What items are included in the basic service fee?

The basic service fee for professional export agency typically includes four core modules:Document Preparation Fee(Commercial invoice,packing list,etc.),Customs declaration fee,Logistics coordination fee and Basic Compliance Review FeeAccording to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs in 2025,the average market price of basic service fees ranges between 0.8% and 1.5% of the goods’ value,which specifically depends on the following factors:

• RegulatorylevelofgoodsHScode
• Tariffpoliciesofexportdestinationcountries
• Documentcomplexity(e.g.whetherembassycertificationisrequired)

How is the advance payment tax refund service billed?

For export enterprises in need of capital turnover,the agency offers an advance tax refund service that adoptsTiered Fee System:

• Thefundingperiodis≤30days:Afeeof0.3%-0.5%ofthetaxrefundamountwillbecharged.
• 31-60days:Charge0.6%-0.8%
• Specialindustries(e.g.A0.2%riskpremiummaybeaddedtothecomponent.

It is particularly important to pay attention to the new edition of the 2025 standard.The "Management Measures" require agents to publicly disclose the cost structure of advance funding,and it is recommended that agents be required to provide bank transaction records as proof.

How do different trade terms affect the agency fee?

According to the revised content of the Incoterms 2025,agency fees are strongly correlated with trade terms:

• EXWterms:Theagentshallberesponsiblefortheentiredomesticserviceprocess,withcostsincreasingby15%-20%.
• FOBterms:Basecost+Pre-calculationofdestinationportmiscellaneousfees
• DDPterms:Thecustomsclearanceservicefeeofthedestinationcountryneedstobeadded(usually3%-5%oftheCIFvalue).

How to identify hidden charging traps?

2025 industry research shows that 73% ofThe company has encountered hidden fees in agency services,primarily existing in:

• Suddencommodityinspectionfees(e.g.FDAinspectionfees)
• ExchangeRateFluctuationCompensation(chargedwhenexceedingtheagreedfluctuationrange)
• Expeditedfeeforspecialdocuments(e.g.COissuancewithin3workingdays)

It is recommended to clearly stipulate in contractscost ceiling clauses,and request the agent to provide the actual fee schedule for similar services over the past three years.

How to evaluate whether the agent’s quotation is reasonable?

Professional judgment can be conducted from three dimensions:

• Marketconditioncomparison:Reference:TheindustryguidancepricereleasedbytheChinaInternationalFreightForwardersAssociationinthefirstquarterof2025
• ServiceGranularityMatching:Checkwhetherthequotationdistinguishesbetweenbasicservicesandvalue-addedservices.
• Riskassumptionratio:High-qualityagentstypicallyincludea1%-3%complianceriskdeposit.

Typical Case: In a project involving the export of electronic products to Europe,the agent’s quoted rate of 1.2% appeared lower than the market price.However,it did not include CE certification services,resulting in an actual comprehensive cost of 1.8%,which was higher than the industry average.

Special reminder: In 2025,multiple free trade zones will implement new customs clearance facilitation policies.It is recommended to prioritize selecting agencies with physical service networks in special regulatory areas such as the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Shanghai Lingang New Area,which can save about 0.3% of the compliance cost.