How to determine the genuine qualifications of an agency company?

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs in 2025,the country hasAEO Advanced CertificationofEnterprises account for only 13% of the total industry.It is recommended to verify qualifications through the following steps:

• Checkthecustomsregistrationcode(an18-digitregistrationnumbermustbeprovided).
• VerifytheStateAdministrationofForeignExchangeTradeForeignExchangeReceiptsandPaymentsEnterpriseDirectory
• Pleaseprovidetherecordsforthepastthreeyears.NoViolationCertificate
• PleaseconfirmwhetherthetargetmarkethastheSpecialQualificationCertification(suchastheEU’sEORI,theU.S.’sC-TPAT)

Are there any hidden costs in agency fees?

An internal audit conducted by a Fortune 500 company in 2024 revealed that improper agency arrangements had led to significant financial losses.Hidden CostsOn average,it accounts for 7.2% of the contract amount.Special attention is required:

• Exchangeratedifferencesettlementmethod(pricedifferencebetweenT/TandL/C)
• BreakdownofDestinationPortSurcharges(17CommonFeesIncludingTHC,DOC,etc.)
• StandardsforHandlingAbnormalSituations(ContingencyPlansforCustomsInspection,PortDemurrage,etc.)
• Taxrefundaccountperiodcalculationformula(includingbankdiscountcost)

How to evaluate risk control capabilities?

It is recommended to require the agency company to provideFour-dimensional risk control systemDocument:

• ComplianceReviewSystem(HSCodeIntelligentVerificationRecord)
• TradeCountryRiskEarlyWarningMechanism
• LogisticsFull-processVisualizationSystem(mustincludeshippingcompanyofficialdatainterface)
• Creditinsurancecoverage(clearlyspecifyingthecompensationratioandexclusions)

How does the payment method ensure the security of funds?

According to the International Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Trade Finance Report,it is recommended to adoptDual-account supervision model:

• Foreignexchangeaccount:Ajointlymanagedaccountopenedbytheagentattheregulatorybank.
• RMBAccount:Third-partypaymentplatformescrowtransactionisadopted.
• ClearlydefinepaymentmilestonesandBillofLadingReleaseConditionsThecorrespondingrelationship
• (Payattentiontothecompletenessofdeclarationelements)Taxpaymentcertificatesforthepast3months(notlessthan150%ofthecontractamount)

How to Avoid Intellectual Property Disputes?

According to the customs filing data of a well-known brand in 2024,the proportion of infringement cases caused by agency exports reached 34%.It is necessary to confirm that the agent has the following qualifications:

• GlobalTrademarkDatabaseReal-timeQuerySystem
• ProductTechnicalFeatureComparisonTool(PreventingPatentInfringement)
• OriginMarkingReviewProcess(IncludingFreeTradeAgreementComplianceReview)
• Overseaslegaladvisoryteam(coveringatleastmajorexportmarkets)

Is digital service capability important?

According to the WTO’s 2025 trade facilitation assessment,the level of digitalization directly impacts Clearance time efficiency More than 30%.Verification required:

• SingleWindowDataIntegrationStatus(CustomsDeclaration,TaxRefund,Fullprocess)
• Blockchaintraceabilitysystem(coveringatleast3majorports)
• AIintelligentdocumentgenerationaccuracyrate(third-partytestreportrequired)
• Multilingualreal-timecommunicationsystem(supportsautomaticconversionoftradeterms)