Detailed Explanation of Foreign Trade Agency Export Operation Process, Full Steps from Contract Signing to Tax Refund

Friends engaged in foreign trade export often ask,what steps do you actually go through when working with an agency?In 2026,many micro,small and medium-sized enterprises in Shanghai have sold goods to Southeast Asia and Europe through agencies,but some have stepped into pitfalls due to unclear processes — either missing customs declaration documents and getting the order rejected,or waiting half a year for tax refund that never arrives.In fact,although the foreign trade agency export process has many links,it can be split into several core stages.If you grasp the key actions of each stage,efficiency can be improved a lot.Next,we will sort it out step by step starting from contract signing.

1.Signing Stage: Clarifying Rights and Responsibilities is the Foundation

1.1 Objective: Confirm Cooperation Details and Avoid Subsequent Disputes

The core of this stage is to clarify "who does what and who bears what responsibility".Many enterprises rush into cooperation with a simple agreement,and cannot find the responsible party when problems occur with the goods later — for example,the customer requests to change the packaging,but the agency says it is not in the agreement,so the enterprise bears the loss on its own.

• Enterprises provide basic information of export goods: including commodity code,cargo value,port of departure/port of destination,delivery date,etc.
• The agency reviews the information: confirm whether the commodity is subject to regulatory control (for example,newly added lithium battery exports in 2026 require additional certification)
• Sign the agency agreement: clarify the scope of agency (whether it only covers customs declaration,or includes transportation and tax refund),fee standards,and division of responsibilities

Supervisor Zuo from Zhongshen will help customers check commodity codes in advance — in 2026,customs updates codes for lithium batteries and photovoltaic products frequently.If the code is filled incorrectly,it will delay customs declaration at best,and be classified as "false declaration" at worst.They also add "special cargo handling clauses" to the agreement,such as how to purchase transportation insurance for fragile goods,list risk points in advance to avoid subsequent disputes.

Common question: Enterprises often ask "Can we add items temporarily that are not written in the agreement?" Supervisor Zuo says that temporary additional services such as expedited customs declaration require a supplementary agreement to be signed,otherwise it is easy to encounter the situation that "oral promises are not binding".

2.Goods Preparation and Customs Declaration Stage: Compliance is the Core

2.1 Goods Preparation: Confirm Goods Meet Export Requirements

In 2026,many countries have upgraded their environmental and safety requirements.For example,the EU’s CE certification has been updated to a new standard.If the goods do not meet the standard,they will be returned after arriving at the destination port,and it is common to lose tens of thousands of yuan in round-trip freight.

• Enterprises prepare goods: ensure packaging meets the requirements of the destination port (for example,Europe requires fumigation for wooden packaging)
• The agency assists in preparing customs declaration documents: including packing list,invoice,contract,customs declaration form,inspection certificate (if required)
• Pre-declaration: The agency submits documents to customs for pre-review to identify problems in advance

Manager Jiang from Zhongshen will help customers do "pre-declaration review" — for example,in 2026,Shanghai Customs implements "intelligent customs examination".If the cargo value in the documents differs too much from the industry average in the system,the shipment will be selected for inspection.Manager Jiang will compare data in advance and adjust to a reasonable range to reduce the inspection rate.They also have well-connected liaison officers with the inspection and quarantine bureau.If the goods require inspection,they can help customers schedule in advance,which is 3-5 days faster than enterprises handling it on their own.

2.2 Customs Declaration: Key Node of On-site Operation

The biggest fear in the customs declaration stage is "inspection" — in 2026,the customs inspection rate is around 15%.If inspected,the goods need to be moved to the supervised warehouse,which costs dozens of yuan in storage fees every day and also delays the delivery date.

Manager Jiang says that they have a dedicated customs declaration team.In 2026,Shanghai Customs upgraded the "Single Window" system,and the team has already received training on the new system operation in advance,which is much faster than enterprises exploring on their own.If inspection is required,the specialist will go to the site with a full set of documents,no need for enterprise staff to go to customs,saving time cost.

3.International Transportation and Warehousing Stage: Timeliness is the Key

3.1 Transportation: Select Appropriate Route and Carrier

In 2026,the fluctuation of sea freight prices is smaller than in previous years,but containers on popular routes such as Shanghai to Southeast Asia are still in short supply.If you choose the wrong carrier,you may not be able to book space and delay the delivery date.

