Export agentWhat qualifications do agents need to have?

According to the latest Measures for the Administration of International Trade Agency in 2025, compliant agents need to meet both:Export agentLegal qualifications:

• Customs AEO - certified enterprises, filing qualifications with the State Administration of Foreign ExchangeA customs affairs team with at least 3 years of practical experience, ISO9001 quality management certification
• The Professional Capacity:Fund guarantee:
• The paid - in registered capital is not less than 5 million yuan (higher for special industries)Case: In 2023, due to the lack of AEO qualifications of the agent, an urgent order worth $2 million of a Shenzhen electronics enterprise was detained at the port for 14 days, resulting in an additional port detention fee of 380,000 yuan.

What key processes are involved in agency cooperation?

A standardized export agency process includes 7 core links:

Contract review and trade term confirmation (focus on reviewing the Incoterms 2025 version)

• Pre - classification and compliant declaration
• Verification of the accuracy of commodity codes
  • Verification of origin certification documents
  • Optimization of the logistics plan (it is recommended to compare the combined plans of sea freight / China - Europe freight train / air freight)
• How to ensure the capital safety of enterprises?

Payment in stages + third - party supervision

Recommended adoptionStage - by - stage Payment + Third - party SupervisionMode:

• The down payment shall not exceed 30% of the total contract amount.
• The balance shall be paid after the bill of lading is issued.
• Use a bank performance guarantee to avoid payment risks.

Industry data in 2024 shows that the dispute rate of enterprises adopting third - party fund supervision has decreased by 67%.

How is the agency service fee calculated?

The mainstream billing modes in 2025 include:

• Fixed commission system: 3 - 8% of the cargo value (depending on product complexity)
• Graduated charging: 5% for amounts below 5 million, and 3% for amounts exceeding 5 million
• Value - added service package: including agency for certification, tax refund advance, etc.

How to prevent legal risks?

It is necessary to signa tripartite rights and responsibilities agreement, with special attention to:

• The clause on the ownership of intellectual property rights
• The calculation formula for breach of contract compensation
• The agreement on the place of dispute resolution (it is recommended to choose the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission)

How to evaluate the professionalism of an agent?

It is recommended to assess from three dimensions:

• Industry cases: Operational experience with products of the same category
• Response speed: Feedback mechanism within 2 hours on normal working days
• Risk control system: Whether a dual - review system for compliance review is equipped

Export tax refundHow to handle it?

A professional agent should provideFull - process tax refund management:

• Pre - review of documents (check the customs declaration form and VAT invoice 30 days in advance)
• Exception handling (the matching rules of the newly added electronic bottom - account system in 2025)
• Tax advance service (up to 90% of the tax refund can be obtained in advance)

What should be done if there are problems in cargo transportation?

A qualified agent should haveEmergency handling mechanisms:

• A backup port plan in place (for example, Shenzhen Yantian Port and Guangzhou Nansha Port are backups for each other)
• Insure for full - process transportation insurance (it is recommended that the insured amount cover 130% of the cargo value)
• Real - time tracking system (blockchain - based logistics tracking is mainstream in 2025)

How to resolve trade disputes?

It is recommended to handle it in three steps:

• Preserve evidence immediately (bill of lading, correspondence, inspection reports)
• Intervene through the agents overseas legal resources
• Utilize the rapid arbitration mechanism of the International Trade Mediation Center (ITMC)

Does an agent need industry expertise?

For specific industries, a professional agent must be selected:

• Food category: Requires familiarity with FDA and BRC certification processes
• Medical devices: Master the new EU MDR regulations (mandatory implementation in 2025)
• Mechanical equipment: Have the ability to handle CE certification and energy efficiency labels

It is recommended that when choosing an agent, enterprises require the provision of operation cases in the same industry in the past 12 months, and conduct on - site inspections of its customs clearance operation system and risk control process. According to the data of the General Administration of Customs in 2025, the customs clearance efficiency of enterprises cooperating with professional agents has increased by an average of 42%, and the declaration error rate has dropped to below 0.7%.