Entering a market or taking on a new order
Customer questionnaires, purchasing conditions and market requirements overlap. Establish which questions relate to your business, products and role in the transaction.
Chinese enterprises operating globally
Regulatory Traceability
& Evidence Readiness
Clearer product origins. Better-supported business decisions.
Global supply chain advisory for exporters, overseas manufacturers and cross-border sourcing teams. We help clarify applicable requirements, identify relevant relationships, assess evidence gaps and turn findings into a prioritised improvement plan.
Chinese and English support for headquarters, overseas teams and supply chain partners.
When to engage
A new business requirement. A clear place to start.
For Chinese exporters, overseas manufacturers and investors, and their procurement, legal, compliance, ESG, quality, trade and information management teams.
Supplier lists do not explain product origins
Understand relationships around a specific material, production site or transaction, and whether the available information supports the traceability needed.
Many documents, but gaps in the response
Records are held by different suppliers and internal teams. Identify inconsistencies, missing information and matters that still need verification.
Adapted to your sector and supply chain
- Automotive & batteries
- Electronics & industrial manufacturing
- Mining & metals
- Food, agriculture & consumer products
Service framework · Four connected stages
From regulatory questions to practical evidence readiness
Define the question, connect the relevant objects and records, and translate findings into team action.
- 01
Regulatory scope
Clarify products, markets, business roles and applicable requirements.
Output focusApplicability and product–material–rule analysis - 02
Traceability topology
Connect entities, sites, materials, lots and transactions.
Output focusRelationship maps and mapping-depth gaps - 03
Evidence readiness
Assess completeness, consistency and availability of records.
Output focusReadiness assessment and evidence needs - 04
Architecture & action
Translate gaps into processes, responsibilities and implementation steps.
Output focusImplementation roadmap and optional response exercises
Supplier tiers offer a view. Connected relationships explain the business facts.
Applicable requirements and specific questions determine tracing depth. The aim is to support relevant explanations with records.
Client outcomes
Usable findings, from scope to implementation
Outputs address the agreed products, materials, markets and business scope, supporting management decisions and collaboration across teams.
Regulatory scope & business priorities
An applicability assessment and priority summary that distinguish regulatory requirements, customer expectations and questions needing further confirmation.
Relevant relationships & information gaps
A focused traceability review and gap analysis to help teams understand relevant origins, entities and supply chain links.
Evidence readiness & follow-up needs
A review of the completeness, consistency and availability of existing records, identifying gaps, limitations and further verification needs.
Implementation priorities & responsibilities
A phased action plan with recommendations for coordination and training, supporting ongoing maintenance and improvement.
Deliverable formats, depth, language, timing and acceptance arrangements are agreed when defining the project scope.
How we can help
Choose a starting point that fits your readiness
Begin with a priority product, material or business scenario, then agree any further work based on the findings.
Rapid diagnostic
For teams clarifying priorities
Review target markets, products and available information to identify relevant issues and major readiness gaps.
Indicative output: a diagnostic summary and recommendations for next steps.
Focused assessment
For a defined product or supply chain scope
Examine relevant relationships and whether existing records support the required explanation, identifying verification and information needs.
Indicative outputs: a relationship review, evidence gap analysis and action recommendations.
Implementation support
For teams putting improvements into practice
Translate recommendations into processes, responsibilities, supplier engagement and training, with readiness tested in an agreed scenario.
Indicative outputs: an implementation roadmap, coordination arrangements and training support.
Timing and fees depend on scope, information availability and coordination needs. Response exercises can be scoped as needed.
Regulatory & business topics
Traceability and evidence needs depend on the context
Different rules address different objects, responsible parties and triggers. We help relate requirements to the business and determine what needs tracing, which records are needed and who should prepare them.
Traceability topology · Conceptual view
From supplier tiers to legally relevant objects
Trace material, processing and transaction relationships, connecting relevant records to the question.
- Origin objectsMines · plots · installations
- Upstream processingMaterials · production sites
- Indirect / midstream actorsTransfers · transformations
- Direct counterpartyPurchases · transactions
- Regulated operatorRole depends on the rule
Records & evidence
Origin & production records · Lot & transaction records · Labour & due diligence information · Relevant environmental data
These are functional positions, not fixed supplier tiers. One entity may have several roles, and relationships may branch or converge. This view does not imply a universal duty to centrally map every supplier in advance.
12 regulatory topics: objects, relationships and evidence
Expand each group to explore. Rule names link to official references. This is an advisory scope guide; applicability, triggers and implementation dates require separate verification.
01Forced labour & human rights due diligence5 topics
AEU Forced Labour Regulation
- Objects in focus
- Products · workers · production sites
- Relationships to examine
- Products, production stages and labour conditions
- Evidence readiness focus
- Origin, production and labour-related records, scoped to risk and investigation questions.
