2026The scale has exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan,and regulatory codes such as "9710/9810" have been fully implemented on the policy side.TraditionalBoth enterprises and cross-border sellers are seeking agency solutions that combine compliance with cost reduction.However,most enterprises get stuck at the stages of "model selection" and "document compliance",either paying excessive taxes and fees or delaying customs declaration due to lacking qualifications.

Reconstructing the business logic driven by both policies and markets

The core contradiction of e-commerce agency import/export lies in:Cross-border e-commerce policy dividends(e.g.ticketless tax exemption,simplified declaration) andTraditional foreign trade compliance requirementsThe clash between (such as the authenticity of documents and tax inspections).Taking garment exports as an example,a company declared "cross-border e-commerce" under general trade,but due to a misclassification,the customs seized the goods,resulting in a loss of 30% of the total value of the goods.

The table data is based on the actual operation cases of a leading agent in the Pearl River Delta in the first quarter of 2026.The costs include customs declaration,logistics,and agency service fees,and the delivery time is the average cycle from Guangzhou to Los Angeles/Hamburg.

E-commerce Agent Import and Export Full Process SOP (with a List of Pitfalls to Avoid)

Step 1: Qualification and Model Selection

Output:

• TheenterpriseneedstocompleteCustomsDeclarationUnitRegistration(Logintothe"Internet+Customs"platform,completedin1workingday),cross-bordere-commerceenterprisesalsoneedtoCross-borderE-commercePilotZonePlatformFileforregistration.
• Selectmodebasedoncargovalueandfrequency:
  • Averagemonthlyorderswithin3,cargovalue≤50,000→9710;
  • Forpre-saleandlarge-sizedproducts,thefeeis9810yuan(requirescompletingtheoverseaswarehouseregistrationinadvanceandprovidingawarehousereceiptcertificate).
  • Brandowners,highaddedvalue→generaltrade(facilitatingtaxrefunds).

Step 2: Document preparation and pre-review

Output:

• CoreDocuments:Packinglist,invoice,andcontract(Itmustbeconsistentwiththeorderdataonthee-commerceplatform)andcustomsdeclarationforms(for9710/9810,thedeclarationcanbesimplified,andonlythe"three-documentverification"isrequired).
• Pre-trial:Theauthorizedagentsubmitsthecasetothecourtforreview.EnterthePortLaw-EnforcementDeclarationmodule,clickEnterpriseManagementandEnterpriseQualificationinsequence.Onthenewpage,selectFilingApplication,clickFilingofFood-relatedEnterpriseQualificationsinsequence,fillinthefilinginformationanduploadtherelevantapplicationmaterials.Uploadthedataandconductapre-review24hoursinadvance,withafocusoncheckingthe"HScodeclassification"(forexample,forclothing,youneedtoconfirmthefabriccompositiontoavoidmisclassificationleadingtoinspection).

Step 3: Connect customs declaration with logistics

Output:

• Declaration:For9710,thefollowingdocumentsarerequiredOrdernumberandlogisticstrackingnumberoncross-bordere-commerceplatforms；9810requiresadditionalprovisionoftheoverseaswarehouseleasecontractandthewarehouseentryform.
• Logistics:SelectFBAheadhaul(Amazonwarehouse)orathird-partyoverseaswarehouse,andensurethatthe"transportationmeans"and"portofdeparture"inthecustomsdeclarationdatacorrespondexactlywiththoseoftheactualshipmenttoavoidtheriskof"falseexport".

Step 4: Tax and foreign exchange compliance

Output:

• Taxation:Applicationsareacceptedfor9710/9810Ticket-freeduty-freeshopping(Mustsatisfy"ThreeFlowsinOne":Order,Logistics,FundFlow),generaltraderequiresissuingspecialVATinvoicestoapplyfortaxrebates.
• Foreignexchange:ThroughPublicaccount9710canbeusedtoperform"declarationandclearanceoflists"and"aggregatedeclaration",allowingforthecentralizeddeclarationofforeignexchangereceiptsandpaymentsonamonthlybasis,therebypreventingpersonalaccountreceiptsfrombeingclassifiedas"moneylaunderingrisks".

Overlooked Hidden Risks: Foreign Exchange and Intellectual Property Compliance

A 3C seller was listed as a "monitored enterprise" by the foreign exchange bureau for receiving Amazon dollars into their personal account,which resulted in subsequent delays in customs declaration.The correct approach is to:Receiving foreign exchange payments through a public account + third-party payment platforms (such as PayPal corporate accounts)And note "cross-border e-commerce foreign exchange receipts and payments" when declaring customs.

The risks of intellectual property are more hidden: A toy seller was detained by customs and fined 200,000 yuan for using the "Mickey Mouse" design.Avoid pitfalls:Search for the trademark in advance (on the official website of the China Intellectual Property Administration) + request the brand authorization letterAvoid "design patent infringement" (such as furniture design and packaging patterns).

There are three actions that can be initiated today.

• Checkthecustomsregistrationstatusoftheenterprise:Loginto"Internet+Customs"toconfirmwhetherthe"RegistrationofDeclaringUnits"iswithinthevalidityperiod.
• Organizetheexportordersofthepastthreemonths,markthevalueandfrequencyofthegoods,andmatchtheappropriateregulatorycodes(9710/9810/generaltrade).
• Consultataxadvisor:Estimatetheactualbenefitsof"tax-freewithoutinvoices"and"taxrefund"(e.g.iftheprofitmarginislessthan6%,tax-freewithoutinvoicesismorecost-effective).

The data and processes in this article are based on 15 years of practical experience,covering more than 200 enterprise cases in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions.If you need a customized solution,please leave a message for consultation.