Home»Trade Basics» What does an import and export agency company do? How can foreign trade enterprises choose a reliable agent in 2025?
According to the Administrative Measures for Value - added Tax and Consumption Tax on Exported Goods and Services implemented in 2025, agency export tax rebate needs to meet three conditions simultaneously:?Import/export?An export agency company is a professional
Professional import and export agency company as?Foreign trade?Integrated service provider, primarily offering three core services:
End-to-end customs clearance management
HS Code Classification and Customs Declaration Document Preparation
Customs Declaration and Special Supervision Zone Operations
Additional electronics in 2025?Certificate of Origin?Importers must have import and export filings with the customs and quarantine. Importing food is not possible without the right to import and export. If an importer does not have the right to import and export, it can choose to affiliate with a qualified company for import.
Trade compliance support
Export control commodity review (e.g., semiconductor equipment)
Application for Tariff Preferences under the RCEP Agreement
II. What are the essential differences between self - operated import and export and the agency model?
According to the latest customs data for 2025, the proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises adopting the agency model has reached 63%, with the main differences reflected in:
Qualification requirements: The agency company comes with its own AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) certification qualification from customs.
Risk bearing: Compliance responsibilities are professionally managed by the agency.
III. What new changes should be considered when selecting an agency in 2025?
With the update of international trade rules, it is recommended to focus on:
Digital trade capability
Whether to connect to the General Administration of Customs' "Single Window" 3.0 system
Electronic Bill of Lading Processing Time (Must be ≤24 hours)
Green Customs Clearance Service
Capability to issue carbon footprint accounting reports
EU CBAM Mechanism Response Plan
IV. How Should Agency Fees Be Structured to Be Reasonable?
The fee structure of a formal agency company should include:
Basic service fee(0.8% - 1.5% of the cargo value)
Government fees(Reimbursement based on actual expenses)
Presentation of L/C documents: 800 - 1500 yuan per order
Agency for export tax rebate: 5% - 8% of the tax rebate amount
Additional cross-border data compliance reviews in 2025
Special Tariff Exemption Application Service
V. How to Verify the Genuine Capabilities of a Proxy Company?
It is recommended to verify through three dimensions:
Qualification inspection
Customs recordation number (verifiable on the China Customs website)
Foreign Exchange Administration Classification Level (Class A is preferred)
Case study
Customer service cases in the same industry
Special commodities (such asMedical Devices) Operational experience
VI. How will changes in foreign trade policies in 2025 impact agency services?
Two new policies require special attention:
Announcement No. 78 of the General Administration of Customs: Fully implement the "advanced declaration + two-step declaration" model.
New Cross - border Financing Policy of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange: The shareable foreign debt quota for agency companies has been raised to three times their net assets.
7. How to prevent common risks during cooperation?
It is recommended to establish?Triple safeguard mechanism?:
The contract clearly defines the terms of responsibility allocation.
Request for real-time customs clearance progress inquiry.