Full Analysis of Business Scope of Import and Export Agency Companies, Core Service Process Sorting

In 2026,foreign trade enterprises are facing a more complex competitive environment — fragmentation of cross-border e-commerce orders and shorter order cycles for traditional foreign trade have led many enterprises to frequently encounter problems in customs declaration efficiency,tax refund speed,foreign exchange compliance and other links.Many small and medium-sized foreign trade practitioners like Mr.Liu find that exploring the entire foreign trade process on their own is not only time-consuming,but also easily leads to losses due to untimely policy updates.Whether the business scope of an import and export agency covers core links of the whole chain directly determines whether it can help customers avoid risks and improve efficiency.Next,we will systematically sort out the core service scope of import and export agencies.

Core Process Decomposition of Business Scope of Import and Export Agency Companies

1.Preliminary Demand Docking and Customized Solutions

Objective: Accurately match customer needs and avoid subsequent problems caused by vague service scope.

Key Actions: A dedicated consultant docks with the customer,investigates product characteristics (e.g.regulatory differences between chemical products and electronic products),trade models (cross-border e-commerce B2C/B2B,traditional general trade),target markets (Europe,North America,Southeast Asia,etc.),and develops a customized solution based on the latest 2026 foreign trade policies.

Common Problems: Customers have vague understanding of "whether the agency scope includes specific product certification" and "service differences under different trade models"; some enterprises have deviations in scheme design because they do not know that China Customs upgraded the control over "three-no products" in 2026.

Value of Zhongshen: We have established a "Customer Demand Survey Form" covering 12 core indicators (product HS code,certification requirements,transportation preference,etc.); we proactively match corresponding services for e-commerce customers in response to the new "simplified declaration for cross-border e-commerce retail export" policy launched in Shanghai Free Trade Zone in 2026; we once helped Mr.Liu from an electronic accessories enterprise sort out a combined scheme of "3C certification + advance customs declaration",avoiding order breach caused by certification delay.

2.Customs Declaration,Inspection and International Transportation Services

Objective: Ensure goods clear customs quickly and compliantly,and guarantee transportation timeliness.

Key Actions: Verify customs declaration documents (bill of lading,invoice,packing list,certificate of origin,etc.),declare through Customs "Single Window",coordinate with inspection authorities to complete cargo inspection,select sea/air/rail transportation and book shipping space according to cargo volume and timeliness requirements.

Common Problems: Document rejection caused by inconsistent information between documents and actual goods; tight shipping space on some routes and large freight rate fluctuations in 2026; special cargo such as lithium batteries cannot be shipped normally due to transportation restrictions.

Value of Zhongshen: We have set up a special "Document Review Team",with a document passing rate of 99.2% since 2026; we integrate core port resources such as Shanghai Port and Yangshan Port,and lock shipping space in advance for peak seasons; for special cargo such as lithium batteries,we complete "Air Transport Identification Report" in advance,and once helped Manager Zhang from a new energy enterprise solve the air transport restriction problem,ensuring the cargo arrived at the European market on time.

3.Warehouse Management and Logistics Supporting Services

Objective: Ensure safe cargo storage and realize seamless "warehousing-transportation" connection.

Key Actions: Select warehousing resources in Shanghai Free Trade Zone/Lingang New Area (ordinary warehouse,cold chain warehouse,dangerous goods warehouse) according to cargo volume and characteristics,and provide services including cargo storage,sorting and packing,labeling and re-labeling,domestic door-to-door distribution,etc.

Common Problems: Insufficient warehouse space in peak seasons; deterioration of food,medicine and other cargo caused by improper temperature and humidity control; cargo damage in domestic distribution links.

