How to verify aExport agentThe company’s real quality?

The primary criterion for selecting an agency is verification.Three Certificates and One Code:

• Customs AEO Certification Certificate (2025 New Edition with Blockchain Anti-Counterfeiting Label)
• Record - filing certificate of international freight forwarder
• Foreign Exchange Administration Filing Certificate
• Unified Social Credit Code (must be consistent with the customs registration information)

It is recommended to go through the official website of the General Administration of Customs.The Enterprise Credit Information Publicity SystemPerform cross-validation, paying special attention to verifying whether the agency scope includes the HS code category of your product.

How can the scope of import and export agency services accurately match the demand?

The core competencies of different agency companies vary significantly:

• Product SpecializationFor example, medical device agents must possess CFDA certification.
• Regional Advantage Type: China-Europe Railway Express operational capacity or ASEAN RCEP customs clearance expert
• Service Integration Type: Provide cross-border e-commerce full-chain services including overseas warehouses and returns/exchanges.

It is recommended to request the other party to provide operational cases of similar products from the past three years, with a focus on assessing their capability in handling special documents (such as FORM E Certificate of Origin).

How to Identify Hidden Costs in Import and Export Quotations?

Be wary of three common pricing traps:

• Vague clauses: Including open-ended statements such as "additional fees may be charged based on customs inspection conditions."
• Exchange rate risk transfer：Hidden costs of spreads in forward exchange settlement business
• Non-standard service charges: For example, the hazardous materials declaration surcharge was not explicitly listed.

Request to provideDetailed Expense Comparison Table, with a focus on verifying the calculation method of the duty-paid price under DDP terms, it is recommended to review the clauses by referring to the 2025 revised version of INCOTERMS.

How can customs clearance efficiency be quantitatively assessed?

An evaluation system can be established from three dimensions:

• Delivery time commitment:
  • Clearance of general cargo ≤ 3 working days.
  • ATA temporary admission document processing ≤24 hours
• Unusual treatment: Customs inspection response time (arrival within 2 hours as the premium standard)
• Technical support: Is it equipped with intelligence?customs clearanceSystem (Customs Single Window has achieved AI document review by 2025)

What are the key indicators for import and export risk control?

It must be confirmed that the agency company possesses:

• Full coverage of all insurance types: Especially special insurance types such as war risk and strike risk.
• Segregation of client funds: Customer advance payments must be managed through a dedicated account.
• Legal support: Familiarize yourself with the latest trade sanctions list (such as the detailed implementation rules of the EU Carbon Border Tax in 2025).

Does company size determine service quality?

It is necessary to adopt a dialectical perspective on the scale of enterprises:

• Large-scale agencyAdvantages: Overseas customs clearance agent resource network, capability to obtain bulk commodity quotas.
• Small and medium-sized agency companiesAdvantages: Customized services, rapid response to emerging markets.

It is recommended that enterprises with an annual export volume exceeding $5 million opt for regional headquarters-level agents, while small, medium, and micro enterprises should prioritize specialized service providers in vertical fields.

How to verify the industry reputation of an agency company?

Three recommended verification methods:

• Customs credit data: Query the enterprise's error rate in declarations over the past 12 months (for high-quality enterprises, it should be ≤0.5%).
• Bank settlement records: Request for providing proof of remittance timeliness from the primary cooperative bank.
• Customer Case Interview: Proactively contact peer companies that have been served (ensure to verify NDA permissions)

What contract details require special attention?

Five Key Contract Points That Must Be Clarified:

• Responsibility Attribution and Compensation Standards for Documentation Errors
• Adjustment mechanism when exchange rate fluctuations exceed ±3%.
• Scope of Force Majeure (as per the 2025 Amendment to International Trade Law)
• Guarantee of intellectual property rights
• Choice of Dispute Resolution Venue (It is recommended to stipulate the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission).