La Daabacay · Somalia

China Opens Reporting Channel for Counterfeit Certification in Traditional Craft Markets

Foreign founders selling jewellery, precious metals, rosewood or ceramics in China should note a new SAMR reporting channel targeting fake test reports and certificates, plus the compliance risks it signals for cross-border e-commerce and livestreaming.

What the Notice Covers

China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has published details of a reporting channel under a campaign described as "fighting counterfeits and clearing the source" in the traditional crafts market. The notice is aimed at gathering tip-offs about fraudulent inspection and testing documentation used in the trade of jewellery and jade, precious metal ornaments, rosewood products and ceramics. For foreign founders building a business in China around these categories — whether through a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, a joint venture or a cross-border e-commerce arrangement — the notice is a useful map of what regulators are watching.

The document lists four categories of conduct that can be reported, sets out how to submit a report, and encourages named reporting. It is dated 16 April 2026 and was issued by SAMR. It does not announce new penalties or amend any law; it establishes where and how complaints about specific practices can be lodged.

The Four Reportable Categories

1. Unlicensed workshops, hideouts and intermediaries

The first category covers so-called "black workshops," "black hideouts" and "black intermediaries" that forge inspection and testing reports or inspection and appraisal certificates for traditional craft products such as jewellery and jade, precious metal ornaments, rosewood items and ceramics. In practical terms, this targets operations that produce or supply paperwork without a legitimate testing basis, and intermediaries that broker such documents.

2. Producers and sellers misusing reports

The second category addresses producers and operators of these products who forge, alter, misappropriate or trade in inspection and testing reports or appraisal certificates. It also covers those who use false reports or certificates, pass off inferior goods as superior, substitute fakes for genuine items, or engage in misleading marketing. For foreign founders, this is the core operational risk area: the notice treats the paperwork itself, and the claims built on it, as the compliance issue — not only the physical product.

3. Testing bodies acting outside their scope

The third category concerns inspection and testing institutions for these craft products that carry out testing beyond the scope of their qualification accreditation, or that issue false or seriously inaccurate inspection and testing reports. This signals scrutiny of the supply side of certification — the laboratories and bodies that issue the documents on which sellers rely.

4. Online platforms and misleading keyword promotion

The fourth category covers e-commerce, livestreaming and other online trading platforms and related operators in these product categories. Reportable conduct includes setting up fake websites, links or accounts to offer false testing institutions, certificates or reports. It also includes using certain terms in online search and promotion without verifying qualifications. The notice specifically names "inspection and testing," "CMA" and "CNAS," along with phrases such as "guaranteed pass," "no sample submission required," "inspection exempt" and "certificate issued directly." For founders running storefronts on Chinese platforms or through livestreaming channels, the wording of product listings and promotional material is therefore directly relevant.

How Reports Are Submitted

The notice provides the following channels:

• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone: 010-88651775, available on working days from 9:00 to 11:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00
• Local routes: the 12315 platform and the 12315 hotline, directing reports to the local market regulation department

The notice also refers to an attached information collection form for the campaign, which reporters are asked to complete accurately. It states that named reporting is encouraged so that reported issues can be verified and followed up, and that confidentiality rules will be observed and the lawful rights of reporters protected.

Why This Matters for Foreign Founders

Foreign founders often enter these categories through sourcing and brand partnerships: a Chinese entity is set up, products are procured or commissioned, and certification documents are supplied by third parties. The notice makes clear that regulators are looking at the entire documentation chain — who produced a report, whether the issuing body was accredited for that work, and whether the claims made online match the paperwork.

Several practical points follow from the text. First, if your China entity sells jewellery, precious metals, rosewood or ceramics, the testing and appraisal documents behind your product claims are a compliance asset that should be verified, not simply filed. Second, if you use e-commerce or livestreaming channels, promotional wording that invokes CMA, CNAS or phrases implying guaranteed or automatic certification carries risk when qualifications have not been checked. Third, the existence of a dedicated reporting mailbox and hotline means competitors, consumers and platform users can raise concerns directly with the regulator.

The notice does not create new registration requirements for foreign-invested companies, nor does it change the process of establishing a business in China. Its relevance is to ongoing operations: product claims, supplier documentation and online marketing in four specific craft categories.

Checklist for Operators

• Confirm that every inspection or testing report supporting a product claim was issued by a body with the relevant accreditation scope.
• Keep records showing how certificates and reports were obtained, and avoid intermediaries that cannot demonstrate a legitimate testing basis.
• Review product listings and livestream scripts for terms such as CMA, CNAS, "guaranteed pass," "no sample submission required," "inspection exempt" and "certificate issued directly."
• Ensure any website, account or link associated with your brand does not present false testing institutions, certificates or reports.
• Monitor local market regulation channels, including the 12315 platform, for developments affecting your category.

Next Steps

Foreign founders can contact ChinaMNC on WhatsApp or WeChat at +86 153 1898 8535 for help registering and operating a company in China.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.