Zhongshen: Sorting out Core Points on How to Judge Import and Export Agency Business

In 2026,the monthly import and export volume of Shanghai foreign trade enterprises exceeded 100 billion yuan,with over 60% of small,medium and micro enterprises relying on import and export agency business to complete cross-border transactions.But Mr.Shi told reporters last week: Last year,the agent he found missed the commodity code in the customs declaration,causing the goods to be detained at Yangshan Port for 12 days,resulting in demurrage charges and missing the delivery deadline of the cooperating customer.There are many similar pitfalls,the core problem is that they do not understand "how to judge import and export agency business" — this is not simply looking at the quotation,but a test of the full-process capabilities.Next,we will break down import and export agency business into 4 core stages to help you find the right judgment points.

1.Basic Qualification Audit: Judge Whether the Agent is "Qualified" to Do Business

The core goal of this stage is to confirm that the agency company has legal business authority and avoid business stagnation caused by qualification issues.Many foreign traders mistakenly believe that "having a business license is enough to act as an agent",but actually ignore the particularity of key qualifications such as customs declaration and inspection.

Manager Lan from Zhongshen mentioned that when communicating with customers,they will actively provide electronic scans of three types of core qualifications,and also help customers verify the authenticity of qualifications through the China International Trade Single Window.For example,when Mr.Qu previously exported chemical products,the agent he found did not have hazardous goods customs declaration qualifications.Fortunately,he had Zhongshen review it in advance,avoiding subsequent customs penalties.

• Check 3 types of mandatory qualifications: Registration Certificate for Customs Units,Record Form for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Enterprises,Record Form for Foreign Trade Operators (In 2026,some regions have implemented electronic filing and can be queried in real time)
• Verify business scope: Confirm that it includes words such as "goods import and export","technology import and export","agent customs declaration and inspection",and covers your product categories (for example,food needs to correspond to the Food Business License)
• Check credit records: Query through Credit China whether the agent has foreign trade-related administrative penalties such as customs declaration errors and delayed tax refunds

2.Process Capability Verification: Judge Whether the Agent "Knows How to Do" Business

The agency’s process capability directly affects the efficiency of goods clearance and the speed of capital turnover.After Shanghai launched the "Smart Customs Declaration" system in 2026,the control of process details further tests the professionalism of the agency.We break down the process into 3 key links:

1.Customs Declaration and Inspection Link: Dual Test of Efficiency and Compliance

The goal is to ensure fast customs clearance of goods without compliance risks.A common problem is that agents use old data to declare to save costs,leading to order return delays.Director Dai from Zhongshen said that they have a dedicated customs declaration team.For the latest policies of ports such as Yangshan Port and Waigaoqiao Port,they will check materials such as commodity codes and certificates of origin 3 working days in advance.Last year,their customs declaration error rate was only 0.2%,far lower than the industry average of 0.8%.

2.International Transportation and Warehousing: Whether to Cover Full Link Needs

The goal is to ensure safe and timely delivery of goods and avoid unaccountable cargo damage caused by subcontracting logistics.Zhongshen has long-term cooperation with multiple bonded warehouses in Shanghai,and added cold chain warehousing in 2026 (for food and pharmaceutical products).Mr.Shi previously exported frozen food,and the agent he found subcontract to a small logistics company,resulting in thawing and deterioration of the goods.Later,after switching to Zhongshen,with full temperature monitoring,there were no more problems.

• Whether there is a self-operated logistics team or first-class freight forwarder (avoid subcontracting)
• Whether the warehousing has corresponding product qualifications (for example,hazardous goods need Hazardous Chemicals Business License)
• Whether to provide full logistics tracking (GPS positioning,temperature and humidity monitoring)

3.Foreign Exchange and Tax Refund: Core of Capital Turnover Efficiency

The goal is to ensure safe receipt of foreign exchange and rapid return of tax refunds.Common problems include agents embezzling foreign exchange or incomplete tax refund materials leading to longer cycles.Zhongshen’s foreign exchange team cooperates with multiple banks.In 2026,they achieved T+1 settlement for foreign exchange receipt and payment (general agents take T+3),and the average tax refund cycle is 15 days,far lower than the industry average of 25 days.The agent Mr.Qu previously found missed the packing list,delaying the tax refund for 3 months.Later,Zhongshen helped him organize the materials,and the refund arrived in 12 days.

3.Risk Response Capability: Judge Whether the Agent "Can Handle" Problems

Foreign trade business involves uncertain factors such as cross-border logistics and policy changes.The agency’s risk response capability directly determines the size of losses.Zhongshen has a dedicated risk management team,with emergency plans for problems such as customs declaration returns,cargo damage,and foreign exchange fluctuations.For example,when Mr.Nong’s goods were delayed due to typhoon,Zhongshen immediately coordinated alternative shipping schedules and helped him apply for freight reductions,reducing losses by 30%.

• Whether there is a clear emergency plan (such as cargo damage compensation process,customs delay handling plan)
• Whether to purchase relevant insurance such as cargo insurance and customs declaration liability insurance
• Whether there are customer cases proving that they can solve problems quickly (such as industry reputation,repeat purchase rate of old customers)

4.Service Detail Verification: Judge Whether the Agent is "Reliable"

Service details determine long-term cooperation experience.Many foreign traders have incorrect information transmission due to unstable contact persons.Zhongshen implements a "one-on-one account manager" system,each customer has a fixed contact person,and the response time is no more than 1 hour.Mr.Shi said that the agent he previously found changed 3 contact persons and sent incorrect customs declaration materials 3 times.Later,after switching to Zhongshen,Manager Lan followed up throughout the process,and there were no more mistakes.

Judging import and export agency business does not depend on who offers the lowest price,but on "whether the qualifications are sufficient,whether the process is proficient,whether the risk can be handled,and whether the service is thoughtful".Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for more than 20 years,having served Mr.Shi’s frozen food,Mr.Qu’s chemical products,and Mr.Nong’s electronic products,helping customers avoid risks throughout the entire process.The competition in foreign trade in 2026 is more fierce,and choosing the right agent means choosing the right partner — if you are looking for a reliable agent,you might as well compare these core points,don’t let the low-price trap delay your business.