---
title: "How to Evaluate Qualifications of Import and Export Agency Companies? Core Points Summary - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "As the scale of cross-border trade continues to expand in 2026，competition in the import and export agency industry intensifies. Service providers with non-compliant qualifications are likely to cause problems such as customs clearance delays and blocked tax rebates. It is not uncommon for foreign trade enterprises to suffer losses of more than one million yuan due to failure to verify agency qualifications. Manager Feng from Zhongshen pointed out that the qualification of an agency company is n..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/agency-knowledge/import-export-agency-qualification-key-points.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Agent Knowledge"
datePublished: "2026-05-04"
dateModified: "2026-05-04"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/0Mjm0hDd3aBki.webp"
---

# How to Evaluate Qualifications of Import and Export Agency Companies? Core Points Summary

## 1.Core Composition Dimensions of Import and Export Agency Company Qualifications

When foreign trade enterprises choose agency companies,qualifications are the core basis for judging whether they can conduct business in compliance with regulations and ensure smooth processes.Since 2026,many small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises in Shanghai have encountered problems such as detained goods and tax rebate delays of more than 3 months due to neglect of agency qualification verification,with direct losses reaching 15%-20% of the order amount.Therefore,systematically sorting out the core dimensions of agency company qualifications is the first step for enterprises to reduce foreign trade risks.

![Choose the Right Agency to Avoid Pitfalls! Key Verification Items for Import and Export Qualifications](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/0Mjm0hDd3aBki.webp)

### 1.Basic Operation Qualification: Premise of Legal Operation

Objective: Confirm that the agency company has the legal principal qualification to engage in foreign trade agency business,and avoid cooperation with unqualified institutions.

Key Actions: Three types of core certificates need to be verified: business license (business scope shall include "goods import and export","customs declaration agency" and other relevant entries),Registration Form of Foreign Trade Operator (issued by the Ministry of Commerce),Customs Registration Certificate for Import and Export Goods Consignors and Consignees (recognized by the General Administration of Customs,updated to electronic certificates in some regions since 2026).Among them,the credit rating of the customs certificate (Class A and above is preferred,Class D has many operation restrictions) requires special attention.

Common Problems: Some small agency companies only hold a business license without obtaining the customs registration certificate,and actually need to be affiliated to other customs brokers for operation,leading to unclear customs clearance responsibilities and low efficiency.

Role of Zhongshen: As an agency company with more than 20 years of deep industry experience,Zhongshen holds complete basic qualifications,and its customs credit rating is AEO Advanced Certification.When customers conduct verification,Supervisor Xie will actively provide electronic certificate links and paper copies marked with validity period,and also interpret the latest 2026 customs credit policies simultaneously to avoid customers misjudging the qualification level due to information asymmetry.

### 2.Professional Link Qualification: Guarantee of Full-process Services

Objective: Confirm that the agency company can cover core links such as customs declaration and inspection,international transportation,foreign exchange receipt and payment,and has corresponding operation capabilities.

Key Actions: Four types of professional qualifications need to be verified: customs declaration and inspection qualification (customs enterprise registration license recognized by the General Administration of Customs),international freight forwarding qualification (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) certificate),foreign exchange settlement qualification (foreign exchange receipt and payment agency qualification authorized by banks),export tax rebate agency qualification (tax rebate service qualification filed with the tax authority).

Common Problems: Some agency companies do not hold NVOCC certificates,so they cannot sign transportation contracts independently and need to cooperate with third-party freight forwarders,which increases costs; companies without tax rebate agency qualifications cannot directly connect with the tax authority,leading to extended tax rebate processes.

