I. What is the essence of export trade agency?

Export trade agency refers to a professional company that has the ability to represent manufacturers or traders to complete the entire cross - border transaction process. According to the data of the General Administration of Customs in 2023, about 38% of Chinas export business is completed through the agency model, especially in professional fields such as mechanical and electrical equipment and chemical products, with a proportion exceeding 60%.Import and Export RightsDocument processing system

II. What are the core services specifically provided by the agency company?

• Application for certificate of origin (including regional preferential certificates such as FORM E):
  • Commercial invoices / container production
  • Document declaration (including HS code classification)
  • Export customs clearanceSelection of international transportation methods (comparative analysis of FOB/CIF)
• Logistics solutions:
  • Special handling of dangerous goods transportation
  • Fund security control
  • Coordination of port purposes
• Letter of credit review and presentation of documents:
  • Agency (on average, shortening the payment arrival cycle by 45 days)
  • Export tax refundA case of a medical device manufacturer shows that after choosing agency export:
  • Foreign exchange risk hedge program

III. What is the essential difference between self - managed export and agency export?

The initial cost is reduced by 72% (no need to establish a foreign trade department)

• The customs clearance efficiency is increased by 40%
• The trade dispute handling cycle is shortened to 15 working days
• The core difference lies in

Risk transfer mechanism: The agency company assumes the responsibility for customs clearance, the obligation of foreign exchange verification and write - off, and the risk of trade compliance.Three elements of qualification verification

IV. How to evaluate the professional capabilities of an agency company?

• Classification and rating by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange:
  • Customs AEO certification level
  • Qualifications for special industries (such as medical device and food export filing)
  • Four dimensions of practical operation ability
• Project experience with a single - ticket cargo value of tens of millions:
  • Emergency case library for customs clearance problems in the destination country
  • Trade barrier early - warning system (such as response to US 301 tariffs)
  • Digital tracking system (real - time query of cargo/fund status)
  • Industry - wide common charging modes include:

V. How should the agency service fee be calculated reasonably?

Cargo value proportion system (0.8% - 1.5%, and it can be as low as 0.3% for bulk commodities)

• Fixed - fee - per - ticket system (suitable for small - batch and multi - batch businesses)
• Risk - gambling agreement (for high - difficulty orders)
• : Such as document modification fees, demurrage fees sharing clauses, foreign exchange rate locking service fees, etc.

Special attention is neededHidden costs6. Under what circumstances must

Export - controlled itemsExport agent?

• involve(such as application for dual - use item licenses)Requirements of the target market
• Localized documents(such as Saudi SASO certification)Special trade methods (such as cross - border e - commerce 9610/9710 models)
• When the foreign exchange receiving country is under sanctions (the agency company provides a third - party settlement plan)
• A tripartite agreement

VII. How to prevent legal risks in agency cooperation?

(exporter, agent, foreign buyer) containing the following elements must be signed:Tripartite Agreement(Exporter, Agent, Foreign Buyer):

• Payment settlement path (clarify the responsibility of the agent for collection and payment on behalf of others)
• The clause on the ownership of intellectual property rights
• Quality Dispute Resolution Mechanism
• Force majeure clause (refer to Incoterms 2025)

VIII. What are the new forms of agency services in the digital age?

The leading agency company has deployed:

• Blockchain documentary system (reducing document processing time by 30%)
• AI compliance review tool (automatically identifying over 300 types of declaration errors)
• Supply chain finance platform (providing financing based on real trade data)

IX. How to verify the true service level of an agency company?

Requires the provision of:

• In the past six monthsA copy of the customs declaration form(Verify the accuracy of the declaration)
• Typical customersCooperation cycle data(The renewal rate reflects the service quality)
• CustomsCredit publicity systemQuery results

X. How to effectively safeguard rights when disputes occur in agency cooperation?

Recommended adoptionFour-step processing method:

• Seal up the communication emails/chat records in a timely manner
• Apply for mediation by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade
• Initiate the trade insurance claim process (if insured)
• Assert rights through the maritime court (the limitation period is 2 years)