---
title: "In-depth Analysis of the Entire Import and Export Agency Process: Professional Operation Guide for Customs Declaration and Export Tax Refund - Zhongshen Trading China"
description: "As the global trade environment continues to evolve in 2026，enterprises face increasingly complex challenges in customs declaration，inspection and foreign exchange management. This article systematically sorts out the entire process of import and export agency，covering seven core links from document preparation to tax refund completion，and deeply analyzes the key actions and common risks at each node. Based on 20 years of industry practice，it proposes three core values of professional agency ser..."
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/news/import-export-agent-process-guide-bqxubq.html"
language: "en"
type: "Article"
category: "Industry News"
datePublished: "2026-06-27"
dateModified: "2026-06-27"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
image: "https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/fmyrVkpvNCIQM.webp"
---

# In-depth Analysis of the Entire Import and Export Agency Process: Professional Operation Guide for Customs Declaration and Export Tax Refund

## 1.Document Preparation and Compliance Review: The Starting Point of Agency Services

The first hurdle in import and export business is not customs,but the compliance of documents within the enterprise.In 2026,the customs supervision system has been further upgraded,putting forward higher requirements for the logical consistency of documents and the accuracy of data.After receiving an order,Zhongshen will first assign a dedicated customer service supervisor Lei to conduct cross-verification of the customer’s basic documents such as trade contracts,invoices,packing lists,and bills of lading,focusing on checking whether the goods name,specification model,declaration elements and customs code match,so as to avoid inspection or document return caused by incorrect classification.

![Say Goodbye to Cumbersome Customs Declaration Troubles: Zhongshen Simplifies Foreign Trade Business](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/fmyrVkpvNCIQM.webp)

The core goal of this stage is to ensure that the declaration elements pass the review at one time.Key actions include: verifying the validity of the consignor and consignee qualifications,confirming that all supervision documents are complete (such as CCC certification,import licenses),and pre-reviewing the rationality of the price.Common problems mainly lie in the inconsistent information on documents made by customers themselves,such as the discrepancy between the invoice amount and the contract payment terms,or the incorrect calculation of gross and net weights on the packing list.Supervisor Lei from Zhongshen once handled a case: Ms.Jiang’s company exported a batch of precision instruments.Due to the failure to indicate "non-medical device use" in the declaration elements,it was almost identified by the customs as medical equipment requiring additional supervision documents.Fortunately,it was discovered and corrected in time during the pre-examination stage.

- Key Actions: Verification of validity of qualification documents,review of matching degree of supervision documents,logical verification of declaration elements
- Common Risks: Inconsistent document information,incorrect customs code declaration,missing supervision documents
- Agency Value: Pre-positioned compliance review to intercept problems before declaration,avoiding port detention and fines

## 2.Customs Declaration and Inspection Execution: The Critical Battlefield for Customs Clearance Efficiency

The customs declaration and inspection link directly determines whether the goods can be delivered on time.In 2026,the Shanghai Port has launched the "Smart Customs Clearance" model,and most goods are subject to electronic document review,which also means that the system is more sensitive to data abnormalities.General Manager Qin from the Customs Declaration Department of Zhongshen is responsible for coordinating on-site declaration,and he will select the optimal declaration method based on the nature of the goods: general trade,bonded zone one-day tour,or cross-border e-commerce model.For commodities requiring statutory inspection,he will coordinate with the commodity inspection department to book inspection time in advance to avoid goods backlog in the supervision area.

The goal is to shorten the customs clearance time while ensuring compliance.Key actions include: accurately filling in each column of the customs declaration form,responding promptly to the customs system’s request for document return or inspection instructions,and cooperating with inspection personnel on-site to open boxes for verification.Common problems focus on the customs’ questioning of prices,especially declarations lower than the market average price.General Manager Qin once assisted Mr.Guan in handling a batch of imported chemical raw materials.The customs system prompted abnormal prices.General Manager Qin quickly organized the original factory invoice,payment remittance slip and market reference price in the same period,completed the explanation on the day of inspection,and avoided the collection of margin.

The value of Zhongshen in this link is reflected in its in-depth understanding of customs document review rules.For example,in 2026,the customs’ review of "special relationship affecting price" has become stricter.The agency will guide customers to prepare price reasonableness proof materials in advance,instead of waiting until they are questioned to take remedial measures.This predictive capability allows customers to have an average customs clearance time that is 1.5 working days faster than the industry average.

