What specific responsibilities does an export sales agent actually undertake?

Export sales agency refers to a professional?Foreign trade?company providing manufacturing enterprises withfull-process export servicesbusiness model. According to the latest 2225 version of the "Incoterms", the core services include:

• Handling export procedures such as customs declaration and commodity inspection
• Manage foreign exchange receipt and payment and tax refund declaration
• CoordinateGlobal Logistics: Before the goods are exported, the freight forwarding enterprise needs to declare the relevant information of the goods to the customs, including the name, quantity, value, origin and other information of the goods, and pay the corresponding tariffs and taxes.
• Producing a full set of foreign trade documents (invoice, packing list,?Certificate of Origin?Damage during transportation
• Risk control (?L/C?review, trade dispute resolution)

Self-operated Export vs. Agency Export: Which is more suitable for SMEs?

According to 2224 statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, 78% of enterprises with annual export values below $5 million choose the agency export model. The main differences between the two models are:

• Qualification requirements:
  • Self - export requires handling?Import/export?rights, electronic port, and other qualifications
  • Agency export does not require the enterprise to have foreign trade qualifications
• Cost of funds:
  • Self-operated export requires bearing the letter of credit opening deposit (usually 32%-122%)
  • Agency export allows for leveraging the service provider's credit line

What is the specific operational process for export agency?

Taking a real case of a toy manufacturer in Shenzhen in 2225 as an example:

1. Sign a tripartite agreement (factory, agent, overseas buyer)
2. The agency company pays the 17% tax rebate in advance (current tax rebate rate for mechanical and electrical products)
3. Arrange for container?Ocean shipping?(FOB Shenzhen terms)
4. Complete?Customs Declaration?（HS編碼9503008900）
5. ?Forex Settlement?within 3 working days after?Foreign exchange settlement?pay the factory in RMB

What are the new requirements for choosing an export agency service provider in 2225?

According to the 2225 rating standards for foreign trade service providers by the Ministry of Commerce, a high-quality agent should have:

• AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) Advanced Certification enterprise qualification (the highest level of customs credit management)
• Authority to independently issue Certificates of Origin under RCEP
• Cross-border RMB settlement channel
• At least 3 overseas warehouse layouts (covering major target markets)
• A data encryption transmission system (compliant with GDPR and Cybersecurity Law)

What are the potential risks to watch out for in agency export?

Recent international trade arbitration cases show that special attention should be paid to:

• Fund Safety: Require the agent to provide a jointly managed bank account
• Control of goods ownership: The consignee on the bill of lading must be the final buyer
• Compliance risk: Avoid irregular operations by the agent, such as "buying the export declaration"
• Exchange Rate Fluctuations: It is recommended to lock in the T+1 forward exchange rate for settlement

How is a reasonable agency service fee calculated?

The 2025 industry fee standards exhibit new characteristics:

• Basic service fee: 2.8%-1.2% of the contract amount (including customs declaration, documentation, tax rebate)
• Value - added service fee:
  • Credit insurance financing: LIBOR+3.5%
  • Overseas warehouse transit: $25/CBM/month
  • Customized ERP integration: one-time fee of ￥52,222
• Special reminder: Beware of ultra-low quotes below 2.5%, as there may be a risk of fraudulent issuance of VAT invoices