Hub: Industry

Industry Centre · Manufacturing

Manufacturing & Industrial Operations Legal Hub

For factories, OEMs, and industrial investors: entity setup, labour, environmental/commercial contracts, NNN, trade, ESG, and multi-country footprints.

Start here

New · Flagship

Factory environmental compliance

Permit stack orientation, monitoring, inspections, new-line checklist.

Open →New · Flagship

Factory labour compliance

Hours, dispatch, student labour, restructuring, social audits.

Open → Inbound

Doing Business in China

Master inbound map for foreign manufacturers.

Open → Compare

China vs Vietnam

Footprint and origin decisions.

Open → NNN

NNN agreements

Protect designs before RFQs.

Open → ESG

ESG & forced labour

Buyer diligence and multi-tier maps.

Open →

1. Factory setup & commercial base

Entity

Entity choice

WFOE vs JV for manufacturing and trading.

Open → Formation

Formation guide

National incorporation roadmap.

Open → Contracts

Business & contract

Supply, OEM, quality, and logistics contracts.

Open → Tax

VAT guide

Import VAT and fapiao in COGS.

Open → Cities

City compare

HQ vs plant location patterns.

Open →

2. Labour & plant HR

National

Employment law guide

Contracts, termination, social insurance themes.

Open → Roadmap

First employee roadmap

From zero headcount to compliant payroll.

Open → Lawyers

Employment lawyers

Directory entry for plant disputes and restructuring.

Open →

3. Suppliers, IP & quality

NNN

NNN manufacturing

Non-use, non-disclosure, non-circumvention.

Open → Secrets

Trade secrets

Process and tooling protection.

Open → Product

Product liability

Defects, recalls, and cross-border claims.

Open →

4. Trade, ESG & multi-country

Customs

Trade & customs

Import/export compliance base.

Open → Tracker

Export control tracker

Controls, tariffs, sanctions watch list.

Open → ESG

ESG & forced labour

Exporter and brand diligence roadmap.

Open → +1

China vs Vietnam

Legal comparison for relocation.

Open → Outbound

Going global playbook

Chinese manufacturers expanding abroad.

Open →

5. Restructuring, disputes & exit

Exit

Liquidation roadmap

Clean WFOE wind-down for foreign investors.

Open → Debt

Debt collection

Unpaid industrial invoices.

Open → Disputes

Disputes centre

Arbitration and enforcement.

Open →

Counsel entry points

Formation Employment Trade Contracts EV vertical All industries Find counsel

Counsel, specialties & how to engage

Manufacturing FDI combines formation, employment, supply contracts, EHS/ESG, trade, and IP.

Practice directories

Company formation Employment & labor Business & contract Trade & customs Supply chain & ESG Intellectual property Disputes

Core practices have deep listings. Use trade ESG sub, employment, formation, and contracts as primary entry points.

WFOE checklist (PDF) · Employment checklist (PDF)

Key questions

WFOE before hiring?

Usually establish the employing entity first, then contracts and social insurance—see the employment checklist for onboarding orientation.

Related insights

Insight

Factory environmental compliance

EHS orientation

Read →Insight

Factory labour compliance

Labour orientation

Read →Insight

NNN agreements

Manufacturing IP/confidentiality

Read →Insight

WFOE setup checklist

Free PDF lead magnet

Read →

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General information only—not legal advice. Environmental and safety permits are sector- and site-specific. Last reviewed: August 2026 · China Legal Portal Editorial