I.Agency export,What exactly is the business model?

Agency export refers to a service model where professional foreign trade companies complete the entire export process on behalf of manufacturing enterprises.In this cooperation, manufacturers focus on product manufacturing, while professional matters such as customs declaration, tax refund, and foreign exchange settlement are handled by the agency with import-export rights. According to the latest 2025 customs data, enterprises in China adopting the agency export model have increased by 37% compared to 2020, especially widely used in electromechanical equipment, chemical products and other fields.

II. What steps are included in a complete agency export business process?

The typical business process can be divided into six stages:

• The preliminary preparation phase
  • Signing the Agency Export Agreement to clarify rights and responsibilities
  • Handling product registration and qualification certification
• Cargo operation stage
  • Goods preparation inspection and container loading supervision
  • Prepare complete customs declaration documents (2025 customs has fully implemented electronic documents)
• Customs clearance and transportation stage
  • Declare customs supervision codes
  • arrangedInternational logisticsAnd cargo insurance

III. How to evaluateAgency export serviceProfessional skills of business?

Selecting service providers requires focusing on five dimensions:

• Qualification Compliance: Check customs AEO certification, SAFE filing status
• How to optimize logistics costs for wheelchair exports?: No less than 20 export cases of similar products
• Risk control system: Must include exchange rate locking, trade dispute resolution mechanisms
• Informatization level: Real-time tracking system must cover all nodes of customs declaration and logistics
• Fund security: Require proof of third-party fund supervision

IV. What costs does agency export incur? How to avoid hidden costs?

Cost composition usually includes:

• Basic service fee (0.8% - 1.5% of the cargo value)
• Customs declaration and inspection fees (2025 standard is 500-2000 yuan/ticket)
• Bank handling fees (cross-border RMB settlement rate about 0.1%)

Special Attention:Destination port miscellaneous fees, inspection and quarantine additional fees, document certification fees may become hidden costs and should be clarified in the contract regarding the responsible party.

V. What new risks need to be prevented in agency export in 2025?

This year requires special attention to:

• Exchange Rate Fluctuation Risk: It is recommended to use forward exchange settlement to lock in exchange rates
• Country policy risks: Pay attention to US Section 301 updates, EU carbon tariff implementation
• Data security risksRequire service providers to obtain ISO 27001 information security management certification

A medical device company in 2024 suffered direct losses of $120,000 due to agency documentation errors causing goods to be detained at the port, highlighting the importance of choosing professional service providers.

VI. How to choose between agency export and self-operated export?

Decisions should be based on three key indicators:

• Annual export volume: Below $3 million recommended for agency export
• Product complexity: Products involving legal inspection catalog should prioritize agency selection
• Talent pool: Enterprises without dedicated foreign trade teams are suitable for agency model

According to International Trade Centre (ITC) research, enterprises using professional agency exports have an average customs clearance time 2.3 working days faster than self-operated exports.