I.Agency export,Is it just about helping factories sell their products?

This is the most common cognitive bias.The essence of export agency is trade service.Professional foreign trade companies assist manufacturing enterprises in completing specialized procedures such as document processing, foreign exchange settlement, and tax refund declarations during the export process through the "dual-header customs declaration" method. Unlike pure consignment sales, the agent does not bear inventory risks and primarily earns service fees rather than product price differentials.

II. What are the core differences between agency and self-operated export?

• Differences in legal entities
  • Agency Export: The production enterprise acts as the actual cargo owner, while the foreign trade company serves as the declarant.
  • Self-operated export: Foreign trade enterprises are fully responsible for the entire process of procurement and sales.
• Fund flow method
  • Agency model: Foreign exchange is directly deposited into the factory account, with the agency advancing the tax refund.
  • Self-operation model: The foreign trade company independently collects and pays foreign exchange, bearing the pressure of capital turnover.
• Risk allocation mechanism
  • The agent is only responsible for the compliance of the documents.
  • The self-operated party must bear the full-process risks, including product quality and logistics delays.

III. What are the three major advantages of choosing export agency?

According to the latest 2025 survey data from the General Administration of Customs, 63% of small and medium-sized export enterprises utilize agency services, primarily benefiting from:

• Startup cost savings：No need to establish customs declaration or foreign exchange management teams.
• The tax refund cycle has been shortened.: Professional agency companies can achieve tax refunds within 14 working days.
• Trade barrier avoidance: Utilize the AEO certification qualification of the agent to enjoy customs clearance facilitation.

IV. Under what circumstances should one opt for self-operated export?

• Companies with an annual export volume exceeding $2 million
• The product involves special regulatory categories (such as medical devices, hazardous chemicals).
• The company has obtained the AEO certification qualification from customs.
• The situation where an independent international brand needs to be established.

V. How to reasonably calculate the agency service fee?

In 2025, the prices of agency services show significant differentiation:

• Basic Service Packages: 0.8%-1.2% of the contract amount (including customs declaration, document preparation, and foreign exchange collection)
• Value Added Services:
  • Export credit insurance agency service: starting from 1,500 RMB per transaction.
  • Special document certification: 300-800 RMB/copy
  • Logistics solution optimization: starting from 0.5% of cargo value

6. How to Avoid Potential Risks in Agency Export?

• Verify the customs credit rating of the authorized agent (must meet or exceed General Certification level).
• Request for real-time customs clearance status query access.
• The foreign exchange receipt must follow the "bank-to-bank (corporate account to corporate account)" transfer path.
• Sign clear intellectual property protection clauses.

It is recommended that enterprises with an annual export volume below $3 million prioritize the agency model, which allows them to benefit from the customs clearance advantages of large-scale businesses while maintaining operational flexibility. When a company has established stable overseas customer sources and risk-bearing capacity, it can gradually transition to self-operated exports to maximize profits.