What qualifications does a company need to operate legally?

According to the latest "Administrative Measures for International Trade Agency Services" issued in 2025,legally operating export agency companies must meet the following requirements:

• BasicCertifications:ToBusinessOperatorFilingRegistrationForm,CustomsDeclarationUnitRegistrationCertificate
• Specialqualifications:
  • ThetransportationofhazardousmaterialsrequiresMSDScertification.
  • FoodproductsmustundergoCIQregistration.
• Credit instrument: CITIC Guaranty’s AAA-level credit certification (mandatory requirement from 2025 onwards)

Case: In 2024,a certain agency company failed to obtain the CE certification agency qualification,resulting in a loss of 3 million yuan for its client.Detained by EU customs,a lesson worth heeding.

Which model is more cost-effective,self-operated export or commissioned agency?

The cost comparison table illustrates the differences:

• Self-operatedexport:Aninitialinvestmentof500,000to800,000yuanisrequiredtoestablishacompleteforeigntradeteam.
• EntrustinganAgent:Theservicefeeischargedat0.8%-3%ofthegoodsvalue(basedontheaverageindustrydatain2025).

Decision-making suggestions: Companies with an annual export value below 20 million are recommended to adopt an agency model,which can reduce operational costs by 32% (Source: China Council for the Promotion of International Trade 2025 White Paper).

How to identify a capable export agency company?

It is recommended to verify through the "three checks and three inspections":

• Checkhistoricalcases:Requesttoprovidecustomsclearancerecordsforthesameproductcategoryinthepast2years.
• Systemintegration:CapableofdirectdataconnectionwiththeSingleWindowandelectronicport.
• Checkriskresponse:InquireaboutsolutionsfornewtradebarrierssuchasRCEPrulesoforiginandcarbontariffs.

What specific items are included in export agency fees?

The standard fee structure for 2025 includes the following:

• Basicservicefee(customsdeclaration,documentpreparation)
• Value-addedservicefee:
  • Pre-declarationattheportofdestination(anewrequirementintroducedbytheEUcustomsauthoritiesin2025)
  • GreenTradeCertificationServices
• Risk Deposit (Refundable)

Note: Starting from 2025,the customs will comprehensively implement the "Sunshine Charging" system,requiring all fee details to be publicly disclosed and available for query on the e-port.

How to ensure fund security under agency export model?

It is recommended to adopt a "double insurance" mechanism:

• Fundsupervision:Settlethepaymentthroughajointbankaccount.
• Riskhedging:Theagentisrequiredtopurchaseliabilityinsurancewithaminimumcoverageof5millionyuan.

Typical Case: A garment company successfully recovered $870,000 in defaulted payments from a South American buyer through an export agency insured by Sinosure.

What new changes will there be in the export agency industry in 2025?

Focus on three major trends:

• DigitalUpgrade:TheintelligentHScodeclassificationsystemhasbeenfullylaunched.
• Greentrade:TheEUCarbonBorderAdjustmentMechanism(CBAM)hasofficiallycomeintoeffect.
• Regionalintegration:TheintegrationprocessofcustomsclearanceamongRCEPmembercountriesisaccelerating.

It is recommended to choose those with AEO Advanced Certification and familiarity withAgency company for product export regulations.