I. What specific export services do foreign trade agencies provide?

Professional foreign trade agency service modules can be divided into three tiers:

• Basic service tier
  • customs clearanceDocument preparation (new electronic seal system added by customs in 2025)
  • Transportation insurance arrangements (including sea, air and China-Europe Railway Express multimodal transport)
  • Foreign exchange payment and settlement (adapted to new cross-border RMB settlement regulations)
• Value-added service tier
  • Export tax refundEnd-to-end hosting (tax refund processing time shortened to 10 working days in 2025)
  • Destination country customs clearance solutions (includingThe RCEPMember state tariff optimization)
  • Trade compliance review (covering latest controls including US EAR, EU anti-dumping/countervailing)
• Strategic support tier
  • Overseas market access certifications (such as FDA, CE 2025 edition standards)
  • Supply chain financing solutions (blockchain-based order financing)

II. What are the models for foreign trade agency fee standards?

Three major trends in mainstream charging methods in 2025:

• Fee calculations mainly follow the following five models:Charge 0.8%-1.5% of export value (suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises)
• Tiered commission model1.2% for annual export value below $5 million, 0.6% for portion exceeding $5 million
• Subscription-based packagePackage solution including basic services such as annual customs declaration and logistics tracking

Pay special attention to hidden costs: demurrage allocation ratio at destination port, document expedited processing fees and other clauses.

How to verify the authentic qualifications of foreign trade agents?

Recommend verification through triple certification system:

• Official qualifications: CustomsAEOCertification (new data security review item added in 2025)
• Industry CertificationFIATA, IATA and other international transportation qualifications
• Practical verificationRequire providing authentic customs declaration numbers from the past 3 months (verifiable through Single Window)

How do foreign trade agents handle sudden trade risks?

Quality agents should establish a four-level emergency mechanism:

• Activate backup customs clearance channels when goods are detained (average processing time < 72 hours)
• Switch to multi-currency settlement accounts during sudden foreign exchange controls
• Provide legal counsel throughout trade investigations
• Utilize big data early warning systems to identify risks 30 days in advance

Which new policies in 2025 will affect agency selection?

Three policy changes require special attention:

• Customs General Administration Order No. 58: New carbon neutrality certification field added to export declaration elements
• Cross-border data flow regulations: Agents need ISO 27001 information security management certification
• EU CBAM Phase 2: Agents must provide product carbon emission calculation reports

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

It is recommended to make decisions through the cost break-even point formula:

(Annual export volume × 1.2%) > In-house team labor costs + system investment

Based on 2025 industry data estimates, its more economical for enterprises with annual export volumes below $3 million to use agency services.

How to avoid contract traps from low-quality agents?

Focus on reviewing three contract clauses:

• Compensation clause: 100% compensation for goods damage based on CIF value
• Intellectual property clause: Clearly define liability for infringement
• Data permission clause: Resale of customer trade data is prohibited

It is recommended to require agents to purchase professional liability insurance (with coverage no less than 5 million yuan).