Can Foreign Trade Companies Provide Export Agency Services? Analysis of Core Operation Points

Export of Electronic Products to Vietnam: Market Opportunities and Necessity of Export Agency

In 2026,the import demand for electronic products such as smartphones and smart home devices in Vietnam increased by 18% year-on-year,making it a popular target market for small and medium-sized Chinese manufacturing enterprises.However,many heads of electronic factories in Shanghai like Ms.Xu reported that they repeatedly encountered setbacks when operating on their own due to Vietnam’s VC certification requirements for electronic products,strict review under RCEP rules of origin,and tariff reduction applications in the customs clearance process.Last year,a batch of smart home products of Ms.Xu was detained due to incomplete VC certification documents,delaying the delivery time by 12 days and causing a loss of nearly RMB 100,000.At this time,whether foreign trade companies can provide export agency services has become the core issue of their concern.

Core Value of Zhongshen Export Agency Services: Customized Solutions Focused on the Vietnamese Market

Zhongshen has been engaged in foreign trade agency for more than 20 years.In view of the policy characteristics of electronic product export to Vietnam,it has established a full-process service system from document preparation to tax refund.For example,in a smart watch export to Vietnam project once led by Mr.Zheng,Zhongshen completed the pre-examination of VC certification documents 30 days in advance,saving the customer 15 days of certification cycle; at the same time,it applied for 5% tariff reduction for the customer under RCEP rules of origin,saving nearly RMB 30,000 in costs for a single batch of goods.

Module 1: Document Preparation - Response to Vietnam’s Unique Certification and Rules of Origin

Among Vietnam’s access requirements for electronic products,VC certification is the core barrier.In 2026,the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam updated the certification standards,requiring products to provide electromagnetic compatibility test reports from third-party laboratories,and the reports must be issued by Vietnam-accredited institutions.In addition,the rules of origin under RCEP require that the regional value content of electronic products must reach more than 40%,otherwise they cannot enjoy tariff preferences.

• Assign special personnel to connect with Vietnam-accredited certification institutions,pre-examine the compliance of test reports in advance,and avoid rejection due to incorrect report format;
• Establish a raw material procurement traceability system to help customers calculate the regional value content and ensure compliance with RCEP rules of origin;
• Assist customers in handling electronic Certificate of Origin (e-CO),complete online application within 24 hours,3 days faster than traditional paper certificates.

Module 2: Customs Clearance Operation - Risk Points and Efficiency Improvement at Vietnamese Ports

Ho Chi Minh Port and Haiphong Port in Vietnam are the main import ports for electronic products.However,in 2026,Vietnamese customs increased the random inspection of goods with under-declared value,and also required to provide detailed product specifications that match the packing list.Mr.Zheng once encountered a case where a customer was inspected for inconsistent product model and specification when declaring by himself,causing a 7-day delay.

Zhongshen has a cooperative customs clearance agency team in Vietnam,which can follow up the update of customs policies in real time.For example,for the "product traceability QR code" required by Vietnamese customs in 2026,Zhongshen helps customers complete the generation and upload of the QR code in advance to avoid inspection due to lack of preparation.

Module 3: Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund - Efficient Processing of Cross-border Funds and Taxes

According to Vietnam’s foreign exchange control requirements,a full set of documents such as trade contracts,bills of lading and invoices are required for overseas payments,and the funds must be credited within 30 days after the goods arrive at the port.In 2026,China’s export tax refund policy was further simplified,but it requires paperless declaration and data connection with the electronic port,and many enterprises delay tax refund due to unfamiliar operation.

• Foreign exchange collection and payment link: Assign professional financial personnel to connect with Vietnamese banks to ensure complete documents,shortening the average fund arrival time from 7 days to 3 days;
• Export tax refund: Adopt paperless declaration system,connect with China Electronic Port in real time,shorten the tax refund cycle from the original 2 months to 1 month.In Ms.Lu’s electronic accessories export project last year,the tax refund was credited 15 days earlier than expected.

How Can Export Agency Improve Customs Clearance Efficiency and Tax Refund Speed?Summary of Zhongshen’s Experience

Zhongshen achieves efficiency improvement through three key measures: First,establish a "product-target country" policy database,for example,the database for VC certification and RCEP rules for electronic products exported to Vietnam is updated once a month; second,realize local team linkage,the Vietnamese customs clearance agency and the domestic operation team synchronize information in real time to avoid information asymmetry; third,standardize the operation process,for example,the "three checks and three verifications" system is set up in the document pre-examination link (check certification validity,verify content of certificate of origin,verify consistency between packing list and bill of lading),reducing the error rate from 10% to less than 1%.

Customized Services: Choose Zhongshen’s Agency Plan According to Products and Target Countries

In addition to electronic products exported to Vietnam,Zhongshen also provides customized services for different products and target countries: for mechanical products exported to the EU,it focuses on dealing with CE certification and RoHS directives; for textiles exported to Southeast Asia,it focuses on handling certificate of origin and quota management.Mr.Zheng said that they will formulate an exclusive service list according to the customer’s product type and target country policies.For example,for a customer’s clothing exported to Malaysia,Zhongshen helped apply for zero tariff under RCEP,saving nearly RMB 25,000 in costs for a single batch of goods.

If you are a small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprise wanting to reduce export barriers and improve efficiency,you may contact Supervisor Meng of Zhongshen to customize an agency plan according to your products and target countries.After all,20 years of industry experience can help you avoid many detours.