How to Choose a Reliable Export Agency? These 10 Questions Must Be Asked Clearly!

1. Export RepresentationWhat legal qualifications does the company require?

According to the latest industry guidelines issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in 2024, compliant export agency companies must possess the following qualifications simultaneously:

• Customs AEO certification qualificationPlease translate the following Chinese into English: (Need to check the customs record code)
• Yesforeign tradeForeign Trade Operator Registration Form
• Record - keeping certificate of international freight forwarder
• (Enterprises of category B and above are in normal status)
• ISO9001 Quality Management System Certification (non-mandatory but recommended)

Taking the typical case handled by Shenzhen Customs in 2025 as an example, a company suffered a loss of 2.3 million yuan due to blocked tax refunds caused by using unqualified agents. It is recommended to utilize the "China Customs Enterprise"import and export"Credit Information Disclosure Platform" to verify enterprise qualifications.

2. What hidden costs are included in the agency fees?

The quotation from a professional agency should clearly distinguish the following cost components:

• Basic service fee (document preparation, customs declaration and inspection)
• Government fees (charged based on actual occurrence)
• Logistics surcharges:
  • Peak season surcharge (e.g., December surcharge for Europe-America routes)
  • Special Cargo Handling Fee (Hazardous/Oversized)
• Emergency handling deposit (recommended not to exceed 2% of the contract amount)

The 2024 "low-price trap" case encountered by a Ningbo-based foreign trade company revealed that the initial 3% service fee quote ultimately resulted in an actual payment of 9.7%, primarily due to undisclosed port congestion surcharges and amendment fees.

3. How to verify the overseas customs clearance capability of a proxy company?

It is recommended to validate through three dimensions:

• Please provide the customs clearance time data for the destination port (the average customs clearance time in the EU in 2025 is 48 hours).
• Verify overseas cooperation networks:
  • Is there a subsidiary established locally?
  • Whether to join international freight alliances such as WCA
• Request for recent customs clearance cases of similar goods.

A certain medicalEquipment ExportBy 2025, select an agency company with ANVISA certification in Brazil to reduce customs clearance time from the standard 45 days to 12 days.

4. What clauses in an agency contract require special attention?

According to the 2025 revised edition of the "International Trade Agency Service Standards," the key review areas include:

• Allocation of Liability Clause (especially the point of title transfer)
• Definition of Force Majeure (clarify whether port strikes are included)
• Dispute resolution method (recommended to specify China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission)
• Data Confidentiality Clause (Must comply with the requirements of the "Data Security Law")

5. How to handle itExport DrawbackRisks?

High-quality agency companies should provide triple guarantees:

• Pre-clearance service (conducting compliance review of documents before cargo export)
• Real-time Tracking (Integrated with the Golden Tax Phase IV System of the Tax Bureau)
• Risk compensation mechanism (compensation for tax refund losses caused by documentation errors)

In 2024, an electromechanical export company avoided a loss of 870,000 yuan in tax refunds due to the timely detection of an HS code error by its agency.

6. What should be noted for special cargo agency?

For hazardous materials, food,Medical EquipmentSpecial categories:

• Request the agent to present specific qualification certificates (such as a hazardous chemicals business license).
• Confirm whether professional transportation tools (UN-certified packaging/cold chain equipment) are available.
• Check the update frequency of access qualifications in the destination country (e.g., FDA certification needs to be renewed every 2 years).

7. How to evaluate an agency's emergency response capabilities?

It is recommended to test by simulating the following scenarios:

• Sudden customs inspection (requires providing the processing time efficiency of inspections in the last 12 months)
• Handling Plan for Unclaimed Cargo at Destination Port
• Emergency Response to Trade Sanctions (e.g., Recent Additional Export Restrictions on a Certain Country)

A textile exporter successfully avoided shipping route disruptions caused by the Red Sea crisis in 2025 by promptly utilizing an alternative port in Myanmar through its agency company.

8. What are the specific manifestations of digital service capabilities?

High-quality agents in 2025 should possess:

• Real-time Cargo Tracking System (with an error margin not exceeding 4 hours)
• Automated Document Generation System
• EDI data integration capability (supporting at least 3 standard formats)
• Mobile Customs Declaration Status Inquiry Function

9. How can small, medium, and micro enterprises choose a cost-effective solution?

It is recommended to adopt the "basic service package + on-demand value-added services" model:

• The basic package includes: document preparation,Export Clearance, foreign exchange settlement
• Value-added services optional:
  • Customs clearance at destination port (charged per bill).
  • Supply chain financing (based on payment term requirements)

10. How to establish a long-term and healthy cooperative relationship?

From the supplier management experience of a Fortune 500 company, key elements include:

• Establish a quarterly business review mechanism.
• Share market intelligence (e.g., RCEP tariff changes)
• Joint participationInternational LogisticsExhibition
• Jointly develop a digital management system