What is the fundamental difference between import and export agency and self-operated import and export?

The fundamental difference between agency import/export and self-operated import/export lies inBusiness entity qualificationandAttribution of Legal LiabilityAccording to data from the General Administration of Customs in 2024, only 18.7% of registered enterprises in China possess import and export rights, indicating that over 80% of businesses must rely on agents to conduct international trade.

• Differences in Qualification Requirements:
  • Self-operated import and export requires obtaining a Customs Registration Certificate.
  • The agency must possess international freight forwarding qualifications.
• Differences in liability attribution:
  • Self-operated enterprises bear responsibilities independently.customs clearance, legal liabilities such as tax refunds
  • In proxy mode, the proxy party bears the primary compliance responsibility.

2. What specific service differences are involved in import and export agency?

The services provided by professional agencies typically encompass three core modules:

• Customs Clearance Service Package:
  • The accuracy rate of HS code classification can reach over 98%.
  • The processing time for certification of origin has been reduced by 40%.
• Financial Services Package:
  • The error rate in letter of credit document examination should be controlled below 0.3%.
  • The cost of forward exchange settlement hedging has decreased by 15-30 basis points.

3. How do enterprises evaluate the cost differences between agency and self-operation?

Cost accounting needs to considerExplicit costswithHidden costsDual factors:

• Comparison of Explicit Costs:
  • The agency service fee is typically 1-3% of the cargo value.
  • The annual maintenance cost for the self-operated model is approximately 80,000 to 150,000 yuan.
• Comparison of Hidden Costs:
  • The demurrage fee caused by customs declaration errors is 0.5% per day.
  • The cost of capital occupation caused by tax refund delays

IV. What are the special considerations for choosing proxy services in different industries?

Based on 20 years of service experience, we have found that:

• Electromechanical product enterprises:
  • Special attention should be paid to 3C certification agency services.
  • The processing period for EU CE certification can be compressed to 7 working days.
• Food export enterprises:
  • FDA registration renewal services have become a core requirement.
  • The error rate of halal certification agency directly affects orders.

V. What Impact Will the 2025 Foreign Trade Policy Have on Agency Services?

According to the Ministry of Commerce's 2025 Foreign Trade Facilitation Reform Plan:

• Customs Declaration:
  • The intelligent classification system will reduce manual intervention.
  • However, the accuracy requirement for product descriptions has been increased by 30%.
• Foreign Exchange Management:
  • The proportion of cross-border RMB settlements is expected to exceed 45%.
  • The foreign exchange hedging services provided by agency companies have become even more crucial.

It is recommended that small and medium-sized enterprises with an annual export volume of less than $5 million prioritize agency services, while large-scale production enterprises can adopt a hybrid model combining in-house teams with agency services. Regardless of the chosen approach, regular trade compliance audits are essential, especially under the deepening implementation of the RCEP agreement, where the ability to apply rules of origin has become a key indicator for evaluating the quality of agency services.