What Are the Required Conditions for Doing Foreign Trade? 2026 Latest Practical Key Points Organized

5 Core Conditions for Doing Foreign Trade and Corresponding Solutions

In March 2026,Ms.Zheng from a garment foreign trade company in Shanghai received an EU order with a goods value of 800,000 euros.However,the goods were detained by German customs due to document errors,and she failed to obtain the tax refund due to incomplete tax refund materials,resulting in a loss of more than 100,000 RMB.This situation accounts for more than 40% of foreign trade enterprises in Shanghai in 2026,and the core cause is vague understanding of the required conditions for doing foreign trade,especially the practical details of key links.The following are solutions for core pain points:

Solution 1: Document Compliance – Core Premise to Avoid Customs Clearance Delay

Problem: Ms.Zheng’s consignee information on the bill of lading was inconsistent with that on the customs declaration,leading to goods detention by German customs; Cause: In 2026,EU customs increased the requirement for document consistency by 30%,and the goods detention rate for incorrect documents reaches 28%.

Solution: Entrust Zhongshen to conduct pre-audit of documents

What it is: Zhongshen’s document team conducts cross-audit on 12 types of documents including bill of lading,packing list,invoice,certificate of origin 3 days before goods shipment;

Why it works: The team has more than 15 years of EU customs clearance experience,is familiar with the latest 2026 document specifications,and the error recognition rate reaches 99%;

How to implement:

• Ms.Zheng provides all electronic copies of documents to Supervisor Xiao,the account manager of Zhongshen;
• Supervisor Xiao completes the initial review within 3 hours,and marks errors (such as consignee information,HS code);
• After modification,a second review is conducted,and a is issued after confirmation of no errors.

Solution 2: Tax Refund Qualification – The Key to Guaranteed Capital Return

Problem: Ms.Zheng failed to complete export tax refund filing in advance,and the commodity name on the input invoice was inconsistent with that on the customs declaration,so her tax refund application was rejected;Cause: In 2026,tax authorities upgraded audit requirements,delayed filing or inconsistent information will lead to a 20% reduction in tax refund rate or even no tax refund approval.

Solution: Zhongshen assists in completing the whole process of tax refund

What it is: We provide one-stop service from filing to tax refund arrival,including input invoice authentication,customs declaration matching,and tax refund declaration;

Why it works: We have established a green channel with Shanghai tax authorities,and the average tax refund arrival time in 2026 is shortened to 7 working days (the industry average is 15 working days);

Specific operations are as follows:

Solution 3: Logistics Adaptation – Meet Transportation Requirements of Different Markets

Problem: Ms.Zheng chose ordinary sea freight without considering EU port congestion,resulting in 10 days arrival delay,and the customer claimed 5% of the goods value as compensation;Cause: In 2026,the congestion rate of ports such as Rotterdam and Hamburg reaches 18%,and the delay rate of ordinary sea freight exceeds 35%.

Solution: Zhongshen provides customized differentiated logistics solutions

What it is: We provide solutions including sea freight (FCL/LCL),air freight,rail intermodal transport according to destination,goods value and timeliness requirements;

Why it works: We cooperate with 12 global leading shipping companies and airlines,and have 20% priority space guarantee in 2026,with a delay rate 10 percentage points lower than the industry average;

How to implement:

• General Manager Jiang (Logistics Supervisor of Zhongshen) communicates requirements: EU order,required arrival within 15 days;
• Customized rail-sea intermodal solution (Shanghai - Xi’an railway + Hamburg sea freight),100% space confirmation rate;
• Track logistics trajectory,provide real-time feedback,and assist customs clearance after arrival.

Solution 4: Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment – Avoid Exchange Rate Fluctuation Risks

Problem: The exchange rate of EUR against RMB dropped from 1:7.2 to 1:7.0 for Ms.Zheng’s order,resulting in a loss of more than 16,000 euros;Cause: In 2026,the fluctuation range of EUR against RMB reaches 8%,and the loss rate of enterprises without hedging reaches 30%.

Solution: Zhongshen provides foreign exchange hedging services

What it is: We cooperate with banks to provide hedging tools such as forward foreign exchange settlement and foreign exchange options;

Why it works: We helped clients avoid more than 20 million RMB in exchange rate losses in 2026,with an average hedging gain of 1.2%;

How to implement:

• Ms.Yu (Foreign Exchange Specialist of Zhongshen) analyzes the trend of EUR exchange rate;
• Recommends choosing forward foreign exchange settlement and locks the exchange rate at 1:7.15;
• Settle foreign exchange at the locked exchange rate after order collection to avoid losses.

Solution 5: Compliance Qualification – Meet Target Market Access Requirements

Problem: Ms.Zheng’s garments failed to provide EU OEKO-TEX certification,so the customer required a 10% price reduction;Cause: In 2026,the EU upgraded environmental certification requirements for textiles,and the access rate of products without certification is only 40%.

Solution: Zhongshen assists in handling target market certification

What it is: We connect with 15 global certification bodies and provide certification services including OEKO-TEX,CE,FDA,etc.;

Why it works: We assisted more than 300 enterprises to complete certification in 2026,with a passing rate of 95%;

How to implement:

• General Manager Jin (Certification Specialist of Zhongshen) confirms that baby garments require OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification;
• Assist in preparing samples and test reports,and connect with the certification body;
• Obtain the certification certificate within 30 working days,meeting the customer’s requirements.

In 2026,doing foreign trade requires not only basic qualifications (business license,foreign trade operator filing),but also a focus on practical capabilities of core links.After Ms.Zheng entrusted Zhongshen,her customs clearance and tax refund problems were solved,exchange rate losses were avoided,and her subsequent order volume increased by more than 20%.Choosing professional agency service can help foreign trade enterprises effectively reduce risks and improve efficiency.