I.What is entrusted export agency?What is the difference from self-operated export?

Entrusted export agency refers to a trade model where a manufacturing enterprise entrusts an agency company withrights to carry out customs declaration,and tax rebates in the name of the agent.The core difference from self-operated export is:

• Differentlegalentities:The"operatingunit"onthecustomsdeclarationforanexportagencyshowstheagencycompany
• Theflowoffundsvaries.:Foreignexchangemustflowthroughtheagencycompany’saccount
• Differentriskassumption:Complianceriskismainlybornebytheagencycompany

II.What basic documents are required for export agency services in 2025?

According to the latest Announcement No.58 of the General Administration of Customs,entrusted export agency must prepare:

• Originalnotarized"ExportAgencyAgreement"
• Thevalue-addedtaxinvoicesofproductionenterprises(whichhavebeenfullyelectronicsince2025)
• Theagencycompany’scustomsregistrationcodeandE-portcard
• thatcomplieswithAEOcertificationrequirementsProofoftradeauthenticity:
  • Productproductionprocessflowchart
  • Rawmaterialprocurementtraceabilityrecord
  • Third-partyinspectionreport(forClassIIsupervisedgoods)

III.How to calculate the export agency service fee?

The 2025 industry standard fee includes three parts:

• Basicservicefee:Chargedat0.8%-1.2%ofthedeclaredamount(includingdocumentfee)
• Financingservicefee:0.3%-0.5%oftheforeignexchangeamount
• RiskSurcharge:Asurchargeof0.1%-0.5%isaddedbasedontherisklevelofthecommodity’sHScode

Typical case: a certain machineryFor an FOB amount of $100,000,the service fee is in the range of $1,200-$1,800.

IV.How long does the tax rebate process for export agency take?

The tax rebate cycle in 2025 has been shortened to:

• E-TaxBureaupre-review:Completedwithin1workingday
• Customsdatamatching:Completedautomaticallybythesystem(previouslytook3-5days)
• Taxrefundamountcredited:7-10workingdaysafterdeclaration

Please pay special attention to the following: Starting from January 2025,filing period is adjusted from April 30 of the following year to March 31.

V.How to choose a reliableA professional agency company should have the following characteristics:

It is recommended to focus on evaluating the following four dimensions:

• QualificationVerification:
  • CustomsAEOAdvancedCertificationEnterprise
  • ClassAenterpriseintheclassificationoftheStateAdministrationofForeignExchange
• Risk control ability:
  • Whetherequippedwithatradecompliancereviewsystem
  • Whetheraninternalcomplianceprogram(ICP)forexportcontrolisestablished
• Service Network: Whether in-house customs declaration teams are established at major ports
• Financial strength: Registered capital of no less than 5 million yuan

VI.What are the common risks in export agency?How to prevent them?

The three major risks that need to be vigilantly guarded against in 2025 are:

• Riskoftradeauthenticityverification:
  • Itisrecommendedtoasktheagencycompanytoprovideablockchaintraceabilityservice
  • Keepcompleteproductionrecordsforatleast5years
• Risk of abnormal foreign exchange fluctuations:
  • Signasupplementaryagreementforexchangeratelocking
  • Chooseanagentthatprovidesforwardforeignexchangesettlementservices
• Risk of third-party joint liability:
  • Specifyintellectualpropertydisclaimerclausesintheagencyagreement
  • Purchaseexportproductliabilityinsurance

VII.How to operate export agency for special trade modes?

For the common special trade scenarios in 2025:

• B2Bexport:
  • Requireshandling9710/9810customsfiling
  • Provideaplatformtransactiondatachain
• Processing trade carry-over:
  • Submitadeepprocessingcarry-overapplicationform
  • Theverificationlistmustbelinkedtotheupstreamanddownstreammanuals
• Market procurement trade:
  • Limitedtooperationunderthe1039supervisioncode
  • Thevalueofeachshipmentmustnotexceed$150,000

VIII.Can I designate a freight forwarding company for export agency?

According to the 2025 edition of the Incoterms:

• WhenusingFOBterms,thebuyerdesignatingthefreightforwarderisastandardpractice
• WhenusingCIF/EXWterms,itisrecommendedtochooseafreightforwarderthatcooperateswiththeagencycompany
• Specialreminder:Thedesignatedfreightforwardermustbeconfirmedinadvancetohave:
  • Non-VesselOperatingCommonCarrier(NVOCC)qualification
  • (Applicabletoessentialoilproductscontainingalcohol)

IX.What insurance should be purchased for entrusted export agency?

Recommended insurance combination plan:

• Basicprotection:
  • Marinecargoallrisksinsurance
  • Exportcreditinsurance(minimumcoverageof70%)
• Enhanced protection:
  • Warriskadditionalinsurance(whenshippingthroughhigh-riskareas)
  • Exchangeratefluctuationinsurance(whenthepaymenttermexceeds90days)

X.What clauses should be noted in the export agency contract?

Eight core clauses that must be specified:

• Disputeresolutionclause(recommendspecifyingChinaInternationalEconomicandTradeArbitrationCommission)
• Feesettlementperiod(recommendednottoexceed5workingdaysafterthetaxrebateisreceived)
• Documenthandoverprocess(specifytheusagestandardsfortheelectronicreceiptsystem)
• Penaltystandardforbreachofcontract(itisrecommendedtospecifyapenaltyof20%ofthecontractamount)
• IntellectualPropertyGuaranteeClause
• DefinitionScopeofForceMajeure
• DataPrivacyProtectionTerms
• Contractterminationconditions(itisrecommendedtospecifyautomaticterminationiftheagencycompanyisdowngradedtoaClassCenterprise)