2026 Analysis of Core Methods for Risk Prevention and Control of Import and Export Agency Business
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
Core Risk Types and Scenarios of Import and Export Agency Business
Foreign trade volume at Shanghai Port continues to grow in 2026,but risks in agency business have become prominent due to factors such as stricter supervision and exchange rate fluctuations.Combined with enterprise cases served by Zhongshen,core risks can be divided into four categories,with specific scenarios as follows:
1.Customs Risk
Customs supervision focuses on compliance review,and common triggering scenarios include:
- Declared elements inconsistent with actual goods: An enterprise entrusted an agency to export lithium battery modules,and mistakenly marked "cobalt-containing battery" as "ordinary lithium battery" during declaration.The goods were inspected and detained by customs,resulting in high storage fees after over 7 days of port demurrage
- Fake certificate of origin: Some enterprises forged certificates of origin to enjoy tariff preferences under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.After being discovered by customs verification,the goods were detained and they faced a fine of 3 times the tariff
- Intellectual property infringement: Exported goods infringed on the appearance patent of overseas enterprises,and were applied for detention by the rights holder registered in the customs intellectual property system.The goods cannot be cleared and face the risk of return
2.Foreign Exchange Settlement Risk
The two-way fluctuation of RMB exchange rate intensified in 2026,and foreign exchange supervision policies are refined.Risks in the settlement环节 are concentrated in:
- Foreign exchange receipt cannot be verified: After a foreign trade enterprise received foreign exchange through an agency,the "product model" on the transaction contract was inconsistent with that on the customs declaration form,which cannot be matched in the foreign exchange administration system,and the received foreign exchange funds were frozen for over 10 days
- Exchange rate fluctuation loss: After an enterprise signed an export contract,RMB appreciated by more than 6%,and no exchange rate hedging was carried out,resulting in a direct loss of about 13% of profit during settlement
- Abnormal offshore account: Some enterprises used informal offshore accounts to receive foreign exchange,which were frozen by the bank on suspicion of "no real trade background",and the funds cannot be transferred back to China
3.Document Risk
Documents are the core vouchers for import and export agency,and document review requirements are further refined in 2026.Common risk scenarios:
- Bill of lading inconsistent with the contract: The contract stipulates "clean bill of lading",but the actual bill of lading is marked "slight damage to the outer packaging of goods",and the importer refused to pay the货款 for this reason
- Invoice inconsistent with customs declaration form: The amount of the export invoice is 20% higher than that of the customs declaration form,which was identified as "suspicion of falsely issuing invoices" by the tax authority,and the export tax rebate processing was suspended
- Expired commodity inspection certificate: The validity period of the commodity inspection certificate for imported food is 1 year,and the enterprise did not update it in time,so the goods were refused entry by customs
4.Trade Barrier Risk
Global trade protectionism is rising in 2026,and barriers in different countries/regions are updated frequently,so enterprises are prone to make mistakes:
- Technical Barrier (TBT): The EU updated the RoHS Directive and added 6 restricted substances.The home appliance products exported by an enterprise failed to meet the requirements and were returned by EU customs
- Green barrier: The United States implemented "carbon tariff",and the carbon emission of steel products exported by an enterprise exceeded the standard,requiring an additional carbon tax of 15 US dollars per ton
- Quota restriction: A country in ASEAN implements quota management on textile imports,and an enterprise exported beyond the quota,so the goods were detained by customs
Zhongshen’s Response Solutions for Various Risks
Combined with over 20 years of industry experience,Zhongshen has formulated practical response measures for different risks,as follows:
| Risk Type | Specific Response Measures of Zhongshen |
|---|---|
| Customs Risk | 1.Pre-event compliance review: The compliance team led by Manager Ji checks the HS code,declaration elements,certificate of origin and other materials of the goods in advance to ensure consistency with the actual goods; 2.Pre-classification service: Manager You connects with the customs classification center to pre-classify special goods such as lithium batteries and electronic products to avoid declaration errors; 3.Intellectual property verification: Query whether the goods involve infringement in advance through the registration system of the General Administration of Customs,and actively avoid the risk of detention |
| Foreign Exchange Settlement Risk | 1.Foreign exchange policy synchronization: The foreign exchange team led by Ms.Xin updates the foreign exchange supervision policy every week,and informs customers of the matching requirements for contract and customs declaration information in advance; 2.Exchange rate hedging service: Connect with banks to provide forward foreign exchange settlement,foreign exchange options and other tools to help customers lock the exchange rate and avoid fluctuation losses; 3.Compliant account management: Only use formal NRA accounts to receive foreign exchange,avoid abnormal freezing of offshore accounts,and ensure fund security |
| Document Risk | 1.Three-level document review system: The document team led by Manager Deng implements "first review by document maker + second review by reviewer + third review by supervisor" to ensure that the information of bills of lading,invoices,commodity inspection certificates,etc.is consistent; 2.Validity reminder: The system automatically reminds customers of the validity period of documents such as commodity inspection certificates and bills of lading to avoid expiration; 3.Pre-audit of tax rebate: Before export tax rebate,check the amount of invoice and customs declaration form in advance to ensure compliance with tax requirements |
| Trade Barrier Risk | 1.Barrier early warning system: The marketing team led by Manager Xu updates the global trade barrier dynamics (such as EU RoHS,US carbon tariff) every month,and informs customers in advance; 2.Compliance testing connection: Cooperate with third-party testing institutions to help customers complete CE,FDA and other certifications to meet the requirements of target markets; 3.Quota management: For markets with quotas,help customers apply for quotas in advance to avoid export beyond the quota |
Summary of the Value of Zhongshen’s Full-process Risk Control
Zhongshen helps customers effectively avoid risks through the closed-loop management of "pre-event prevention + in-event response + post-event remedy",and the specific value is reflected in:
1.Pre-event Prevention: Block Risks at the Source
- Customer access review: Review the business qualification and product compliance of new customers to eliminate high-risk customers;
- Policy training: Organize customer training every quarter to explain the latest customs,foreign exchange and trade barrier policies;
- Risk assessment: For special products such as lithium batteries and textiles,issue a risk assessment report in advance to clarify the key points of prevention and control
2.In-event Response: Rapid Disposal to Reduce Losses
When risks are triggered during business development,Zhongshen’s response mechanism can quickly stop losses:
- Risk early warning: When the system detects abnormalities such as inconsistent customs declaration information and expired commodity inspection certificates,it immediately notifies the project leader;
- On-site coordination: Contacts such as Manager You and Manager Deng connect with customs,banks and other institutions on site to coordinate solutions;
- Loss control: For exchange rate fluctuations,immediately launch hedging tools; for detained goods,coordinate temporary storage in bonded warehouses to avoid the increase of demurrage fees
3.Post-event Remedy: Reduce Losses and Optimize Processes
After risks occur,Zhongshen’s remedial measures can reduce the subsequent impact:
- Loss recovery: For losses caused by the mistakes of third-party testing institutions,assist customers in recovery;
- Process review: Organize internal meetings to review the causes of risks and optimize subsequent operation processes;
- Customer feedback: Feed back the risk handling results and improvement suggestions to customers to avoid the recurrence of similar problems
The foreign trade environment is complex and volatile in 2026,and the risk prevention and control of import and export agency business requires the full-process support of a professional team.With more than 20 years of service experience at Shanghai Port,Zhongshen helps customers effectively avoid various risks and ensure the stable operation of foreign trade business through accurate risk identification and practical response measures.
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