Home»Trade Essentials»How to Choose a Reliable Export Agency Company? These 12 Questions Must Be Clearly Asked
How to judge whether an agency company has legal qualifications?
ChooseExport RepresentationWhen [company name], the following qualification documents must be verified (latest requirements in 2025):
海關AEO認證證書: Give priority to high - level certified enterprises, and the customs clearance inspection rate can be reduced to 20% of that of regular enterprises
The filing record of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange: Verify the filing status through the website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange
International Trade Compliance Commitment Letter: It should include compliance clauses of the latest trade agreements such as RCEP
Proof of actual office premises: It is recommended to conduct on - site inspections of the warehousing and customs operation sites
What is the specific operation process of agency export?
The standard agency export process includes 7 key steps:
Sign theforeign tradeComprehensive Service Agreement
Pay special attention to the payment settlement cycle clause
Clarify the applicable law for dispute resolution (it is recommended to choose the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission)
Foreign exchange receipt, settlement and tax filing
Export DrawbackDocument transfer (The electronic tax refund rate has reached 98% in 2025)
What hidden costs are included in the agency fees?
In addition to the basic service fee (usually 0.8% - 1.5% of the cargo value), special attention should be paid to:
Special commodity surcharge (such as lithium battery UN38.3 certification service)
Details of bank handling fees (The cross - border RMB settlement rate has dropped to 0.1‰ in 2025)
Emergency handling fees (such as demurrage charges caused by無人提貨 at the port of destination)
Expedited document certification fees (Expedited fees need to be paid for embassy certification in some countries)
How to prevent the legal risks of agency export?
It is recommended to adopt the following risk control measures:
Require the agency company to take out insuranceExport trade(The policy in 2025 requires the minimum insured amount to cover 80% of the cargo value)
Specify in the contractResponsibility for payment on behalf of the goods(It is recommended to stipulate that payment must be made within 3 working days)
EstablishDouble - person review mechanism: Key documents need to be signed and confirmed by both handlers
Regularly audit the agency companyForeign exchange receipts and payments account
What responsibilities should the agency company assume in case of trade disputes?
According to the latest judicial interpretation of the Supreme Peoples Court in 2025:
The agency company shall bear the main liability for compensation for losses caused by documentary errors
The demurrage charges caused by improper selection of freight forwarders shall be advanced by the agency company
The proportion of fines caused by delays in foreign exchange declaration shall be clearly specified in the contract
It is recommended to addDispute handling time - limit clause(For example, legal procedures must be initiated within 30 days)
What should be noted for the agency export of special commodities?
Require the agency company to provideIndustry access qualification certificates(Such as medical device business filing certificates)
Confirm the customs clearance ability of the target country(Such as the docking situation of the US FDA pre - declaration system)For the transportation of dangerous goods, a special goods operation agreement shall be signed separately
It is recommended to reserve20% extra operation time
To cope with regulatory reviewIt is recommended to verify on - site through the following methods:Require to provide
How to evaluate the actual operation ability of the agency company?
Samples of customs declarations in the past six months
(Pay attention to the completeness of declaration elements)TestThe operation response speed of the electronic port system
VerifyThe authenticity of the overseas agency network (A memorandum of cooperation can be required)Operation Response Speed
VerificationOverseas Agent NetworkAuthenticity (cooperation memorandum can be requested)
On - site ObservationDocument Transfer Process(Focus on checking the signing - in registration system)
How to change the agency company during the cooperation period?
Special attention should be paid when switching agents:
Give written notice 60 days in advance (avoid changing during the tax - refund cycle)
Control of trade term risksCustoms Electronic port cardAuthority transfer
SettleForeign exchange monitoring systemAssociated data
TransferFull - set of three - year trade files(Tax inspection retrospective period)