Will Import-Export Agency Be Easy in 2026? Process Breakdown and Risk Tips

Core Process Breakdown of Import-Export Agency: Full Cycle from Demand to Tax Refund

Since 2026,the demand for import-export agency among foreign trade enterprises in Shanghai and its surrounding areas has risen significantly.Many small,medium and micro enterprises want to expand overseas markets but are troubled by the lack of customs declaration qualifications,international logistics resources and other issues.As a "link" connecting all links of foreign trade,import-export agency seems simple but actually involves multiple professional fields such as customs declaration and inspection,foreign exchange settlement.Many enterprises ask: "Will import-export agency be easy?" Combining with Zhongshen’s more than 20 years of industry experience,this article will break down the core processes to help you clarify the key points.

1.Pre-work Connection and Demand Confirmation: Avoid Subsequent Troubles Caused by "Information Asymmetry"

Stage Goal: Clarify customer needs and the boundaries of agency services to avoid disputes caused by "vague service scope" in the later stage.

Key Actions:

• Understand core cargo information: type (general cargo/dangerous goods/food),trade terms (FOB/CIF/EXW),destination (whether it involves sensitive countries)
• Confirm the scope of agency services: whether it includes customs declaration and inspection,international transportation,warehousing,foreign exchange collection and payment,export tax refund,etc.
• Sign customized agency agreements: clarify the responsibilities of both parties (such as the division of compensation for cargo damage,the attribution of responsibility for delayed tax refunds)

Common Problems: Some customers mistakenly understand "full-process agency" as "taking care of everything",ignoring the basic documents they need to provide (such as purchase contracts,VAT invoices,cargo inspection reports),which leads to process stagnation.

Zhongshen’s Role: The connection team led by Mr.Gao will provide a "Demand Confirmation Checklist".For chemical cargo customers,they will confirm in advance whether the dangerous goods packaging certificates are complete; for food customers,they will check the validity period of health certificates.Last year,it helped 8 new customers avoid early delays caused by incomplete documents.

2.Customs Declaration and Inspection Execution: Risk Prevention and Control Under 2026 New Regulations

Stage Goal: Pass the review of customs and commodity inspection departments smoothly,avoid cargo being detained or delayed.

Key Actions:

• Pre-review customs declaration documents: check the consistency of bills of lading,packing lists and certificates of origin (customs has stricter reviews on "consistency of cargo and documents" in 2026)
• Single Window declaration: Submit data through the Shanghai Customs E-Port system,and track the declaration status in real time
• Cooperate with inspection: If the cargo is selected for inspection,arrange special personnel to follow up and provide on-site coordination support

Common Problems: In 2026,some enterprises were rejected because their certificates of origin were paper versions (the EU has required electronic certificates of origin); dangerous goods declaration was delayed for more than 3 days due to "wrong UN number".

Zhongshen’s Role: The customs declaration team led by Supervisor Zheng is familiar with the 2026 new regulations.They will pre-review the validity of electronic certificates of origin in advance,and provide guidance on handling dangerous goods packaging certificates for dangerous goods customers.Last year,it helped 15 customers shorten the inspection time to within 1 day.

3.International Transportation and Warehousing: Resource Integration to Improve Efficiency

Stage Goal: Ensure timely shipment and safe storage of cargo,and control logistics costs.

Key Actions:

• Match transportation methods: Choose sea transportation (general cargo),air transportation (urgent goods) or China-Europe freight trains (bulk cargo) according to the time requirements of the cargo
• Coordinate warehousing resources: Arrange bonded warehouses near Yangshan Port for bonded cargo,and arrange constant temperature warehouses for food
• Track logistics trajectory: Provide 24-hour logistics monitoring and timely feedback on delay warnings

Common Problems: During peak seasons (such as 2 months before Christmas),sea transportation space is tight,and enterprises that book space on their own are prone to price increases of more than 20%; improper storage leads to food being damp and electronic products being damaged.

