What Qualifications Are Required for Import and Export Trade? 2026 Latest Overview

In the foreign trade chain,qualifications serve as the "admission ticket" for all links — without compliant qualifications,not only can customs declaration and inspection not be carried out,but even foreign exchange receipt and payment and export tax refund cannot proceed.In 2026,the Shanghai foreign trade market remains active,and many enterprises want to expand overseas business but stumble due to unclear qualification requirements: for example,Mr.Sun,who engages in food imports,incurred nearly 10,000 yuan in port detention fees for his first shipment because he failed to complete the "import food consignee filing"; Ms.Jiang,who is in charge of cross-border e-commerce,ignored "customs cross-border e-commerce supervision mode filing",resulting in orders being taxed only as general trade,increasing costs by 30%.Combining Zhongshen’s over 20 years of frontline experience,this article systematically sorts out the core qualifications and handling key points for import and export trade to help enterprises avoid common pitfalls.

1.Core Basic Qualifications for Import and Export Trade (Must-Haves for Admission)

Basic qualifications are the "ID card" for enterprises to legally carry out import and export business; missing any of them will prevent the foreign trade process from starting.Their core goal is to obtain access permissions from customs,commerce,foreign exchange and other departments,and key actions revolve around "filing + registration".

1.Basic Qualification List and Handling Key Points

• Business License Amendment: The business scope must clearly include "goods import and export","technology import and export",and "agency import and export" (three options can be selected and supplemented as needed).For some special products,pre-items such as "food business" and "medical device business" need to be added;
• Filing for Foreign Trade Operators: Submit enterprise information to the Ministry of Commerce and its subordinate institutions to obtain the *Registration Form for Foreign Trade Operators*,with a long-term validity period;
• Customs Registration for Import and Export Goods Consignees and Consignors: Submit materials through the General Administration of Customs "Single Window" to obtain the *Customs Consignee and Consignor Registration Receipt*,which is used for customs declaration and inspection;
• E-Port IC Card and Legal Representative Card: Linked to customs,foreign exchange and tax systems,used for online customs declaration and tax refund declaration,valid for 3 years and needs renewal upon expiration;
• State Administration of Foreign Exchange Filing: A must for opening foreign exchange accounts,submit enterprise qualification certificates to obtain the *Foreign Exchange Account Opening Notice*.

2.Common Problems and Zhongshen’s Solutions

Most enterprises encounter two pitfalls when handling basic qualifications: first,omitting items in the business scope (for example,only adding "goods import and export" and ignoring "technology import and export",which makes service-oriented foreign trade orders inoperable); second,failing to renew the E-Port card in time.Some enterprises have failed customs declarations and delayed shipping schedules because their cards expired and were not renewed.

Manager Nie from Zhongshen will first help customers sort out their business scope and supplement pre-items for the business scope as needed; for E-Port cards,we have established an "expiration reminder mechanism" to notify customers of renewal one month in advance,and can also assist in one-stop handling of the first four qualifications through the "Single Window",saving at least 20 working days compared to enterprises handling it themselves.

2.Special Qualification Supplements for Different Trade Modes (Scene-Adapted)

Basic qualifications are the "general admission ticket",but special qualifications need to be supplemented for different trade modes and product types,otherwise specific link operations cannot be completed.In 2026,the foreign trade market has become increasingly segmented,and accurate matching of special qualifications directly affects business efficiency.

1.Special Qualifications for General Trade/Processing Trade

• Processing Trade Manual: For feed processing and incoming processing businesses,apply to the customs for a manual to be used for bonded import materials and export finished goods verification,avoiding payment of deposits;
• Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Declaration Qualification: Required for importing food,agricultural products,cosmetics,etc.to obtain the *Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Declaration Enterprise Filing Form*;
• Import Tariff Quota Certificate: Required for importing agricultural products such as grain and cotton,apply to the National Development and Reform Commission for quotas; without quotas,taxes will be levied at over-quota rates (the tax rate difference can exceed 50%).

Common problem: Mr.Wei,who imports chemical products,had his goods detained by customs and faced administrative penalty risks because he failed to obtain the "Import License for Dangerous Chemicals".

Zhongshen will list special qualification lists in advance based on the customer’s product type (such as consignee filing for imported food,filing certificates for imported cosmetics),and can also assist in coordinating inspection and quarantine department testing to ensure smooth customs clearance of goods.

2.Special Qualifications for Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade

In 2026,the scale of cross-border e-commerce import and export accounts for more than 20% of Shanghai’s foreign trade,and its special qualifications differ greatly from general trade:

• Cross-Border E-Commerce Import and Export Enterprise Filing: Apply to the customs for supervision mode filing such as "9610 (retail export)" and "1210 (bonded import)";
• Postal EMS Cooperation Qualification: For direct mail models,sign a cooperation agreement with the postal department to obtain a direct mail channel;
• Cross-Border E-Commerce Retail Import Commodity List Filing: Imported commodities must be on the General Administration of Customs list,otherwise they cannot be cleared under the cross-border e-commerce mode.

Common problem: Mr.Si,who engages in cross-border e-commerce retail,failed to enjoy the "exemption and refund" policy because he did not complete the "9610 filing",and had to pay an additional 12% VAT.

For cross-border e-commerce customers,Zhongshen will assist in handling supervision mode filing,and can also connect with warehouse resources in customs special supervision zones,improving customs clearance efficiency by more than 30%.

3.Qualification Docking and Risk Avoidance Under Agency Mode (Efficient Alternative)

Some enterprises choose the agency mode because their business volume is small and they do not want to invest manpower in handling qualifications.At this time,the agency company’s qualifications directly determine whether the business can be carried out smoothly,and the core goal is to use the agency’s qualifications to quickly start the foreign trade process.

1.Qualification Requirements for Agency Mode

An agency company must have the following core qualifications to cover the entire process of services:

• Customs Class A Customs Declaration Enterprise Qualification (priority inspection channel,reducing inspection rate by 20%);
• Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Declaration Enterprise Qualification (can directly declare to the inspection and quarantine department);
• Foreign Exchange Settlement Qualification (can act as an agent for customers to receive and pay foreign exchange,and conduct foreign exchange settlement and purchase);
• Export Tax Refund Agency Qualification (can assist customers in completing tax refund declaration and shorten the tax refund cycle).

2.Comparison of Self-Handling vs.Zhongshen Agency Handling

3.Value of Zhongshen’s Agency Qualifications

Zhongshen has been deeply engaged in the industry for over 20 years,with all the above-mentioned full qualifications,and can provide customers with "qualification docking + full-process agency" services: for example,customers only need to provide goods contracts,invoices and packing lists,and Zhongshen can use its own qualifications to complete customs declaration and inspection,foreign exchange receipt and payment,and export tax refund,avoiding customs clearance delays and tax refund obstacles caused by incomplete qualifications.

4.Summary: Qualifications Are the "Foundation" of Foreign Trade,Professional Agency Is the "Accelerator"

Import and export trade qualifications are not a single certificate,but a combined system of "basic + special + agency".In 2026,policies are updated frequently (such as adjustments to cross-border e-commerce supervision modes and simplification of food import filing),and enterprises are prone to falling into pitfalls due to information gaps when handling them themselves.The core value of Zhongshen is not only to help customers quickly handle qualifications,but also to avoid policy risks through 20 years of experience,and provide full-process services such as customs declaration and inspection,international transportation,and warehouse management,allowing customers to focus on business expansion.

If you want to understand the specific qualifications required for your business or need agency services,you can consult Zhongshen,and we will provide you with customized solutions.