Keep the declaration pack, contracts, payment proof and origin file — ‘the broker has it’ is not a retention policy.
Enterprises engaged in import/export are expected to keep books and customs documents for the periods Chinese customs and accounting rules require. Missing royalty agreements or origin certificates turns ordinary audits into duty-recovery cases. This wiki is retention orientation. Audits are why it matters. Electronic archives still need integrity. Bonded and CBEC regimes add specialised books.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
What document classes are retained?
List.
ListHow many years?
Policy.
YearsBroker vs company custody?
Ownership.
CustodyAudit letter received?
Audit related pages.
AuditWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Is WeChat a record?
If it sets price/assists, preserve it. Informal channels still become exhibits.
Where are audits?
Open /customs-audits-in-china.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.