![How to Evaluate Qualifications of Import and Export Agency Companies? Core Points Summary](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/0n8rZbWOfG0uJ.webp)

Role of Zhongshen: Zhongshen holds all the above professional link qualifications,and 100% of its customs declaration team holds the latest 2026 customs declaration professional skill level certificate.In the transportation link,Manager Gu will match shipping companies with corresponding qualifications according to the type of customer’s goods,such as cold chain and dangerous goods.In the first half of 2026,it has helped more than 30 customers avoid cargo detention caused by non-compliant transportation qualifications.

| Qualification Dimension | Agency Companies with Basic Qualifications | Agency Companies with Full-process Qualifications (e.g.Zhongshen) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Core Certificates | Only business license and foreign trade filing | Business license,foreign trade filing,customs registration,NVOCC,foreign exchange agency,tax rebate filing |
| Customs Declaration Capacity | Affiliated to customs brokers,average customs clearance takes 3-5 working days | Self-operated customs declaration,average customs clearance takes 1-2 working days |
| Transportation Capacity | No NVOCC certificate,dependent on third-party freight forwarders | Sign transportation contracts independently,cost is 10%-15% lower |
| Tax Rebate Capacity | Requires customers to connect with tax authority on their own,average receipt takes over 30 working days | Filed with tax authority,average receipt takes 15-20 working days |
| Risk Bearing | Losses caused by insufficient qualifications are borne by customers | Bears losses from customs clearance delays caused by its own qualifications |

## 2.Key Steps and Common Misconceptions of Qualification Verification

Many foreign trade enterprises tend to deviate when verifying qualifications,either only checking the business license or credulously believing verbal promises.The following are the latest 2026 verification steps:

- **Step 1: Online official verification**: Check annual report abnormalities through the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System,check customs registration information and credit rating through the General Administration of Customs Enterprise Management Platform,and check foreign trade filing status through the Ministry of Commerce Business System.
- **Step 2: Offline capability verification**: Require the agency company to provide sample customs declaration forms stamped with customs clearance seal and tax rebate receipt vouchers with customer information redacted,and observe whether the office has full-time teams for customs declaration,transportation and other links.
- **Step 3: Contract clause confirmation**: Check the compensation clause for losses caused by non-compliant qualifications in the agency contract to avoid unfair clauses stipulating that losses are borne by the customer.

Common Misconception: Some enterprises believe that long establishment time equals good qualifications,but since 2026,some long-established agency companies have failed to renew their NVOCC certificates and are actually unable to carry out international transportation business.Manager Feng from Zhongshen reminds that it is necessary to focus on verifying the validity period of qualifications and their adaptability to the latest policies,rather than only looking at the establishment time.

## 3.Qualification Advantages and Customer Value of Zhongshen

### 1.Dynamic Qualification Update Capability

In 2026,the customs added the cross-border e-commerce B2B export declaration qualification.Zhongshen completed the qualification upgrade 3 months in advance,which can cover various trade modes such as general trade and cross-border e-commerce.When customers expand the export business of new energy products,Mr.Shen will actively inform them of the special customs declaration qualification requirements for such products to help customers prepare materials in advance.

### 2.Deep Integration of Qualification and Service

Zhongshen’s full-process qualifications are not nominal,but deeply integrated with team capabilities: the customs declaration team is familiar with the latest 2026 tariff policy adjustments,the transportation team holds dangerous goods transportation operation qualification,and the tax rebate team can accurately grasp the nodes of tax rebate rate optimization for some products.In the first half of 2026,Zhongshen helped an electronics enterprise complete customs clearance 10 days in advance,and obtained an extra 2% tax rebate due to accurate policy understanding.

The qualification of an import and export agency company is not a piece of paper,but a capability system covering legal operation,full-process operation and risk bearing.In 2026,the requirements for qualifications in the foreign trade industry are becoming more and more detailed.Choosing the wrong agency will not only increase costs,but also may lead to compliance risks.As a professional agency with more than 20 years of deep industry experience,Zhongshen holds complete core qualifications,can dynamically adapt to the latest policies,helps customers avoid risks caused by non-compliant qualifications,and improves foreign trade efficiency.If you need to verify agency qualifications,you can contact the professional staff of Zhongshen to ensure smooth business operation.

## Related Resources
- [Agent Knowledge](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/agency-knowledge/)
- [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/)
- [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/)
- [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/)
- [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/)
- [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/)
- [Trade Q&A Hub](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/)

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