I. I. How to Judge the Sheet MetalExport agentWhat about the professionalism of the company?

When choosing a high - quality agent, three dimensions need to be focused on for inspection:

• Qualification verification
  • Check the AEO certification of the customs (the version was updated to 3.0 in 2025)
  • Verify the qualifications of international freight forwarders (FIATA members are preferred)
  • Confirm the qualification of an enterprise classified as Category A under the classified management of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange
• Industry Experience
  • It is required to provide export cases of plates with the same material (such as plywood, medium - density fiberboard, etc.) in the past three years.
  • Confirm the operational experience in the target market (For Europe and the United States, familiarity with CARB certification is required; for the Middle East, mastery of GCC standards is required)
• Capacity of service
  • Verify the visual system of logistics nodes throughout the whole process (the blockchain traceability technology will be mainly adopted in 2025)
  • Confirm the network coverage ability of overseas customs clearance partners

II. What are the key links included in the standard process of sheet metal exports?

Typical Process of Sheet Exports in 2025:

• The preliminary preparation phase
  • HS Code Classification (Pay special attention to the latest interpretations of tariff numbers such as 7326/4412)
  • Fumigation treatment (must comply with the latest revision of ISPM15 standard)
  • Special packaging requirements (e.g., moisture - proof packaging shall meet the ASTM D3951 standard)
• Customs Declaration and Transportation Stage
  • Intelligent matching of electronic customs declarations and packing lists (AI - based document review to be fully implemented in 2025)
  • Marine Special Container Scheduling (Optimization Plan for 40HQ High Cube Container Loading Rate)
• Port of Destination Service
  • CE Certification Fast Track (The EU has enabled automatic verification of electronic certificates)
  • Measures to deal with anti - dumping (such as the response plan to the 201.5% tariff imposed by the US on Chinese plywood)

III. What certifications must be obtained for sheet metal exports in 2025?

Certification requirements for different target markets:

• General Certification
  • FSC Forest Certification (New Supply Chain Traceability Clause Added in 2025)
  • ISO 9001:2025 quality management system
• Regional Special Certification
  • EU: CE Certification (including EN 13986 Construction Board Directive)
  • North America: CARB Phase III certification
  • Japan: JIS Standard Certification (with special attention to formaldehyde emission testing)

IV. How to Control the Comprehensive Cost of Sheet Exports?

Cost Optimization Strategy for 2025:

• Control of logistics costs
  • Utilize the RCEP agreement tariff rates (the maximum tariff reduction for ASEAN countries can reach 92%)
  • Choose the LCL (Less - than - Container - Load) solution at the transshipment port (for example, the Port of Singapore offers a 72 - hour free - storage period)
• Tax Optimization
  • Export tax refundRate Confirmation (The tax refund rate for wood - based panels in 2025 remains at 13%)
  • Cross - border RMB settlement (avoiding the risk of exchange rate fluctuations)

V. How to prevent common risks in sheet metal exports?

Key Risk Prevention and Control Points in 2025:

• Quality Risk
  • Moisture content detection (should meet the seasonal climate requirements of the destination country)
  • Dimensional tolerance control (Generally, an accuracy of ±0.5mm is required in the European and American markets)
• Risk of compliance
  • Specification for Certificate of Origin (New Digital Signature Requirement Added in 2025)
  • Respond to the US Lacey Act (Wood Legality Document Collection Standard)

VI. Quick Answers to Common Questions

Q: Do small and medium - sized sheet metal factories need to engage in self - operated exports?
It is recommended that enterprises with an annual export volume of less than $2 million choose professional agents, which can reduce the comprehensive operating cost by 37% (according to the data in the 2025 China Foreign Trade White Paper).

Q: How to choose the transportation method for special - specification sheets?
For extra - long plates (over 6m), it is recommended to use flat - rack containers for transportation. In 2025, the China - Europe Railway Express has launched special train services for special - type plates.

Q:Export agentWhat items are usually included in the expenses?
Industry standards in 2025 include: Customs declaration fee (0.15% of the cargo value), Document fee (USD50 per shipment), Inspection fee (USD200 per time), and some ports charge a digital customs clearance surcharge.