What exactly can import and export rights agency do for businesses?

A foreign trade service provider with 20 years of hands-on experience can offer:

• Qualification Endorsement：Clear customs using the AEO certification qualification of the agent.
• Document processing: Professional Preparation from FORM E to Certificate of Origin
• Risk isolation: Establish a firewall to handle the import and export of sensitive categories.
• Tax refund acceleration: Utilize the tax bureau's proxy credit to shorten the tax refund cycle.

How to screen compliant suppliersExport agentThe service provider?

According to the latest regulatory requirements of the General Administration of Customs in 2025, it is recommended to focus on:

• Basic Qualifications
  • Documents with special requirements:customs clearanceBusiness Qualification (Valid Registration Certificate)
  • Foreign exchange administration directory enterprise qualification
• Industry Experience
  • Have you operated similar products before (especially those involving special regulatory categories such as 3C, FDA, etc.)?
  • No major compliance violations in the past three years (can be verified through the Customs Enterprise Credit Publicity System).
• Service networks
  • Localized service teams at major ports
  • Capacity guarantee from partner shipping/airline companies

How should the agency service fee be negotiated reasonably?

The standard industry pricing models for 2025 include:

• Basic Service Packages: Charged per document (customs declaration + documentation), approximately 300-800 RMB per document.
• Additional logistics costs：An additional 15%-30% booking service fee will be charged for LCL (Less than Container Load) shipping.
• Risk service fee: An additional deposit of 0.5%-1% of the goods value is imposed on anti-dumping products.

Specifically reminded:Beware of low-price traps: In 2024, a cross-border e-commerce company chose an ultra-low-cost agent, resulting in 2 million worth of goods stranded at the port and ultimately incurring 200,000 in demurrage fees.

How can small and medium-sized enterprises avoid agency cooperation risks?

The following risk control measures are recommended:

• Essential Contract Clauses
  • Clarify the division of liability for customs declaration errors
  • Agreed document transmission time limit (e.g., provide a copy of the bill of lading within 24 hours after shipment)
• Fund security guarantee
  • Require the agent to provide performance bond
  • Adopt a third-party fund supervision account
• Dynamic monitoring mechanism
  • Monthly verification of customs single window data
  • Regular audit of agency fee settlement details

What should I do if I encounter an urgent customs clearance requirement?

It is recommended to verify the emergency response capability of the agent in advance:

• Is 7×24-hour customs clearance service provided (requires verification of whether the agent's customs system supports electronic release)?
• Are there on-site personnel at the port (special confirmation is required during major holidays)?
• Whether to establish a pre-classification ruling mechanism by customs (which can reduce inspection time by 80%)

A medical device importer in 2024 reduced the customs clearance time for biological reagents from 15 days to just 3 hours by utilizing the advance ruling mechanism.