I.Export agentWhat problems can the service actually solve for me?

Export agentIt refers to professional agencies representing enterprises in completing the entire foreign trade process from order confirmation to payment collection. According to the 2024 report by the World Customs Organization, businesses utilizing professional agency services have reduced their average trade dispute rate by 37%.Addressing three core pain points:

• Document Processing: Compliant preparation of 18 types of trade documents, including commercial invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin.
• Logistics Coordination: Integrate ocean/air freight resources, handle booking,customs clearance, insurance, and other complex procedures
• Risk Control: Applying INCOTERMS?2025 RulesConditions of TradeOptimize to avoid foreign exchange collection risks

2. What are the key steps involved in a complete export agency process?

Based on the latest regulatory requirements of the General Administration of Customs for 2025, the standardized agency process is divided into five stages:

• The preliminary preparation phase
  • Trade terms negotiation (focus on reviewing payment methods and delivery conditions)
  • Product compliance review (including HS code classification, export control screening)
• The order execution stage
  • Letter of Credit Review and Amendment (Average processing time reduced to 3 working days)
  • Quality Inspection Arrangement (Third-party inspection pass rate requirement ≥99.2%)
• Logistics and transportation stage
  • Optimal transportation solution design (comprehensive consideration of timeliness, cost, and cargo characteristics)
  • Full-process visual tracking (connected to real-time data from major global shipping companies)
• Customs clearance and settlement stage
  • Intelligent customs declaration system automatically verifies (declaration accuracy rate reaches 99.8%)
  • Foreign Exchange Risk Hedging Plan (Utilizing Financial Instruments such as NDF)
• After-sales service stage
  • Trade Document Archiving and Management (Compliant with Customs' 7-Year Retention Requirement)
  • Tax refund assistance (average refund processing time reduced to 45 days)

III. What are the core differences between self-operated export and entrusted agency?

According to the latest data from China Customs in January 2025, the proportion of small and medium-sized export enterprises using agency services has reached 68%. The key differences are reflected in:

• Cost Structure:Agency services can reduce the single-ticket operating cost by 40-60%.
• Timeliness guarantee:The customs clearance time handled by professional agents is 2-3 working days faster than that managed by enterprises themselves.
• Risk coefficient:The incidence rate of trade disputes when using agents is only one-fourth of that in self-operated exports.
• Resource Network:High-quality agents typically have access to 200+ global port service resources.

IV. What are the key points to consider when selecting export agency services?

Based on the International Trade Service Certification System (ITSC) 2025 edition standards, it is recommended to focus on examining:

• Compliance with Qualifications:Check whether customs AEO certification and SAFE (State Administration of Foreign Exchange) registration are in place.
• Service responsiveness:Please provide a real-time online query system (such as cargo tracking, document status).
• Risk Protection Mechanism:Please confirm whether professional liability insurance has been obtained (recommended coverage amount not less than RMB 5 million).
• Technical Application Capability:Evaluate whether to adopt digital tools such as blockchain customs declaration and AI document review.

V. How to reasonably calculate export agency fees?

In 2025, industry pricing standards exhibit a clear structured trend:

• Basic service fee:Generally charged at 0.8%-1.5% of the cargo value (minimum charge of 3,000 RMB per shipment).
• Value Added Services:
  • Special document certification: 800-2000 RMB per copy
  • Trade financing services: Financing amount 1.5%-3%
  • Customized logistics solutions: Starting from ￥5,000/project
• Risk Surcharge:A 0.3%-0.5% risk reserve surcharge will be imposed on transactions in high-risk areas.

Recommended adoption"Base Fee + Performance Bonus"The innovative charging model links part of the service fee to KPIs such as customs clearance efficiency and tax refund speed.