---
title: "Full Process Breakdown and Practical Key Points of Import and Export Agency Services - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "The global foreign trade market continues to recover in 2026，and the demand for professional agency services among small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises is increasing year by year. However，most enterprises have vague awareness of the full process of import and export agency，and often suffer from cargo detention or fund delay due to omissions in links. Director Fang from Zhongshen pointed out that sorting out the core processes of agency services and clarifying the risk control points..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/agency-knowledge/import-export-agency-service-full-process-analysis-and-practical-points.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Agent Knowledge"
datePublished: "2026-10-04"
dateModified: "2026-10-04"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/14kdVJWSjGXQW.webp"
---

# Full Process Breakdown and Practical Key Points of Import and Export Agency Services

## Full Sorting of Core Processes of Import and Export Agency

Mr.Shi,who is engaged in foreign trade,encountered trouble recently.After a batch of chemical products arrived at the port,the MSDS report in the customs clearance documents failed to meet the new 2026 customs requirements,leading to order rejection.This not only incurred detention fees of hundreds of yuan per day,but also nearly delayed the delivery time with European clients.In fact,such problems can often be avoided in advance through professional import and export agency services.Import and export agency covers the whole chain of foreign trade from order receiving to settlement and tax refund,and the connection of each link directly affects the success or failure of the transaction.Today,we will systematically sort out the core processes of import and export agency,as well as the role of professional agencies in these processes.

![Full Process Breakdown and Practical Key Points of Import and Export Agency Services](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/14kdVJWSjGXQW.webp)

### 1.Early Demand Docking and Scheme Customization

**Stage Objective**: Clarify the cargo attributes and trade demands of clients,match compliant and efficient agency schemes,and avoid deviations in subsequent links.

**Key Actions**:

- Check cargo information in detail,including HS Code,product composition,packaging requirements,special supervision conditions (such as inspection required for dangerous goods and food);
- Confirm trade terms,clarify the division of responsibilities under terms such as FOB and CIF (such as the responsible party for transportation,insurance and customs declaration);
- Understand client demands,including time limit requirements (such as air express,general sea cargo) and capital turnover requirements (such as tax refund speed requirements).

**Common Problems**: Customs declaration errors caused by clients’ vague understanding of HS Code classification,liability disputes caused by deviation in understanding of trade terms,and failure to inform supervision requirements for special goods in advance.

**Role of Zhongshen**: Ms.Ma,the docking specialist,will use the latest 2026 customs HS Code database to automatically match the corresponding code and supervision conditions of the goods.For FOB terms,she will explain the details of "risk transfer after delivery to the carrier" to clients in advance to avoid subsequent disputes over cargo damage.For special goods such as food and dangerous goods,she will confirm the pre-declaration process for inspection at the docking stage to avoid delay caused by supplementary documents after arrival at the port.

### 2.Operation of Customs Declaration and Inspection Links

**Stage Objective**: Smoothly pass the audit of customs and inspection departments,and avoid extra costs caused by cargo detention at the port.

**Key Actions**:

![How Much Time Cost Can Foreign Trade Enterprises Save by Choosing Import and Export Agencies](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/14QVrRHlcxnGE.webp)

- Prepare declaration documents,including bill of lading,invoice,packing list,contract,inspection clearance form (if required),certificate of origin (if required);
- Electronic declaration: submit customs declaration form through China International Trade Single Window,and synchronize inspection declaration;
- Inspection cooperation: if the goods are selected for inspection by customs,arrange special personnel to assist in unpacking and checking the goods on site.

**Common Problems**: Order rejection caused by missing or wrong documents (such as inconsistency between invoice amount and contract),inconsistency between goods and declaration during inspection (such as deviation in specification and quantity),and failure to file in advance for the "electronic ledger network verification" newly implemented in 2026.

**Role of Zhongshen**: The team led by Ms.Cao from the customs declaration group is familiar with the 2026 new customs regulations,and will complete the enterprise electronic ledger filing in advance.Before declaration,the documents will be checked three times (automatic system verification + manual preliminary review + supervisor recheck),with a document accuracy rate of over 99%.In case of inspection,Ms.Cao will bring a full set of documents to cooperate on site.For sensitive goods such as chemical products,she will prepare the Chinese version of MSDS and test reports in advance to reduce inspection time.

### 3.International Transportation and Warehousing Management

**Stage Objective**: Complete cargo transportation safely and efficiently,and avoid cargo damage or difference in warehousing links.

**Key Actions**:

- Transportation scheme selection: choose sea transportation (FCL/LCL),air transportation or land transportation according to the time limit and volume of the goods;
- Booking and packing: book space from cooperative shipping companies/airlines,arrange warehouse packing (such as fumigation and labeling);
- Warehousing management: general cargo storage,bonded cargo supervision,special storage for fragile goods/dangerous goods.

**Common Problems**: Cargo backlog caused by tight space in peak season,food damage caused by improper temperature and humidity control in storage,and punishment by supervision departments due to non-compliance of dangerous goods storage with safety specifications.

**Role of Zhongshen**: Mr.Qi,the transportation supervisor,has long-term cooperation with a number of shipping companies (such as Maersk,COSCO Shipping) and airlines.In the 2026 peak season,he can lock the space in advance,and the freight rate is 10%-15% lower than the average market price.The self-owned storage area is equipped with an automatic temperature and humidity monitoring system,the storage temperature for food goods is maintained at 0-4,and the dangerous goods warehouse complies with the GB 15603-2022 standard and receives regular safety inspections.For fragile goods,custom buffer materials will be used during packing to reduce the damage rate.

