Is this Korean supplier actually an exporter?
Updated
A supplier can be perfectly genuine, actively trading, and completely inexperienced at shipping abroad. That is not fraud — but it is a risk, and it is a different question from whether the business is real.
Why it matters
Exporting requires customs declarations, export documentation, foreign-currency handling and familiarity with international shipping terms. A domestic-only supplier taking its first export order is learning all of that on your consignment, and delays there are common and expensive.
Zero-rating also depends on export documentation being correct. If the paperwork does not support the export, the tax treatment can change — see zero-rated exports.
What to ask for
| Ask for | Korean | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Trade business number | 무역업고유번호 | They are set up to export at all |
| Past export declarations | 수출신고필증 | They have actually done this before |
| Reference customers abroad | — | Someone else has received goods from them |
The 무역업고유번호 is a trade business identifier used in export and import procedures. A company that regularly exports will produce it without hesitation. One that cannot may still be able to ship through an agent — which is workable, but you should know that is the arrangement rather than discover it later.
수출 경험이 있으신지 확인하고 싶습니다. 무역업고유번호와 최근 수출 실적을 알려주실 수 있을까요?
I would like to confirm your export experience. Could you provide your trade business number and details of recent exports?
The most useful question
Ask who has received their goods overseas before, and follow it up. A supplier with genuine export history will name customers readily. Hesitation is informative — and a reference you actually contact is worth more than any document, because documents describe the past while a reference describes the experience of dealing with them.
Confirm the business first.
Check a number