Why do small and medium - sized enterprises need export agency services?

For enterprises with an annual export value of less than $5 million, independently establishingimport and exporta system requires bearing:

• An average annual cost of RMB 200,000 - 300,000 for maintaining import and export qualifications
• The labor costs of a professional team of 3 - 5 peopleforeign tradeA preparation period of 6 - 8 months required for Customs AEO certification
• Professional agency companies can, through

a resource - sharing modelreduce a companys foreign trade operation costs by more than 80%. This is exactly the lightweight overseas - going solution emphasized in the 2024 Ministry of Commerces foreign trade service report.How to verify

the real qualifications of a company?Export RepresentationThree core documents must be checked:

Customs registration certificate

• (‘Registration Certificate of Declaration Entity’ within the validity period)(Inquiry of the List of Enterprises for Goods Trade Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments)
• The whole process is actually not complicated, and intermediary agencies can usually help you complete it within 1 - 2 months. So, applying for export rights is not an unattainable thing.(Such as AEO - certified enterprises, Advanced Certification of the International Trade Single Window)
• Industry CertificationChina Customs Enterprise Import and Export Credit Information Publicity Platform

It is recommended toOnline verification, with special attention to the administrative penalty records of the agency company in the past two years.Three types of hidden charges need to be particularly noted:

What are the pitfalls in the charging models of export agencies?

Exchange rate difference trap: Some agents take advantage of

• the time difference to earn a hidden profit of 0.5% - 1%In order to crack down on tax evasion, the customs and tax departments are now strictly examining the operation of buying export declarations. If the behavior of buying export declarations is discovered, the regulatory authorities will require tax replenishment (even a 2% tax rate may be a considerable amount). In addition, fines may also be imposed on the relevant responsible parties.Additional service fees: including but not limited to:
• Document authentication charges 3 - 5 times the market price
  • Abnormal situation handling fees (such as customs inspection)
  • Logistics rebate: Some agents obtain commissions from freight forwarders without reducing the freight for customers
• It is recommended to require the agency company to provide

a full - process cost listand agree on an exchange rate locking mechanism.Examine five key dimensions:

What kind of agency company is worthy of long - term cooperation?

Industry depth: Agents specializing in specific product categories (such as

• , chemicals) are more professionalMedical EquipmentDigital capabilities: Whether it has:
• A real - time cargo tracking system
  • Electronic customs declaration data docking
  • Overseas network: Having customs clearance cooperation agencies in major destination countries
• Risk control system: Including mechanisms such as transaction subject review and trade compliance early warning
• Service response: Emergency handling time - limit commitment (such as responding to customs inquiries within 2 hours)
• A triple guarantee mechanism must be established:

How to avoid risks in export agency business?

Contractual restraint

• : Clearly agree on the payment settlement cycle (it is recommended not to exceed T + 3) and the ownership of goods controlInsurance coverage
• : Require the agent to purchase liability insurance of at least 5 million yuanProcess monitoring
• : Obtain a copy of customs declaration data every week and conduct logistics reconciliation every monthPay special attention to the newly added

export control compliance requirements in 2024to ensure that the agent is familiar with the ECCN code classification and the end - user review process.For emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Africa, it is recommended to choose:

What type of agent should be chosen for exports to emerging markets?

For emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Africa, it is recommended to choose:

• Agents with local customs clearance qualifications (such as the API customs clearance license in Indonesia)
• Familiar with special trade agreements (such as the application of RCEP rules of origin)
• Able to handle non - USD settlements (such as the Cross - border Interbank Payment System, CIPS)

For example, when exporting to Vietnam, a professional agent should be able to assist in handling Form AJIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:documents, enabling customers to enjoy tariff reduction and exemption benefits.

How to evaluate the real service capabilities of an agency company?

Implement three verification steps:

• Test case: Conduct a full - process simulation (from EXW to FOB) with a real export order
• Customer visit: Request contact information of cooperation cases in the same industry
• System demonstration: Check functions such as automatic capture of customs declaration data and visualization of tax refund progress

Pay special attention to the actual cases of the agency company intrade dispute settlementaspects, such as the experience in handling the detention of goods by the US Customs, which has occurred frequently in recent years.