What isAgency export,? How does it differ from traditional self-operated export?

Agency export refers to a business model where enterprises without import-export rights entrust professional foreign trade companies to handle the entire export process. Compared to traditional self-operated export, the main differences are:

• Qualification Requirements: The agency must possess AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) certification from customs
• Division of responsibilities: The agency company bears the risks of customs declaration and payment collection processes
• Cost structure: Increases agency service fees but saves costs of building an in-house foreign trade team

What are the basic requirements for agency export in 2025?

According to the latest Cross-border Trade Facilitation Regulations, the following conditions must be met for agency export:

• The principal shall provide
  • Duplicate business license (Three Certificates in One)
  • Product compliance certificates (CE/FDA, etc.)
  • Trade contract and proforma invoice
• The agent shall possess
  • Customs Class A or higher management qualification
  • Register of Foreign Exchange Administration
  • Electronic Port IC Card operation authority

What is the specific process for agency export?

Standard business process includes 7 key steps:

1. Signing a tripartite agreement (contractor, agent, foreign buyer)
2. Apply for export commodity pre-classification (HS CODE confirmation)
3. Arrange cross-border logistics and transport insurance
4. Prepare full set of customs clearance documents (including certificate of origin, etc.)
5. CompleteExport tax refundDeclaration (agent advances tax rebate payment)
6. Foreign exchange settlement and international payment declaration
7. Trade document archiving (retention for at least 5 years)

How to evaluate the professional capabilities of an agency company?

Recommended 5 dimensions for evaluating agency companies:

• Industry focus: Familiarity with export requirements for specific product categories (e.g., FDA certification experience for medical devices)
• Global Service Network: Presence of customs clearance partners in destination countries
• Risk management system: Whether value - added services such as trade financing and credit insurance are provided
• Technical support capabilities: Equipped with trade compliance management system (e.g., CITS)
• Historical dispute cases: Success rate in handling customs inspection anomalies in recent 3 years

What costs are involved in agency export? How to reduce costs?

Typical cost structure and optimization suggestions:

• Basic Service Costs: 0.8%-1.5% of goods value (negotiable through annual export volume tiered pricing)
• Cost of funding: Using usance L/C can reduce exchange rate risk
• Transportation costs: Consolidate multiple shipments for LCL transportation
• Hidden costs: Avoid demurrage fees due to documentation errors (approximately 3% of goods value)

What are the common legal risks in agency export? How to prevent them?

3 key risks requiring special attention and countermeasures:

• Trade entity mismatch risk
  • Ensure the agency agreement clearly defines the principal-agent relationship
  • Maintain complete email correspondence records
• Foreign exchange control risks
  • Use NDF (Non-Deliverable Forward) to hedge exchange rate fluctuations
  • Monitor updates to the SAFE's "Key Monitoring List"
• Intellectual Property Risk
  • Require agents to provide trademark search reports for the destination country
  • The transport document states "ownership of the goods belongs to the consignor."

Which agency model is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises?

According to the 2025 SME Development White Paper recommendations:

• Startups: Opt for full-process agency (including customer development)
• Growth-stage enterprises: Adopt partial-process agency (focusing on logistics + documentation)
• Mature enterprises: Establish strategic partnerships (sharing overseas warehouse resources)

Case study of an LED lighting exporter: Achieved full 17% VAT rebate through agency export, saved 32% operational costs compared to self-export, and reduced payment collection cycle to T+15 working days.