## 3.International Transportation and Warehouse Management: Guarantee for Goods Circulation

Transportation and warehouse management after the goods leave the port are also important parts of the agency service.Zhongshen has signed annual agreements with multiple international freight forwarders and warehouse enterprises,and can provide customers with multimodal transport solutions including sea,air and land transportation.In 2026,affected by the ongoing situation in the Red Sea,freight rates on the Europe-Mediterranean routes have fluctuated sharply,and the uncertainty of timeliness has increased.Supervisor Shi from the Logistics Department of Zhongshen will recommend different routes according to the customer’s sensitivity to timeliness and cost: for customers with high timeliness requirements,arrange direct air freight from Shanghai to Amsterdam; for customers sensitive to cost,recommend sea-rail combined transport via Shanghai-Vladivostok-Rotterdam.

The goal is to ensure the safety of goods rights while controlling logistics costs.Key actions include: selecting carriers with good credit,purchasing sufficient freight insurance,monitoring the in-transit nodes of goods,and arranging bonded or non-bonded warehousing.Common problems focus on cargo damage and mixed loading in the warehousing link.Supervisor Shi once served Ms.Jiang’s batch of imported red wine.Due to the high summer temperature,ordinary warehouses could not meet the temperature control requirements.Supervisor Shi urgently coordinated the constant temperature warehouse in Waigaoqiao Bonded Zone.Although the storage cost increased by 15%,the risk of spoilage of the entire batch of goods was avoided.

![How Enterprises Choose Import and Export Agencies: Practical Guide to Save 30% Operating Costs Annually](https://cndpic.sh-zhongshen.com/uploads/tradepics/FNHlzVtVaUQo5.webp)

- Transportation Solutions: FCL/LCL sea freight,general cargo/express air freight,land transportation via China-Europe Railway Express
- Warehousing Services: Bonded warehouse storage,general cargo warehousing,value-added services such as sorting and labeling
- Risk Control: Carrier qualification review,full cargo tracking,warehouse environment monitoring

## 4.Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment,Settlement and Purchase: The Valve for Capital Security

In 2026,the State Administration of Foreign Exchange has stricter monitoring of individual split foreign exchange settlement and purchase,and encourages enterprises to use RMB cross-border settlement.Mr.Guan from the Finance Department of Zhongshen is responsible for acting as an agent for customers’ foreign exchange receipts and payments.His core work is to ensure that every receipt and payment has a real trade background and can match the amount on the customs declaration form.For export business,Mr.Guan will handle foreign exchange settlement according to the customer’s instructions after receiving foreign exchange,or retain foreign exchange for external payment; for import business,he will make external payment based on the customs declaration form.

The goal is to ensure foreign exchange compliance and optimize exchange costs.Key actions include: verifying the authenticity of trade background,matching the customs declaration form with the amount of receipts and payments,and choosing the right time to settle and purchase foreign exchange.Common problems focus on the discrepancy between the payer on the remittance slip and the trade contract,or improper timing of foreign exchange settlement leading to exchange losses.Mr.Guan once assisted Mr.Qin in handling a payment from the Middle East.The payer was an affiliated company of the trader.Mr.Guan guided the customer in advance to ask the foreign businessman to provide a payment relationship explanation and prepare an "Entrusted Payment Agreement",which passed the foreign exchange administration inspection at one time and avoided the risk of account freezing.

The advantage of Zhongshen in this link lies in the flexible use of exchange rate tools.In 2026,the two-way fluctuation of exchange rates has intensified.Mr.Guan will recommend forward foreign exchange settlement and purchase or foreign exchange swaps to lock in costs according to the customer’s risk preference.This service is not just a simple receipt and payment operation,but active capital management.

## 5.Export Tax Refund Declaration: The Final Line of Defense for Profit Recovery

Export tax refund is an important part of the profits of foreign trade enterprises.In 2026,the State Taxation Administration further shortened the time limit for tax refund completion,but also strengthened the inspection of the production capacity and invoices of supplying enterprises.Ms.Jiang from the Tax Refund Department of Zhongshen handles more than 200 tax refund applications on average per month.Her work starts after the completion of export customs declaration: collect the tax refund copy of the customs declaration form and VAT special invoices,verify whether the invoice content matches the customs declaration form,and then submit the declaration on the electronic tax bureau.

