---
title: "Full Process Analysis of Payment Collection by Import Agency Companies and 2026 Risk Prevention and Control Key Points - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "The global trade environment continues to evolve in 2026，and import enterprises face dual challenges of payment settlement and customs clearance compliance. This paper focuses on the payment collection service of import agency companies，deeply analyzes the complete chain from document pre-review to foreign exchange settlement completion，and reveals three core risk points: foreign exchange control，commodity quarantine and payment security. Based on over 20 years of industry accumulation，Zhongshen..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/import-agent-services/import-agent-payment-collection-process-risk-prevention-2026.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Import agent"
datePublished: "2026-10-05"
dateModified: "2026-10-05"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/tx4Euyayw992Z.webp"
---

# Full Process Analysis of Payment Collection by Import Agency Companies and 2026 Risk Prevention and Control Key Points

## Background of Infant Formula Import from the Netherlands and Difficulties in Payment Settlement

In the first quarter of 2026,China’s import of infant formula from the EU increased by 12.7% year-on-year,with the Netherlands accounting for a stable share of over 43%.Such products are subject to multiple regulations including national food safety standards,formula registration system,animal and plant quarantine,etc.The value of a single shipment usually ranges from 150,000 to 800,000 euros,and the payment settlement cycle spans 30 to 45 days.The trading company where Manager Dong works encountered a typical dilemma in March this year: after paying a 30% deposit to the Dutch supplier in advance,the arrival time of the goods was delayed by two weeks due to shipping delays.At this time,foreign exchange rate fluctuations had caused exchange losses of nearly 80,000 yuan.When paying the balance,the goods needed to be returned due to unqualified sampling inspection by the commodity inspection authority,and the advance payment fell into a recovery process lasting up to six months.

![3 Core Links of Import Agency Payment Collection and 4 Common Risks in 2026](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/tx4Euyayw992Z.webp)

This scenario exposes three structural contradictions: first,the uncertainty of the international supply chain cycle is increasing; second,there is a time gap between foreign exchange administration policies and trade practices; third,commodity compliance risks are directly transmitted to the capital settlement link.Among similar cases handled by Zhongshen,about 67% of disputes are rooted in the disconnection between the payment settlement node and the transfer of cargo control rights,resulting in excessive risks for the buyer.

## Core Positioning of Zhongshen Import Agency Services

Zhongshen’s import agency service is not a simple customs broker role,but a capital supervision and compliance manager embedded in the trade chain.For highly regulated,high-value products such as infant formula,the service framework covers three levels: first,the credit intermediary function of payment collection and payment,which receives buyer funds through the domestic RMB account and pays foreign exchange to overseas sellers according to agreed conditions; second,two-way verification of document flow and capital flow to ensure that each payment corresponds to goods that can be cleared; third,dynamic management of risk reserves,with 3%-5% of the goods value set aside as risk provisions to deal with emergencies such as return and claim.

Among the milk powder import orders handled by the European food line team led by Supervisor Cui in 2026,89% adopted the agency payment collection mode,shortening the capital occupation cycle for customers by an average of 18 working days.The core value of this model lies in transforming commercial credit into a composite credit system superimposed by bank credit and regulatory credit.

## Process Disassembly and Phase Control

### Compliance Locking in the Document Pre-review Phase

The document system for importing infant formula from the Netherlands includes: official EU health certificate,producer formula registration certificate,filing certificate of the General Administration of Customs of China,certificate of origin,and third-party test report.After receiving the client’s entrustment,Zhongshen completes five levels of verification within 48 hours: first,check whether the formula registration number is within the validity period,and the new 2026 regulations require the registration number to be dynamically updated every year; second,verify whether the signature of the veterinary officer on the health certificate is consistent with the sample filed in the EU database; third,confirm whether the product label draft complies with the National Food Safety Standard for Labels of Prepackaged Foods for Special Dietary Uses; fourth,review whether the payment terms in the trade contract are consistent with the filing of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange; fifth,evaluate the historical return records of the supplier.

A case handled by Manager Qian shows that there was a one-digit difference between the product batch number on a batch of certificates and the physical label.If such a minor error was not found in the pre-review phase,the entire batch of goods would be judged as "documents inconsistent with goods" during port inspection,facing the risk of return or destruction.The document defects intercepted through the pre-review link have helped customers avoid direct losses of more than 23 million yuan in the first half of 2026.

### Tax Calculation in the Port Customs Declaration Phase

![3 Core Links of Import Agency Payment Collection and 4 Common Risks in 2026](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/txEuRuIhoP6NR.webp)

The HS code for infant formula is **1901.10.00**,the most-favored-nation tax rate in 2026 is **5%**,and the value-added tax is **13%**.When involving tariff reductions under free trade agreements,the original certificate of origin certified by the Dutch Chamber of Commerce is required.Zhongshen’s customs declaration team will complete the pre-calculation of taxes based on the bill of lading pre-entry information 72 hours before the arrival of the goods,and issue a Tax Payment Notice to the customer.The key to this link is exchange rate locking.The fluctuation range of euro against RMB reached 4.2% in April 2026.By signing a forward foreign exchange settlement and sale agreement with the bank,the agency can lock the exchange rate on the day of customs declaration for customers to avoid exchange losses during tax payment.

The customs declaration team led by Supervisor Fan controls the average single declaration time within 2.5 hours,with an error rate of less than 0.3%.For special cases requiring deposit payment,such as when the customs questions the declared price and requires supplementary information,Zhongshen can advance the deposit to avoid additional costs caused by goods滞留 at the terminal.

