A payment-approval file for Belgian businesses buying on 1688, covering supplier identity, product specifications, compliance evidence, EU responsible-person details, labels, invoices and sample inspection.
A Belgian business should not approve a commercial 1688 order merely because the supplier sent a business licence, a low quotation or a CE-marked photo. Payment should pass through a document gate: the legal seller, product specification, applicable evidence, label information, importer role and shipment records must agree.
This article provides a pre-payment file for Belgian small businesses and first-time importers. It does not determine whether a specific product is compliant, and it does not replace advice from a customs representative, testing body or competent authority. Regulatory information was checked on 28 September 2026.
Gate 1: identify the contracting and payment parties
Record the Chinese legal company name, unified social credit code, registered address and business scope from the supplier's licence. Compare them with the store profile, quotation, order, invoice details and payment beneficiary. A different name may have a legitimate explanation, but that relationship must be documented before payment.
Registration only proves that an entity exists. It does not prove manufacturing capability or product quality. Use the detailed 1688 supplier-verification checklist to check factory or trader status, recent product evidence, communication consistency and payment changes.
Stop the order if the supplier refuses to identify the beneficiary, repeatedly changes the legal entity or cannot explain who manufactures the product.
Gate 2: freeze one purchase specification
The file should contain one version-controlled specification covering model, material, dimensions, colour, components, quantity, tolerances, packaging, labels and accepted substitutions. Attach the exact 1688 listing and dated screenshots, because listings can change.
A quotation is not complete if it says only “same as photo.” Require written answers for characteristics that affect safety, classification, transport or customer use. The supplier should confirm which elements are standard, customised or unavailable.
For a first order, approve a representative sample or controlled test batch before mass production. Define what the warehouse should check and what requires a qualified laboratory. Basic receiving photos can show quantity, visible damage, markings and accessories; they cannot prove material composition, electrical safety, authenticity or full regulatory conformity.
Gate 3: map the product to the applicable rules
Do not ask every supplier for a generic “CE certificate.” CE marking applies only where specific EU harmonisation legislation requires it. Other products may fall under the General Product Safety Regulation or sector-specific rules without using the same document set.
Build a product-rule note containing:
- intended use and user group;
- proposed HS classification and the evidence behind it;
- applicable EU and Belgian product rules;
- required test reports, declarations or technical documentation;
- restricted substances or materials;
- traceability, warning and instruction requirements;
- the party that will act as importer and, where required, EU responsible person.
Belgium's official Product Contact Point can provide information on technical rules, authorisations and competent authorities for products placed on the Belgian market. Use the Belgian government product-contact guidance when the applicable rule is unclear.
Gate 4: check the EU economic-operator information
European Commission guidance explains that products covered by the GPSR cannot be placed on the EU market without a responsible economic operator established in the EU. Depending on the arrangement, that person may be the EU manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or qualifying fulfilment service provider.
For a Belgian importer buying from a non-EU manufacturer, do not assume that a name printed by the supplier solves this requirement. Confirm the role, written mandate where relevant, postal and electronic contact details and the tasks the operator has accepted. The Commission GPSR business guidance sets out importer and responsible-person duties.
Stop the order if a required responsible person cannot be identified or the supplier will not provide traceability information.
Gate 5: approve labels and languages before production
Collect artwork for the product, packaging, warnings and instructions before the supplier prints the batch. Check manufacturer identification, importer or responsible-person details where required, product identifiers, warnings and any sector-specific markings.
The language needed depends on where and to whom the product will be sold in Belgium. Do not tell a supplier simply to “use English.” Determine the target market and obtain warnings and safety information in language that consumers there can easily understand, then verify any product-specific Belgian requirement.
Keep approved artwork with a revision number. A warehouse photo of the final label can confirm visible placement, but it does not validate the underlying legal claim.
Gate 6: prepare the customs and shipment data
Before the balance payment or shipment release, reconcile the commercial invoice, packing list, purchaser and seller identities, product description, quantity, unit and total value, currency, origin, proposed HS code, gross and net weights and Incoterm. Belgian businesses conducting customs activities generally need the appropriate EORI arrangement; confirm the importer of record and declarant with the customs representative.
The supplier's HS code is a starting point, not a binding Belgian classification. Use EU Access2Markets and professional advice where necessary. The China-warehouse guide can help plan sample receiving and order identification, while the customs responsibility remains with the importer and declarant.
Payment approval sheet
Approve payment only when every applicable line has an owner and evidence:
- legal seller and beneficiary matched;
- final specification signed off;
- sample or test batch accepted;
- applicable rules identified;
- required reports and declarations reviewed;
- EU economic operator confirmed where required;
- label and language artwork approved;
- invoice, packing and customs data aligned;
- inspection and non-conformity remedy agreed;
- shipment route checked for product restrictions.
An item can be marked “not applicable,” but it should not be silently omitted. If a high-risk line remains unknown, reduce the order to a sample, obtain specialist advice or stop.
YDA Express service boundary
YDA Express can assist with purchasing, supplier communication, China payments, sample receiving, requested basic photos, package management, consolidation and eligible international shipping options. Eligible ordinary goods may receive up to 180 days of free China-warehouse storage under applicable service conditions.
YDA Express does not certify products, perform laboratory testing, determine the binding HS classification, act automatically as the Belgian importer or EU responsible person, obtain permits, or guarantee customs clearance. The Belgian business must approve its supplier file and regulatory route before releasing a commercial order.
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