### 4.Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment,Foreign Exchange Settlement and Purchase

**Stage Objective**: Complete foreign exchange entry safely and compliantly,settle foreign exchange in time according to client demands,and avoid losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations.

**Key Actions**:

- Foreign exchange entry: after receiving the remittance from overseas clients,declare the source of foreign exchange through the bank;
- Foreign exchange settlement/purchase: settle foreign exchange into RMB according to client demands,or provide foreign exchange purchase services for import clients;
- Fund transfer: transfer the funds after foreign exchange settlement to the account designated by the client,and deduct the agency service fee.

**Common Problems**: Delayed foreign exchange entry (such as wrong declaration information),losses caused by exchange rate fluctuations during foreign exchange settlement,and insufficient quota during import foreign exchange purchase.

**Role of Zhongshen**: We maintain foreign exchange business cooperation with ICBC,CCB and other banks,and the average time for foreign exchange entry is 1-2 working days (the industry average is 3-5 working days).We provide real-time exchange rate query in 2026.For export clients,we will suggest the time of foreign exchange settlement according to the exchange rate trend (such as locking the middle rate when the USD-RMB exchange rate fluctuates).When purchasing foreign exchange for import,we use the group’s foreign exchange quota advantage to solve the problem of small quota foreign exchange purchase for clients.

### 5.Export Tax Refund Declaration and Follow-up

**Stage Objective**: Complete tax refund declaration in time,and accelerate the capital turnover of clients.

**Key Actions**:

- Collect tax refund documents,including tax refund copy of customs declaration form,special VAT invoice,export invoice,foreign exchange receipt voucher;
- Declaration system operation: enter data through the export tax refund declaration system,and generate declaration documents;
- Tax follow-up: after submitting the declaration,follow up the audit progress of the tax department,and deal with doubtful points.

**Common Problems**: The issuance time of the VAT invoice exceeds 90 days from the export date on the customs declaration form (this regulation is still implemented in 2026),the name/quantity of goods on the invoice is inconsistent with that on the customs declaration form,and the doubtful points in tax audit are not handled in time.

**Role of Zhongshen**: Director Fang,the tax refund supervisor,is familiar with the latest 2026 tax refund policy (for example,the tax refund rate for some mechanical and electrical products has been increased from 13% to 16%),and will remind clients of the time node for issuing VAT invoices in advance.Before declaration,he will check the consistency between the invoice and the customs declaration form to ensure 100% matching.After declaration,he will monitor the progress in real time through the tax system.Generally,the tax refund can be completed in 15-20 working days (the average time for clients to declare by themselves is 25-30 working days),which is 5-10 days faster than the industry average.

## Self-operation by Clients vs Zhongshen Agency: Comparison of Core Differences

| Comparison Dimension | Self-operation by Clients | Zhongshen Agency |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customs declaration efficiency | Average 3-5 working days,easy to be delayed due to document errors | Average 1-2 working days,document accuracy rate over 99% |
| Tax refund speed | Average 25-30 working days | Average 15-20 working days,timely policy response |
| Risk prevention and control | Rely on own experience,prone to compliance risks | Team with 20 years of experience,avoid more than 90% of common risks |
| Cost control | No scale advantage,high freight rate/handling fee | Long-term cooperation resources,10%-15% discount on freight rate,no hidden fees |
| Special goods handling | Need to dock with inspection/supervision departments by themselves,unfamiliar with the process | Complete pre-declaration in advance,special goods storage complies with specifications |

## Answers to Common Questions in Import and Export Agency

Many foreign trade enterprises have the following questions when choosing an agency.We provide answers combined with Zhongshen’s service experience:

- **Is there a difference in the scope of agency responsibility under different trade terms?** Yes.For example,under FOB terms,the agency is responsible for domestic transportation,customs declaration and inspection; under CIF terms,the agency is additionally responsible for international transportation and insurance.Ms.Ma,the docking specialist,will clearly list the responsibility list under each term in the scheme to avoid vague areas.
- **What extra documents are needed for import and export agency of dangerous goods?** In addition to conventional customs declaration documents,the Chinese version of MSDS (required to be updated to GHS Revision 6 in 2026),inspection result sheet of dangerous goods packaging performance,and appraisal result sheet of use of transport packaging for outgoing dangerous goods are required.Zhongshen will assist clients to prepare these documents in advance to avoid declaration rejection.
- **Will the export tax refund fund directly go to the client’s account?** Yes.The tax refund will first be transferred to Zhongshen’s tax refund account.After deducting the agency service fee,it will be transferred to the account designated by the client within 3 working days,and the transfer record will be sent to the client for confirmation synchronously.

## Core Value of Choosing Professional Agency

As can be seen from Mr.Shi’s case,each link of import and export agency is related to the success or failure of foreign trade transactions.Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for 20 years,covering the whole process from early docking to final tax refund,and each link is handled by a professional team: Ms.Cao from the customs declaration group is familiar with the 2026 new customs regulations,Mr.Qi,the transportation supervisor,can lock the space in peak season,and Director Fang,the tax refund supervisor,can accelerate capital turnover.These professional capabilities can help clients avoid more than 90% of common risks,while improving efficiency and reducing costs.

If you are looking for a professional import and export agency,you may contact Ms.Ma,the docking specialist of Zhongshen.She will develop an exclusive scheme according to your cargo type and trade demands,and help you solve various problems in foreign trade.

## 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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