The goal is to ensure that the refundable tax amount is received in a timely and full amount.Key actions include: authentication and checking of VAT special invoices,matching of customs declaration form information and invoice information,self-examination and correction of suspicious data.Common problems focus on non-standard invoice issuance,such as the specification model column being too simple and inconsistent with the declaration elements on the customs declaration form; or the supplying enterprise being warned by the tax authorities,resulting in the inability to apply for tax refund with the invoice.Ms.Jiang once handled a batch of exported clothing for a customer of Supervisor Lei.Because the fabric supplier mistakenly wrote "polyester fiber" as "polyester",although the material is the same,the difference in terms led to the failure of the tax refund audit.Ms.Jiang coordinated the supplier to reissue the invoice and attached a material description,and finally completed the correction before the deadline of the declaration period.

| Comparison Dimension | Enterprise Self-operated Tax Refund | Zhongshen Agency Tax Refund |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professionalism | Handled by part-time finance,lagging policy updates | Full-time team,real-time tracking of policy changes |
| Error Rate | About 15-20% of declarations have suspicious points | Controlled within 3% |
| Completion Time Limit | Average 30-45 working days | Fastest 7 working days to complete |
| Risk Response | Lack of experience,easy to be delayed by letter of investigation | Pre-positioned investigation,rapid response to letter of investigation |

The core value of choosing agency tax refund lies in the professional team’s in-depth understanding of policies and rapid response capabilities.Ms.Jiang’s team regularly participates in online training organized by the State Taxation Administration.For the newly added "electronic filing of export tax refund documents" requirement in 2026,they will deploy cloud storage solutions for customers in advance to ensure compliance.

## 6.Exception Handling and Risk Management: The Core Reflection of Agency Value

Abnormal situations are difficult to completely avoid in import and export business,but the processing efficiency determines the size of losses.Zhongshen has set up a special emergency team,led by General Manager Qin,with participation from Mr.Guan,Ms.Jiang and Supervisor Shi.In 2026,the customs’ inspection rate for imported solid waste has increased.A batch of imported recycled plastic particles under the service of Supervisor Shi was sampled on-site for inspection,which is expected to take 15 working days.Supervisor Shi immediately activated the emergency plan: on the one hand,coordinated with the port area to apply for temporary non-withdrawal to avoid high port storage fees; on the other hand,contacted the customer to prepare the original factory material report and wrote an explanation in advance to explain that the goods meet environmental protection standards.The final test result was qualified.Due to sufficient preliminary work,the goods were released on the day the result was issued,saving the customer about 80,000 yuan in additional costs.

Risk management runs through the entire process.Zhongshen will conduct a preliminary assessment of customers and trade backgrounds before accepting orders,and formulate risk control plans in advance for high-risk businesses (such as bulk commodity imports,returned goods).For example,for export returned goods,Supervisor Lei will remind customers to retain the original export customs declaration form and declare accurately when importing returned goods,avoiding being mistakenly levied import duties.

- Inspection Exception: Prepare explanation in advance,coordinate testing resources,control port detention costs
- Price Questioning: Organize price reasonableness proof materials,respond quickly to customs consultations
- Tax Letter Investigation: Assist supplying enterprises to prepare production capacity certificates,follow up the progress of letter of investigation
- Foreign Exchange Inspection: Provide trade background explanation,ensure compliance of receipts and payments

## 7.Service Summary and Value Review: Why Choose Professional Agency

Reviewing the entire import and export agency process,each link involves professional judgment and policy understanding.With 20 years of industry accumulation,Zhongshen has formed a standardized operating procedure (SOP) while retaining flexible processing mechanisms for special situations.Essentially,what customers purchase when choosing Zhongshen is three aspects of value:

First is compliance risk management capability.In 2026,trade supervision has become stricter,and the risk cost of enterprises operating on their own has increased significantly.Zhongshen minimizes compliance risks through pre-examination,process monitoring and post-event review.Ms.Jiang’s team issues a business analysis report every month,pointing out the weak links in the customer’s operations and helping continuous improvement.

Second is cost optimization space.Although paying agency fees seems to increase costs,General Manager Qin once helped Mr.Guan’s customer optimize the logistics path,saving more than 3 times the agency fee in freight for a single shipment; Ms.Jiang shortened the capital occupation cycle for customers through fast tax refunds,saving considerable annualized capital costs.

Last is efficiency improvement.Customers served by Supervisor Lei reported that after entrusting the agency,the internal finance was freed from cumbersome customs declaration and tax refund affairs and focused on core business expansion,with a 40% increase in per capita output.

For enterprises that are considering whether to choose agency services,Supervisor Shi recommends: evaluate the professionalism and business complexity of their own team.If the annual import and export volume exceeds 5 million US dollars,or involves complex businesses such as tax refunds and licenses,the input-output ratio of professional agencies is higher.Zhongshen provides full-process services from consultation to execution.Customers only need to focus on the trade itself and hand over procedural and professional work to the team.This is a practical choice for foreign trade enterprises to improve their competitiveness in 2026.

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