Can a foreigner set up a trading company in 
China, and where are the official registers for freight and customs firms?
Answer
A foreign individual can invest in and set up a company in China: Article 2 of the Foreign Investment Law counts "foreign natural persons, enterprises or other organisations" as foreign investors, and Article 4 applies pre-entry national treatment plus a negative list. The latest negative list we could confirm is the 2024 edition (Order No. 23 of the NDRC and MOFCOM, issued 8 Sep 2024, in force 1 Nov 2024, 29 items). The official explainer we read does not mention wholesale, retail or trading. After you register, you still need separate steps to import or export, and the official lookups for logistics firms are spread across several agencies.
- Applies to
- Overseas buyers (for example from Brazil) who think of setting up a trading company in China, and want to check freight or customs firms in official registers.
What the details cover
- Setting up a company
- Before you can import or export
- Official registers
- What to do yourself
- When to use a licensed professional
- Still uncertain
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