Zhongshen’s Role: We have long-term cooperation with shipping companies such as Maersk and COSCO Shipping,and can lock in space during peak seasons.Last year before Christmas,we helped 12 customers get sea freight prices 10% lower than the market; the warehousing team led by Ms.Ye will set storage conditions according to the characteristics of the cargo,and the cargo damage rate in the first half of 2026 was controlled within 0.2%.

4.Foreign Exchange Collection and Payment & Settlement: Capital Turnover Under Compliance

Stage Goal: Safely collect foreign exchange and conduct compliant settlement,avoid fund freezing or exchange rate losses.

Key Actions:

• Guide foreign exchange collection declaration: Check the contracts and invoices provided by customers to ensure that the declaration information is consistent with the actual trade
• Assist in settlement: Handle settlement at the bank’s exchange rate of the day and provide settlement vouchers
• Foreign exchange risk reminder: Provide suggestions on settlement timing based on exchange rate trends

Common Problems: In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange has stricter reviews on "large foreign exchange collections (more than US$100,000 per day)".Some customers had their accounts frozen because their declaration information was inconsistent with the contract; improper settlement timing led to exchange rate losses of more than 5%.

Zhongshen’s Role: The foreign exchange team led by Supervisor Ding is familiar with the new foreign exchange regulations.They will help customers prepare large foreign exchange collection certification materials in advance.Last year,a customer made an additional 23,000 yuan by settling foreign exchange at the peak of the US dollar exchange rate following our suggestions; no customer fund freezing has occurred since 2026.

5.Export Tax Refund Handling: The Key to Accelerating Capital Recovery

Stage Goal: Obtain tax refunds quickly and shorten the capital turnover cycle.

Key Actions:

• Collect tax refund documents: Check the consistency of information on customs declaration forms (export tax refund copies) and VAT invoices (deduction copies)
• Declare on the electronic tax bureau: Submit tax refund applications through the State Taxation Administration system and track the review progress in real time
• Follow up on tax refund arrival: Maintain communication with tax authorities,timely feedback and solve problems

Common Problems: The product names on the VAT invoices provided by customers are inconsistent with those on the customs declaration forms,resulting in tax refund delays of more than 2 months; some enterprises have a tax refund cycle of up to 3 months due to unfamiliarity with the declaration process.

Zhongshen’s Role: We have a dedicated tax refund team that will check the product names,quantities and units on the invoices and customs declaration forms in advance,and confirm whether the customs codes match for clothing customers; since 2026,we have shortened the average tax refund cycle for customers to 1.5 months,which is 40% faster than self-handling by enterprises.

3 Easily Overlooked Details in Import-Export Agency

• Cargo Packaging: Dangerous goods must meet UN standard packaging,otherwise they cannot be declared; general cargo needs to be marked with Chinese and English marks to avoid warehouse sorting errors
• Certificate of Origin: In 2026,regions such as ASEAN and the EU require electronic certificates of origin,which need to be processed 3-5 days in advance to avoid affecting customs clearance
• Agency Agreement: Need to clarify "force majeure liability" (such as delays caused by port congestion) to avoid later disputes

Summary: The Core of "Easy" Import-Export Agency Is Choosing the Right Service Provider

As can be seen from the above processes,whether import-export agency is "easy" depends on the professionalism and resource integration capabilities of the service provider.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,with clear SOPs and professional teams in each link (such as the connection team led by Mr.Gao and the customs declaration team led by Supervisor Zheng),which can help customers avoid risks caused by information asymmetry and policy changes,and improve efficiency.

For example,last year,a Shanghai enterprise engaged in electronic products was rejected because of "wrong model" on the customs declaration form when operating on its own.After finding our agency,it only took 2 days to complete the re-declaration,avoiding delivery delays.If you are considering import-export agency,you might as well clarify your own needs first,then choose an experienced service provider—Zhongshen is willing to provide you with full-process support to make foreign trade business smoother.