffic management platform (12123) — a legitimate exporter can generate a status report on the spot. Check that the seller's company name on the invoice matches the registered owner. For extra safety, require a written statement that the vehicle is free of liens, loans, court seizures, and lease agreements, and wire payment only to the company's corporate account after ownership is transferred to the export entity. That sequence — transfer first, payment second — is your strongest protection.

Our legal red line is that the amounts on the China Customs declaration, export license, commercial invoice, and bank receipt must be consistent across all four documents. We firmly refuse to engage in the illegal act of issuing "false low-value invoices" to assist buyers in evading customs duties in the destination country.