Detailed explanation of the entire process of export agency payment, comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of settlement methods such as T/T and letter of credit, analysis of the key points of risk prevention under the new foreign exchange control regulations in 2025, helping enterprises to complete cross - border collections safely and efficiently.

Export agentHow many steps are there in the payment process?The payment collection process is mainly divided into:

• Four key stagesContract agreement stage
• Advance Payment Collection: Usually collect 30% of the contract amount as production start - up funds (for high - risk countries, it needs to be increased to 50%)
• Final Payment Settlement: Collect the remaining amount against transport documents such as the bill of lading. By 2025, the penetration rate of electronic bills of lading has reached 87%.
• Foreign exchange exports: Complete the matching and write - off of customs data and foreign exchange receipt amount through the agency company

How do different settlement methods affect the arrival time of funds?

According to the statistical data of the General Administration of Customs in 2024, the current comparison of the timeliness of mainstream settlement methods:

• T/T telegraphic transfer:
  • Advance Payment: Funds arrive within 1 - 3 working days
  • Final Payment: 3 - 7 working days after seeing the bill of lading copy
• credit card(L/C):
  • On average, 15 working days after presentation of documents
  • Shortened to 7 days after the electronic document submission system was launched in 2025
• D/P collection:
  • The average time in South America is 21 days
  • Special attention should be paid to the new foreign exchange declaration system in Brazil in 2025

Which countries had special foreign exchange controls in 2025?

According to the latest foreign exchange control policy reminder:

• The Middle East Region:
  • The UAE requires all foreign exchange transactions to be registered in the AFT mechanism
  • Saudi Arabia requires a copy of the SASO certification for the import of industrial products
• Key African Countries:
  • Nigeria has implemented new NDA foreign exchange declaration regulations
  • Egypt requires proof of the source of funds for advance payments
• South American Market:
  • Argentina continues to implement the foreign exchange quota system
  • Chile requires electronic filing of health certificates

How to prevent the risk of payment collection?

It is recommended to adopt in 2025Triple Risk Prevention and Control Mechanism:

• Pre - transaction Verification:
  • Inquire about the buyers credit rating through Sinosure
  • Verify the foreign exchange compliance qualifications of the agency company
• Process Control:
  • Require the advance payment to arrive before arranging production
  • Use blockchain to track the transfer of logistics documents
• Emergency Plan:
  • Insure short - term export credit insurance (the premium rate decreased to 0.8‰ in 2025)
  • Establish a country - specific risk reserve system

What if the agency company goes bankrupt halfway?

Measures to deal with agency risksThree Guarantee Measures:

• Choose to cooperate with Chinese customs AEO advanced certified enterprises (the number of certified enterprises reached 21,000 in 2025)
• Require the agency company to provide a jointly - managed bank account service
• Sign clear legal documents to stipulate the ownership of the payment

What situations can lead to the inability to receive foreign exchange?

Common situations of foreign exchange receipt obstruction in 2025:

• The deviation between the declared customs value and the foreign exchange receipt amount exceeds ±5%
• Incorrect classification of the goods HS code raises customs doubts
• Failure to declare commission payments under trade in services in a timely manner
• Payments involving enterprises on the US BIS Entity List