I. to enterExport agentWhat is the company's main source of profit?

According to the latest public data from the General Administration of Customs in 2025, the number of registered import...Export agentThe number of enterprises has exceeded 120,000. The core profit models of these enterprises mainly include:

• Basic Service Costs:customs clearance, basic services such as document preparation (accounting for approximately 40-60% of revenue)
• Tax refund differential income：Utilizing the fund turnover cycle to earn the time value of tax refunds.
• Logistics price difference: Consolidate sea/air freight resources to obtain volume discounts
• Derivative financial income: Letter of credit discounting, foreign exchange hedging services, etc.
• Value-added service premiums: Professional services such as pre-classification of goods and AEO certification guidance.

II. Why Do Quotations from Different Agencies Vary So Greatly?

A 2025 industry survey revealed that the maximum price gap for agency services of the same cargo value can reach 300%. This is primarily due to:

• Differences in cost structure:
  • Customs declarant qualification level (Senior Customs Declarant service fee is 30% higher)
  • Investment in information systems (Smart Customs Declaration System can reduce costs by 20%)
• Capital turnover ability: The tax refund advance period for leading enterprises can be shortened to 7 days.
• Compliant enterprises reserve 3-5% for exceptional situation handling funds: Compliant enterprises will reserve a 3-5% risk deposit.

3. Are there hidden fee risks associated with low-cost proxies?

In cases of agency violations investigated by Shenzhen Customs in 2020, 78% involved luring customers with low prices followed by additional charges. Be vigilant:

• The trap of tiered pricing: Breakdown of customs declaration process with itemized charges
• Exchange rate pass-through: Expand the exchange rate spread for forward foreign exchange settlement.
• Abnormal cost transfer：Customs inspection fees and other items that should be reimbursed based on actual expenses were falsely reported.

IV. How to Determine the Reasonableness of Agency Quotations?

It is recommended to adopt the Three - Dimensional Evaluation Method:

• Horizontal price comparison: Obtain quotes from 3-5 companies of similar scale.
• Vertical disassembly: Please provide a detailed breakdown of the 16 basic service fees.
• Dynamic monitoring: Pay attention to fluctuating parameters such as the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI).

5. In which areas can the agency potentially reduce costs?

The cost optimization of high-quality agency enterprises primarily stems from:

• Intelligent Customs Declaration System: Reduce the manual error rate (error rate of leading enterprises <0.3%)
• Customs data mining: Optimize HS codes using historical declaration data
• Advantages of large-scale centralized procurement：Annual Million-TEU Freight Forwarders Enjoy Special Ocean Shipping Rates

VI. How to Choose the Most Cost-Effective Proxy Service?

It is recommended to establish an evaluation system based on three dimensions:

• Qualification verification: Check customs AEO certification and customs brokers association rating
• 41. Risk control ability: Request to provide compliance records for the past 12 months.
• Cost transparency: Sign a dynamic agreement that includes a price adjustment mechanism