What specific services does the company provide?

A professional export agency company should provideEnd-to-end trade services,mainly including:

• Customsclearanceoperations:Preparationofcustomsdeclarationdocuments,HScodeclassification,handlingofcustomsclearanceanomalies
• Logisticsmanagement:
  • /Bookingandoptimizationoftransportsolutions
  • Handlingofqualificationsfordangerousgoods/specialcargotransport
• Trade compliance:
  • ExportControlReview(NewSemiconductorAddedin2025)restrictionsin2025)
  • Applicationofrulesoforiginandcertificateapplication

How are agency fees structured?Are there hidden charges?

The fee structure of a formal agency company should include:

• Basicservicefee:Customsdeclarationfee0.15%-0.3%(ofcargovalue)+Documentfee300-800RMB/shipment
• Value-addedservicefee:
  • Documentreview:0.05%-0.1%ofcargovalue
  • Destinationportcustomsclearanceassistance:500-2000RMB/time

The hidden fees that require vigilance include: fees for handling abnormal situations (such as customs inspections),and compensation fees for exchange rate fluctuations (with the fluctuation range of the RMB exchange rate expanding to ±5% in 2025).

How to verify the authenticity of an agency company’s qualifications?

It is recommended to verify through three official channels:

• GeneralAdministrationofCustomsofficialwebsite’s"CustomsBrokerRegistrationInformationInquiry"system
• ChinaCouncilforthePromotionofInternationalTradememberdirectory
• StateAdministrationofForeignExchange’s"DirectoryofEnterprisesforForeignExchangeReceiptsandPaymentsinTrade"

Case: A textile company suffered a tax refund loss of 200,000 US dollars in 2024 due to choosing an unqualified agent

How should small and medium-sized enterprises choose a suitable agency company?

Choose a service provider that matches the enterprise’s scale:

• Annualexportvalue$5million:Regionalprofessionalagent
  • Advantages:Fastresponseforlocalizedservices,customizedfeeplans
• Annual export value $5-20 million: National comprehensive agent
  • Advantages:Multi-portoperationcapability,digitalmanagementsystem

What are the major changes in export policies in 2025?

Three new policies to pay special attention to:

• AnnouncementNo.58oftheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms:Fullimplementationofelectronicfilingofdocuments
• TheMinistryofCommerce’s"AdministrativeMeasuresforCross-borderDataFlow"takeseffect
• TheEUCBAMcarbontariffhasenteredthesubstantivecollectionphase.

Professional agency companies should provide policy interpretation and response plans

How to evaluate an agency’s risk management capabilities?

Focus on evaluating five dimensions:

• CustomsAEOcertificationlevel(advancedcertifiedenterprisesarepreferred)
• Experiencesinhandlingspecialtradeterms(theusagerateofDAPtermsincreasedto38%in2025)
• Numberofinternationaltradedisputeresolutioncases
• Compliancemanagementsystemcertification(e.g.ISO37301)
• Emergencyresponsetime(4-hourresponsestandardformajorcustomsclearanceissues)

What are the key clauses to pay attention to in an agency contract?

Five core clauses that must be clarified:

• Liabilitydivisionclause(especiallyfordeterminingresponsibilityfordocumentaryerrors)
• Scopeoftheconfidentialityagreement(includingcustomerinformationandtradedata)
• Forcemajeurehandlingmechanism(referencingthe2025versionofIncoterms)
• Serviceterminationconditionsandtransitionperiodarrangements
• Jurisdictionagreementfordisputeresolution(itisrecommendedtochoosetheChinaInternationalEconomicandTradeArbitrationCommission)

How important is digital service capability for an agency company?

The digital capability standards for high-quality agents in 2025:

• Real-timecustomsclearancestatustrackingsystem
• Intelligentcustomsdeclarationpre-reviewsystem(errorrate0.5%)
• Tradebigdataanalysisplatform(canprovideexportmarketinsightreports)
• Blockchaindocumentstoragesystem(compliantwiththecentralbank’s"TechnicalSpecificationsforBlockchaininTradeFinance")

How to establish an effective agency service evaluation system?

It is recommended that enterprises establish a KPI assessment mechanism:

• Customsclearancetimelinessindicator:Normalcustomsdeclarationreleaseratewithin48hours≥95%
• Documentaccuracyrate:Proformainvoice/packinglisterrorrate0.3%
• Abnormalhandlingtimeliness:Customsinspectionresponsetime2hours
• Customersatisfaction:Quarterlyservicerating≥4.8(outof5)

What risks should be noted when changing agency companies?

Three types of risks must be guarded against:

• Historicaldatamigrationrisk:
  • Needtoensureacompletehandoverofafullsetoftraderecordswithin3years
• Customs credit transition risk:
  • AEOcertifiedenterprisesneedtoreportchanges6monthsinadvance
• Foreign exchange verification transition risk:
  • ExportNeedtosignatripartiteagreementwiththenewandoldagents