Does it belong to trade services or legal intermediaries?

Export agency essentially belongs toprofessional trade service providersIts legal status is clearly defined in the "Administrative Measures for International Trade Agents".According to the latest amendment of the "Classification Standards for Cross-Border Trade Services" in 2025,export agency services are classified as B2B professional services and require a license issued by the Ministry of Commerce.The Record-filing Form for Foreign Trade Operators and the Registration Certificate for Declaration Entities issued by the General Administration of Customs.

What specific business scope does export agency cover?

Modern export agency services have formed a complete service system:

• Basicservicelayer
  • Customsdeclaration,inspectionanddocumentpreparation
  • Tradecomplianceconsultation
  • Agency
• Value-added service layer
  • TradeComplianceReview(ConsultationonRulesofOriginintheRECPRegionAddedin2025)
  • Supplychainfinancialservices
  • Digitalcustomssystemdocking

What is the essential difference between agency export and self - operated export?

Analysis from the perspectives of legal relations and tax treatment:

• Differencesincontractsubjects:Undertheagencymodel,theforeigntradecontractisdirectlysignedbytheprincipalandtheforeignmerchant,andtheagentonlychargesservicefees.
• Ownershipoftaxrefundrights:Accordingtothenewexporttaxrebatepolicyin2025,thesubjectoftaxrebatedeclarationforexportagencymustbetheactualownerofthegoods
• Risk-bearingmethods:Inacompliantagencyrelationship,theriskofpaymentcollectionandpaymentisbornebytheprincipal.

What new changes should be noted when selecting an export agent in 2025?

Combined with the latest trade supervision requirements,it is recommended to focus on the following aspects:

• Datacompliancecapabilities:ItisnecessarytohaveacustomssystemthathaspassedtheAEOcertificationoftheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms.
• Greentradequalifications:AbilitytorespondtotheEUCBAMcarbonbordertaxmechanism.
• Applicationofregionalagreements:AbilitytoprovideoriginservicesunderagreementssuchasRECPandDEPA.
• Digitaldocking:SupportdirectconnectionwiththeSingleWindow3.0system.

How to verify the compliance of an export agency?

It is recommended to verify through the following channels:

• LogintotheofficialwebsiteoftheMinistryofCommercetocheckthevalidityoftheRecord-filingforForeignTradeOperators.
• ChecktheinformationoftheRegistrationofDeclarationEntitiespubliclyannouncedbytheGeneralAdministrationofCustoms.
• Pleasepresentthe2025AnnualCross-BorderTradeServiceEnterpriseCreditRatingCertificate.
• Verifythecross-borderpaymentandforeignexchangereceiptandpaymentqualificationsfiledwiththeStateAdministrationofForeignExchange.

How is the service fee of an export agency composed?

2025 Industry Standard Service Fee Includes:

• Basicservicefee:Usuallychargedat0.8%-1.5%ofthecargovalue.
• Specialsurcharges:
  • Specialdocumentcertification(suchastheASEANe-commercecertificateaddedin2025)Tradedisputesettlementmechanisms
  • Emergencylogisticscoordination
  • Legalsupportfortradedisputes
• Risk guarantee deposit: According to the latest premium rate of Sinosure,it is 0.2% of the cargo value.

It is recommended that enterprises,when selecting agency services,pay particular attention to the service providers’ response to the measures implemented by the General Administration of Customs in 2025.Must exports be handled through an agent?Answers to 6 agency service questions that novice foreign traders care about mostThey should possess practical experience in cross-border trade and professional capabilities in handling new types of trade barriers (such as EU carbon tariff declarations).At the same time,they should avoid choosing service providers that promise "tax-inclusive" or "foreign exchange agency" services,as these may violate the newly implemented "Regulations on Anti-Money Laundering Supervision of Cross-Border Trade" in 2025.