Value of Zhongshen: We own 5,000㎡ exclusive warehouse in Shanghai,and added an intelligent warehousing system in 2026,which improved sorting efficiency by 40%; we provide whole-process cold chain monitoring for fresh food (temperature maintained at 0-4℃),and once helped Manager Rao from a fresh food e-commerce avoid 120,000 RMB loss caused by cargo deterioration; we cooperate with more than 20 domestic logistics providers to provide "next-day delivery" and "same-day delivery" services covering core cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

4.Foreign Exchange Collection,Payment,Settlement and Purchase Services

Objective: Complete capital flow compliantly and efficiently,and reduce the risk of exchange rate fluctuation.

Key Actions: Assist customers to open foreign exchange accounts (if required),review foreign exchange collection and payment documents,complete payment and collection of goods through banking systems,handle foreign exchange settlement/purchase according to customer requirements,and complete declaration with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).

Common Problems: SAFE upgraded the verification of "trade authenticity" in 2026,many enterprises have delayed foreign exchange collection and payment due to incomplete documents; profit shrinkage caused by exchange rate fluctuation; refusal of payment due to discrepancies in letter of credit settlement.

Value of Zhongshen: We hold compliant foreign exchange collection and payment qualification,and connect with banks’ "fast settlement channel",which shortens the settlement arrival time to T+1 in 2026; we provide "exchange rate locking" service,once helped General Manager Zhan from a foreign trade enterprise lock the exchange rate at 6.2,avoiding 80,000 RMB loss caused by exchange rate decline; we set up a "Letter of Credit Review Team",and the refusal rate of letters of credit has dropped to below 0.5% since 2026.

• Confirm customer’s payment method (letter of credit,T/T,PayPal,etc.) in advance to avoid failure of foreign exchange collection and payment caused by inconsistent payment terms
• In 2026,SAFE requires that foreign exchange declaration must match real trade background,and complete trade documents (bill of lading,contract,invoice,etc.) must be retained
• When settling foreign exchange,select real-time exchange rate or locked exchange rate according to customer requirements to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuation on profits
• For cross-border e-commerce customers,we can provide "centralized foreign exchange collection and payment" service to simplify the operation process

5.Export Tax Refund Declaration and Follow-up Services

Objective: Complete tax refund quickly and compliantly,and improve capital turnover efficiency.

Key Actions: Collect tax refund documents (special VAT invoice,customs declaration,bill of lading,etc.),submit applications through the tax bureau’s "export tax refund declaration system",coordinate with the tax bureau to complete verification,and follow up the progress of tax refund arrival.

Common Problems: Tax refund delay caused by inconsistent information between VAT invoice and customs declaration; some products’ tax refund rate adjusted in 2026 (e.g.the refund rate of some mechanical and electrical products increased from 13% to 15%),but enterprises did not update information in time; inability to provide complete trade chain proof during tax bureau verification.

Value of Zhongshen: Our professional tax refund team is familiar with the latest 2026 export tax refund policies,sorts out the "tax refund document list" in advance,and ensures 99% document accuracy; we connect with Shanghai Tax Bureau’s "tax refund green channel",and the average tax refund arrival time is shortened to 15 working days; for tax bureau verification,we provide complete supporting documents from order signing to cargo delivery,and once helped Ms.Yuan from a machinery manufacturing enterprise pass the verification smoothly,with the tax refund arrival time 7 days shorter than the industry average.

From early scheme customization to later tax refund follow-up,the business scope of import and export agency covers core pain points of the entire foreign trade chain.With over 20 years of deep cultivation in the industry,Zhongshen has a professional team to control every link — we organized 12 internal trainings in advance for the 2026 customs policy update,and customized exclusive service packages for customers from different industries (cross-border e-commerce,traditional manufacturing,new energy enterprises).Through Zhongshen’s agency services,the electronic enterprise where Mr.Liu works not only shortened the customs clearance time by 30%,but also got tax refund more timely,saving about 150,000 RMB of time cost and compliance risk cost in the whole year.Choosing a professional import and export agency can help foreign trade enterprises focus on their core business and improve competitiveness in the complex market environment.