I.Is consignment agency for export itself illegal?

According to the relevant provisions of theAs stipulated in Article 12 of the __Law Name__ and Article 11 of the Customs Law,Entrusting an enterprise withthe right to operate to act as an agent for export belongs to a legal trade act28.However,three preconditions must be met:

• Theagenthastheimportandexportqualificationsfiledwiththecustoms
• Thetwopartiessignastandardizedagencyexportagreement
• Thegoodsdeclarationinformationiscompletelyconsistentwiththeactualsituation.

II.How to determine whether an agency company is legal and compliant?

Under the latest regulatory requirements in 2025,legal export agents should possess the following qualifications:

• Basicqualificationcertificates:
  • RegistrationCertificateoftheCustomsfortheConsignorandConsigneeofImportandExportGoods
  • ForeignTradeOperatorRegistrationandRecordFilingForm
  • (Thenewversionin2025hasintegratedthetaxfilingfunction)
• Business compliance certificates:
  • Aformalagencyagreementtemplate
  • Completecustomsdeclarationdocumentsforfiling
  • ThefilingrecordoftheStateAdministrationofForeignExchange

III.Which agency export behaviors may be illegal?

According to the typical case notification of the General Administration of Customs in 2023,the following situations have legal risks:

• Actingasaproxyfor"three-no"enterprises(noqualifications,nopremises,nopersonnel)operations
• AcceptingfalselyissuedspecialVATinvoicesforuse
• Illegallyconducting"purchasingforeignexchangeforexport"(declaringwithborroweddocuments).
• ForgingDocumentssuchascertificates,etc.

IV.How can foreign trade enterprises avoid agency export risks?

Based on 20 years of practical experience,it is recommended to take the following measures:

• The"Three-StepMethod"forQualificationVerification:
  • Pleasecheckonthe"ChinaCustomsEnterpriseImportandExportCreditInformationPublicityPlatform"forverification.
  • Requiretheprovisionoftaxpaymentcertificatesforthepastthreeyears
  • Conducton-siteinspectionsoftheagencycompanysofficepremises
• The signing of the agreement follows the "Five Clarifications":
  • Ownershipofgoods
  • Liabilitydivision
  • Documentmanagementrequirements
  • Liabilityforbreachofcontractcompensation
  • Acaseofataxrebatedisputecausedbyanoralagreementofacertainelectromechanicalenterprisein2024showsthatwhenthereisalackofawrittenagreement,thetaxauthoritiesmayidentifytheactualownerofthegoodsasthedeclarationentity.

V.Analysis of typical cases of agency export disputes

Warning: A case study of a lighting company entrusting an agent to export goods in 2024

• Issue:TheagencycompanyarbitrarilymodifiedtheHScode,leadingtoacustomsclassificationdispute.
• Consequence:Thegoodsweredetainedattheport,generatingademurrageof$120,000
• Lesson:Theprocessforconfirmingdeclarationinformationmustbeclearlydefinedintheagreement

VI.New Trends in Foreign Trade Agency Services in 2025

According to the latest guiding opinions of the Ministry of Commerce,the future compliant agency services will present as follows:

• DigitalUpgrade:
  • AutomaticGenerationSystemforElectroniccustomsdeclarationforms
  • Applicationofblockchaintraceabilitytechnology
• Service Extension:
  • Exporttaxrebateadvancepaymentservice
  • One-stopsolutionforcross-borderpaymentandforeignexchangereceipt

Special Reminder: The content described in this article is based on the currently effective laws and regulations.For specific business operations,please refer to the latest requirements of the competent authorities.It is recommended to consult professional international trade lawyers or customs affairs consultants before entrusting an agency.