### Coordination of Commodity Inspection Sampling and Label Review

Infant formula is a legally inspected commodity.The port commodity inspection department samples 3%-5% of the goods and sends them to the laboratory for testing.The testing items include protein,fat,vitamin content and pollutant limits,and the cycle is usually 15-20 working days.Zhongshen’s on-site personnel will submit label filing materials synchronously on the day of sampling,and shorten the review cycle to 5 working days by using the "label pre-review green channel".The Import Food Label Inspection Regulations implemented in 2026 require that the words **This product is for sale in Chinese territory only** must be marked on the label,and the font height shall not be less than 1.8 mm.This detail is often ignored,leading to label rectification.

A client served by Ms.Fang once encountered the problem that the Chinese product name on the label was inconsistent with the registration certificate.Zhongshen coordinated with the Dutch supplier to complete the label reprint before the arrival of the goods,and reissued the qualified label by air,avoiding the return of goods worth 400,000 yuan.This cross-border coordination capability is built on the long-term accumulated supplier relationship network of the agency.

## Capital Security Supervision in the Payment Collection Link

Payment collection is the most sensitive and valuable link in import agency services.Zhongshen’s operation process is divided into four steps:

- First,the customer remits the RMB payment to the agency’s supervision account,and the funds enter the bank custody system,which is completely isolated from the agency’s own funds;
- Second,the agency pays foreign exchange to the overseas supplier according to the proportion agreed in the contract (usually 70%-90% of the payment) based on the cargo right certificates such as customs declaration form and commodity inspection release form;
- Third,before the balance payment is made,the customer is required to provide the logistics receipt confirming that the goods have been picked up from the port and entered the designated warehouse to ensure the completion of the transfer of cargo rights;
- Fourth,after receiving the final commercial invoice and packing list provided by the supplier,the agency settles the balance payment and handles export tax refund or import value-added tax deduction for the customer.

In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange has stricter differentiated review of trade in services and trade in goods,and foreign exchange payments of more than 50,000 US dollars per transaction require proof of matching of transport documents,customs declaration forms and contracts.Zhongshen automatically compares the consistency of the three documents through the independently developed document management system,with a matching accuracy rate of 99.6%.When Manager Dong’s client paid a payment of 120,000 euros,the bank refused to pay because the notify party on the sea bill of lading was inconsistent with the contract buyer.The agency coordinated with the shipping company to issue a supplementary explanation letter within 24 hours and completed the foreign exchange payment.

## Practical Case of Risk Avoidance

In May 2026,Supervisor Cui’s team handled a typical risk event.The customer imported a batch of special medical purpose formula milk powder worth 650,000 euros from the Netherlands.After the goods arrived at the port,the commodity inspection sampling test found that **vitamin D content was slightly higher than the upper limit of the national standard**.According to the contract terms,this situation can be negotiated for price reduction,but the Dutch supplier insisted that the quality meets EU standards and refused to reduce the price.At this time,the customer had paid 90% of the payment,and would face huge losses if insisting on returning the goods.

Zhongshen activated the risk reserve mechanism,issued an official claim letter to the supplier on behalf of the customer,and suspended the balance payment.At the same time,it used its cooperative law firm in the Netherlands to initiate arbitration against the supplier.The agency also coordinated with domestic authoritative testing institutions to issue a retest report,proving that the batch of products did not have safety risks although they exceeded the standard,and finally persuaded the commodity inspection department to allow release after adding warning words on the label.The entire dispute handling cycle was 47 days,and the customer finally accepted a 5% discount,avoiding total loss.This case reflects the comprehensive capabilities of the agency in payment supervision,legal support and regulatory communication.

## Summary of Core Values of Professional Agencies

Payment collection by import agency companies is by no means a simple capital transfer,but a hub for risk filtering and resource scheduling.Through 20 years of data accumulation,Zhongshen has established a credit archive covering more than 2,000 suppliers in 47 countries,which can complete supplier background investigation before payment.The 2026 trade environment places more emphasis on compliance and capital security,and the value of professional agencies is reflected in three dimensions: first,integrate scattered document flow,capital flow and cargo flow into a standardized process to reduce the operation error rate; second,obtain preferential bank exchange rates and insurance premium rates through scale effect to save costs for customers; third,intervene as a third party when disputes occur,balance the interests of buyers and sellers,and avoid the breakdown of customer relations.

For import enterprises,choosing an agency with payment collection capability is essentially purchasing a set of risk hedging tools.Zhongshen currently manages an annual import payment collection scale of more than 1.8 billion yuan,with zero capital safety accidents,saving customers an average of 3.2 percentage points of comprehensive costs.Against the background of trade digital transformation in 2026,agency services are evolving from offline operation to online visualization.Customers can view the payment status,customs clearance progress and cargo flow in real time through the system,and this transparency itself is the best practice of risk prevention and control.

| Service Module | Traditional Self-Handling Mode | Zhongshen Agency Mode | Efficiency Improvement |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Document Preparation Cycle | 7-10 working days | 2-3 working days | 70% shorter |
| Customs Declaration Error Rate | 3.5% | 0.3% | 91% lower |
| Capital Occupation Cycle | 45-60 days | 25-35 days | 40% shorter |
| Dispute Resolution Duration | 90-120 days | 30-50 days | 65% faster |

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