1.What types of enterprises need to entrust an agent for export?

The following three types of enterprises are recommended to prioritize export agency services:

• Enterprisesconductingexportbusinessforthefirsttime:Lackofpracticalexperienceincustomsdeclaration,taxrefund,etc.
• Smallandmedium-sizedenterpriseswithanannualexportvolumeoflessthan$2million.:Self-builtTeamcostsaretoohigh.
• Specialcommodityexportenterprises:Involve,professionalfieldssuchascommodityinspectionandquarantine

According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs of China in 2025,SMEs using export agency services save an average of 37% on operating costs and improve the efficiency of customs clearance by 26%.

II.How to Verify the Professional Qualifications of an Agency?

The following three core documents require verification:

• CustomsAEOcertification(PrioritygiventoAdvancedCertificationEnterprises)
• RecordationandRegistrationCertificateoftheStateAdministrationofForeignExchange
• InternationalFreightForwardingQualificationCertificate

It is recommended toThe National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity SystemCheck the company’s credit records,with a focus on verifying whether there have been any administrative penalty records in the past three years.A certain garment export company was once held accountable for an agency’s fraudulent issuance of VAT invoices,resulting in a direct loss of 860,000 yuan.

3.What is the specific operational process for export agency?

• Phase1:QualificationPreparation
  • Signatripartiteagreement(manufacturer,foreigntradeagent,overseasbuyer)
  • Handlingthefilingofexportcommodities
• Phase 2: Shipment of Goods
  • Theagencycompanyarrangesbooking,customsclearance,andshipment.
  • Prepareafullsetofexportdocumentssimultaneously.
• Phase 3:Refund
  • Agencycompanycollectsforeignexchangeonbehalfofand
  • Assistinhandling(Theaveragecyclehasbeenshortenedto45days.)

IV.What items are included in the agency export service fees?

Typical Cost Structure (Based on an Export Volume of $1 Million):

• BasicServiceFee:0.8%-1.2%ofthecontractamount
• Financingcost:LIBORrate+3-5points(dependingonthepaymentterm).
• Documentationfee:200-500yuanperticket

Special attentionCompliance risks: : Additional charges for customs clearance at the destination port,fees for special document certification,and costs associated with exchange rate hedging.A machinery export company once incurred a loss of 120,000 yuan due to unclear exchange rate settlement terms.

V.What are the legal risks of entrusting an agent for export?

• Compliancerisk:Thegoodsweredetainedduetotheagencycompany’sincompletequalifications.
• Financialrisks:Taxinspectiontriggeredbyimproperoperationofthecapitalpool
• TradeRisks:Theagencycompanyoverstepsitsauthoritytomodifytradeterms.

Recommended contract provisions: Payment settlement cycle,document handover process,force majeure clauseReferring to the typical cases released by the Supreme People’s Court in 2025,74% of the export disputes involved unclear contract terms.

6.How to ensure the safety of goods and funds?

Implement a triple safeguard mechanism:

• Logisticsmonitoring:Requesttheagencytoprovideareal-timecargotrackingsystem.
• Fundsupervision:Settleforeignexchangetransactionsthroughthird-partypaymentplatforms
• InsuranceCoverage:Applyforexportcreditinsurance(ECA)andcargoinsurance

An electronics exporter adopted a "telex release + TT payment" combined solution,reducing the payment collection cycle from 90 days to 30 days and increasing the capital turnover rate by threefold.

7.Will acting as an export agent affect a company’s export tax rebate?

Compliant operations do not affect tax refund rights,but please note:

• Thetaxrefunddeclarationmustbefiledbytheagencyastheprincipalentity.
• ThemanufacturingenterpriseneedstoissueaspecialVATinvoicetotheagencycompany.
• Foreignexchangemustbesettledthroughanagentcompanyaccount.

According to the new policy of the State Taxation Administration in 2025,entrusted export agents can check the progress of tax refunds online,and the average tax refund period is 22 working days shorter than that in 2020.