Full Process Analysis of Entrusted Import and Export Agency Companies, Practical Guide

Entrusted Import and Export Agency Companies: Full Process Breakdown and Practical Operation Guide

In the 2026 Shanghai foreign trade market,small,medium and micro enterprises often fall into difficulties due to complicated customs declaration and inspection processes,high compliance requirements for foreign exchange receipt and payment,and long export tax refund cycles when carrying out import and export business independently.Entrusting a professional import and export agency company allows enterprises to focus on their core business and hand over foreign trade links to a team with relevant expertise.Next,we will systematically sort out the core processes of entrusted import and export agency combined with the practical operation experience of Zhongshen.

1.Pre-phase Demand Communication and Solution Customization: Accurately Match Enterprise Needs

The core goal of this stage is to clarify the customer’s business type and cargo attributes to avoid deviations in subsequent processes.

• Key Actions: Customers need to submit basic documents such as trade contracts,cargo lists and invoices; Manager Zhu’s team at Zhongshen will review the documents immediately,focusing on confirming the HS code of the goods and regulatory conditions (such as whether commodity inspection and quota are required),meanwhile communicate the composition of agency fees and service cycle,and finally sign an agency agreement with clear rights and responsibilities.
• Common Problems: Some customers are not familiar with the classification of HS codes,and are prone to submitting wrong codes which lead to customs clearance delays; some enterprises also have fee disputes in the later stage due to vague terms in the agency agreement.
• Role of Zhongshen: Manager Zhu’s team has 20 years of industry experience,and can accurately determine the HS codes of different goods,such as the sub-codes of chemical products and electronic products; the agency agreement will clearly mark details such as "division of responsibility for customs declaration delays" and "foreign exchange settlement handling fees" to avoid misunderstandings between both parties.

2.Customs Declaration,Inspection and Logistics Connection: Ensure Smooth Customs Clearance and Shipment of Goods

This is the core link of entrusted agency,which directly affects whether the goods can arrive at the port on time.

• Key Actions: Manager Yao is responsible for customs declaration and inspection,and needs to prepare a full set of documents such as packing lists,bills of lading and certificates of origin.If the goods require commodity inspection,he will coordinate with testing institutions in advance; Supervisor Dai is responsible for logistics connection,selecting sea,air or land transportation according to the type of goods,and meanwhile docking with local Shanghai warehousing teams to provide temporary storage services.
• Common Problems: Incomplete documents lead to customs return of documents; goods are inconsistent with the declaration information during inspection; tight shipping space in peak seasons delays the sailing schedule.

3.Foreign Exchange Receipt,Payment and Settlement: Complete Capital Flow Safely and Efficiently

The foreign exchange link involves compliance requirements,and a slight mistake may lead to capital freezing.

• Key Actions: Customers can choose to use Zhongshen’s foreign exchange account to receive payments,or provide their own accounts; Supervisor Zhan is responsible for verifying that the foreign exchange amount is consistent with the contract and invoice,and handles foreign exchange settlement (at the best daily bank exchange rate) after confirming that the source of foreign exchange is compliant.
• Common Problems: Incomplete foreign exchange source certificates lead to bank refusal of payment; exchange rate fluctuations during settlement cause losses; delayed foreign exchange arrival affects the capital turnover of enterprises.
• Role of Zhongshen: Supervisor Zhan is familiar with the latest 2026 policies of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange,and can assist customers in preparing "certificates of foreign exchange source under trade items" (such as bills of lading and packing lists); when handling settlement,he will compare the real-time exchange rates of 3 banks and choose the most favorable time to operate,reducing exchange rate losses.

4.Export Tax Refund and Follow-up: Quickly Recover Enterprise Funds

Export tax refund is an important profit source for foreign trade enterprises,and shortening the tax refund cycle can improve capital use efficiency.

• Key Actions: Supervisor Lu is responsible for collecting documents required for tax refund (tax refund copy of customs declaration form,special VAT invoice,export exchange verification form,etc.),and declares to the tax authority after verifying that the information is correct; meanwhile,he follows up the tax refund arrival status and feeds back the progress to customers every 3 working days.
• Common Problems: The goods name and quantity on the VAT invoice are inconsistent with those on the customs declaration form; tax refund declaration materials are missing; the tax refund cycle for some enterprises exceeds 3 months.
• Role of Zhongshen: Supervisor Lu’s team has professional tax specialists,who can check the information on the VAT invoice and customs declaration form in advance to ensure consistency; the tax refund cycle for local Shanghai enterprises can usually be shortened to 15-20 working days,about 10 days faster than enterprises’ independent declaration.

Core Value of Entrusted Import and Export Agency: Differentiated Advantages of Zhongshen

Many enterprises face low efficiency and high risks when handling import and export business independently,due to unfamiliarity with policies and lack of resources.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,with professional supervisors in charge of each link,which can help customers:

• Avoid compliance risks: Teams led by Manager Zhu and Manager Yao are familiar with the latest 2026 policies of Shanghai Port,and can avoid penalties caused by document errors and wrong code declaration;
• Improve efficiency: The average cycle of customs declaration and inspection is 2 days faster than the industry average,and the export tax refund cycle is shortened by 30%;
• Save costs: We have long-term cooperation with a number of shipping companies and banks,and can obtain more favorable logistics prices and foreign exchange settlement rates.

If you are considering entrusting an import and export agency company,you may contact Zhongshen,and let our professional team help you sort out the process,avoid risks,and focus on the development of your core business.