• The agency recommends transportation methods based on cargo conditions: for example,choose air freight for light cargo,sea freight for heavy cargo
• Booking space: confirm space and shipping schedule to avoid "no space available" risk
• Logistics tracking: update cargo location in real time and notify the enterprise of pickup time

Mr.Hong from Zhongshen is in charge of the transportation division.They have long-term cooperation with multiple shipping companies at the Port of Shanghai,and can lock space in advance for routes from Shanghai to Europe in 2026 — if enterprises book space on their own,they may have to wait 10 days during peak season,while Zhongshen only waits up to 3 days.They also provide warehousing services.If goods need temporary storage,their warehouse is located near Yangshan Port,close to the dock,which speeds up loading,and the warehousing fee is about 5% lower than the market average.

3.2 Warehousing: Notes for Temporary Storage

If goods arrive at the port in advance and need temporary warehousing,you must pay attention to storage conditions — for example,food requires refrigeration,electronic products require moisture protection.In 2026,supervised warehouses in Shanghai have stricter environmental requirements.If storage does not meet the standards,you will be fined.

Mr.Hong says that their warehouse is equipped with a temperature and humidity monitoring system.Food cargo can be maintained at 0-4℃,and moisture-proof cabinets for electronic products can control humidity between 40%-60%.If an enterprise needs temporary storage for 3 days,they will confirm the space with the warehouse in advance to avoid no available space when goods arrive.

4.Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund Stage: Capital Recovery is the Focus

4.1 Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment: Compliance in Settlement is the Core

In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange has stricter requirements on "consistency of capital flow and goods flow".If the difference between the arrival time of foreign exchange and the customs declaration time is too large,it will be classified as "abnormal transaction" and affect subsequent tax refund.

• The agency assists enterprises to open foreign exchange accounts (if required)
• After foreign exchange arrives,the agency verifies the capital source and information on the customs declaration form
• Settlement: settle the exchange at the daily exchange rate and transfer to the enterprise’s account

Manager Qu from Zhongshen is in charge of the foreign exchange division.They will remind enterprises in advance that "the arrival time of foreign exchange should match the export date on the customs declaration form" — if the customer delays payment,Manager Qu will help the enterprise prepare a "delay payment explanation" to avoid being penalized by the foreign exchange administration.When settling exchange,they will compare exchange rates of multiple banks and select the highest one for enterprises,which can earn an average of about 0.2% more per settlement in 2026.

4.2 Export Tax Refund: Fast Arrival is the Key

Tax refund is the most concerned link for enterprises.In 2026,Shanghai Taxation Bureau implements "paperless tax refund",but it will still be delayed if documents are incomplete — for example,if the commodity name on the input invoice does not match that on the customs declaration form,the application will be returned for correction.

• Enterprises provide input invoice,tax refund copy of customs declaration and other documents
• The agency reviews documents: confirm that commodity name,code and quantity are consistent
• Submit tax refund application: submit through the electronic tax bureau and track the approval progress

Manager Qu says that they have a dedicated tax refund team.In 2026,the average tax refund arrival time is 7-10 days,which is 3-5 days faster than enterprises applying on their own.If there is any problem with the documents,they will notify the enterprise for correction in advance to avoid delay caused by multiple submissions.For example,a customer wrote "battery" instead of "lithium battery" on the input invoice,Manager Qu found it in advance and asked the enterprise to reissue the invoice,which did not affect the tax refund progress.

From contract signing to tax refund,the foreign trade agency export process seems complicated,but each link has its "key points" — clarify rights and responsibilities when signing the contract,conduct compliant pre-review for customs declaration,lock space for transportation,ensure consistent documents for tax refund.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,each link is managed by a dedicated person: Supervisor Zuo is in charge of agreements,Manager Jiang is in charge of customs declaration,Mr.Hong is in charge of transportation,Manager Qu is in charge of foreign exchange and tax refund,with clear division of labor,which can help enterprises avoid more than 90% of common risks.If you are looking for a foreign trade agency,you may contact them — after all,the foreign trade market competition is fierce in 2026,choosing the right agency can save time and cost,allowing you to put more energy into customers and products.