BUS Tariff Act §1307 / WRO / Finding
- Objects in focus
- Products · production sites
- Relationships to examine
- Imported goods and production sources of concern
- Evidence readiness focus
- Supply chain, production and transaction records for a specific import enforcement response.
CUFLPA
- Objects in focus
- Goods · materials · entities
- Relationships to examine
- Raw materials and processing stages linked to imported goods
- Evidence readiness focus
- Supply chain tracing and records for applicability or exception reviews.
DCSDDD
- Objects in focus
- Human rights & environmental impacts · risks
- Relationships to examine
- Business activities, partners and relevant adverse impacts
- Evidence readiness focus
- Risk identification, prioritisation, prevention, mitigation and remediation records.
EGermany LkSG
- Objects in focus
- Own operations · suppliers
- Relationships to examine
- Risks in own operations and direct and indirect supply relationships
- Evidence readiness focus
- Risk analysis and measures, with depth determined by applicable conditions.
02Product & material traceability5 topics
FEU Batteries Regulation
- Objects in focus
- Batteries · raw materials
- Relationships to examine
- Relevant raw material origins, processing and battery products
- Evidence readiness focus
- Origin, due diligence and product information for the applicable obligations.
GFSMA 204
- Objects in focus
- Food lots · critical tracking events
- Relationships to examine
- Lots linked to receiving, transformation, shipping and other events
- Evidence readiness focus
- Key data elements and lot records for covered foods and applicable events.
HDodd–Frank §1502
- Objects in focus
- Tin, tantalum, tungsten & gold · origins & facilities
- Relationships to examine
- Relevant minerals, countries of origin and smelters or refiners
- Evidence readiness focus
- Reasonable country-of-origin inquiry, applicable due diligence and disclosure support.
IPPWR
- Objects in focus
- Packaging · materials · recycled content
- Relationships to examine
- Packaging composition and applicable product requirements
- Evidence readiness focus
- Relevant technical documentation and material and recycled-content support.
JESPR / DPP
- Objects in focus
- Products · applicable product groups
- Relationships to examine
- Product identifiers and applicable information requirements
- Evidence readiness focus
- Product information and digital product passport data under specific product rules.
03Origins & environmental information2 topics
KEUDR
- Objects in focus
- Relevant commodities · production plots
- Relationships to examine
- Commodities linked to production plots, origins and supply relationships
- Evidence readiness focus
- Geolocation, legality and deforestation-free due diligence information.
LCBAM
- Objects in focus
- Covered goods · installations · emissions
- Relationships to examine
- Imported goods linked to installations and embedded emissions
- Evidence readiness focus
- Applicable emissions calculations, underlying data and declaration support.
Diagrams: ESG Cooperation Hub. Rule names identify topics and do not imply regulatory approval or authorisation.
These are examples of topics for discussion. They do not imply that every rule applies to every business or that all requirements are already in effect. Specific obligations, timing and applicability must be checked against current rules, implementing measures and business facts at project initiation.
Official references
- EU Forced Labour Regulation
- US CBP guidance announcement
- EU batteries rules
- Ecodesign for Sustainable Products
- EU deforestation rules
- Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
Rule names and official links identify the topics discussed; they do not imply approval or authorisation of this service by any authority.
Working together
Connect headquarters, overseas operations and suppliers
Chinese & English communication
Help headquarters and overseas teams understand the same issues and information needs, with Chinese and English outputs as agreed.
Work with existing systems
Build on your procurement, quality and information management processes. The advisory scope does not require the purchase of a particular software product.
Confidentiality & information use
Agree confidentiality, information use and access arrangements before work begins. Use information the client is entitled to provide and manage sensitive information and deliverable usage in line with applicable requirements and the agreed terms.
Frequently asked questions
Before we begin
What does “traceability topology” mean?
It describes the relationships between relevant entities, locations, materials and transactions needed to answer a specific regulatory or business question. The relationships and depth of tracing depend on applicable requirements and facts, rather than supplier tiers alone.
We already have audit reports or a traceability platform. Is this relevant?
We can start with your existing work and assess whether it supports the current question, is internally consistent and leaves any gaps. Whether further work is useful depends on the diagnostic findings.
Does this provide certification or guarantee customs clearance?
This is an advisory, assessment and capacity-building service. It does not provide certification, legal opinions or regulatory endorsement, or guarantee customs clearance or investigation outcomes. Legal determinations, submissions and representation require separate arrangements with appropriately qualified professionals.
Must we share our full supply chain at the first meeting?
No. An initial discussion can cover your industry, target markets, product categories and main concerns, without sensitive supplier information or personal data. Any further information scope, transfer methods and confidentiality requirements are agreed before exchange.
Can we start with a pilot?
Yes. We can agree one product, material or business scenario, define the question, available information and expected outputs, and use the findings to discuss any next phase.
Get in touch
Start with one business question
Tell us your industry, target markets, product categories and current challenge so we can discuss an appropriate scope.
Please share only a non-sensitive business overview in your first message. Detailed information can follow once confidentiality and access arrangements are agreed.