What Does the Import and Export Trade Industry Entail? Full Breakdown of Core Links

Core Business Scope and Processes of Import and Export Trade Industry

Last year,Mr.Ma,a boss of a small household appliance factory in Shanghai who consulted us,wanted to sell his products to Southeast Asia but was confused about "what exactly the import and export trade industry does for enterprises" —— is it only responsible for shipping?Or customs declaration?He didn’t even know how to receive foreign exchange.Actually,import and export trade is not a single business,but a full-chain service covering from order docking,cargo cross-border transportation to fund settlement.Every link directly affects the success or failure of foreign trade: for example,customs declaration errors may cause goods to be detained at the port,and delayed tax rebates will occupy more than 30% of the enterprise’s cash flow.Next,combined with the industry status in 2026,we will systematically sort out the core processes and the value of professional agencies.

1.Core Process Breakdown of Import and Export Trade

According to the 2026 China Foreign Trade Agency Industry White Paper,more than 75% of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises will choose agency companies to complete the entire process,because the error rate of independent operations is more than 3 times higher than that of agencies.Below is an analysis divided into four core stages:

1.Pre-work and Order Compliance Stage

Objective: Confirm that the order complies with cross-border transaction rules and avoid basic risks.

Key Actions:

• Check the latest HS codes of commodities (the codes for new energy equipment and smart home appliances have been updated in 2026);
• Confirm the access requirements of the importing country (such as the new EU REACH regulations,food hygiene certifications in Southeast Asia);
• Sign an agency agreement to clarify the responsibility boundaries (such as the assumption of losses caused by incorrect codes).

Common Problems:

• Enterprises are unaware of HS code updates and get their customs declarations rejected;
• Ignore the certification requirements of the importing country,resulting in inability to clear customs after the goods arrive at the port.

Role of Zhongshen: Manager Shen (senior consultant at Zhongshen) will first help enterprises connect to the 2026 customs latest code database.Last year,Mr.Ma’s smart rice cooker order avoided goods detention because Manager Shen confirmed the new 3C certification regulations of a Southeast Asian country in advance.At the same time,the agency agreement clearly states that "the losses caused by our code verification errors shall be borne by us",which reassures Mr.Ma.

2.Customs Declaration,Inspection and International Transportation Stage

Objective: Ensure smooth cross-border transportation of goods and control transport timeliness and costs.

Key Actions:

• Pre-review customs declaration documents (bill of lading,invoice,packing list,commodity inspection certificate,etc.);
• Select the optimal transportation method (the timeliness of China-Europe freight trains has been increased to 12 days in 2026,and sea transportation to Southeast Asia takes 5-7 days);
• Track the cargo trajectory and handle customs clearance abnormalities (such as customs inspection).

Common Problems:

• Incomplete documents lead to increased inspection rate (industry average 15%);
• Choosing the wrong transportation method for urgent orders (such as changing from air freight to sea freight,delaying delivery).

Role of Zhongshen: Zhongshen’s customs declaration team is familiar with the 2026 inspection procedures of Shanghai Port.Last year,Ms.Cai’s clothing order had its inspection rate reduced to 5% due to pre-review.At the same time,we have long-term cooperation with shipping companies/airlines,with priority guarantee for China-Europe freight train space in 2026,and the air freight timeliness for urgent orders is controlled within 3 days.

3.Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment,Settlement and Purchase Stage

Objective: Complete fund settlement safely and quickly and avoid exchange rate risks.

Key Actions:

• Confirm the compliance of foreign exchange receipts (the SAFE has refined the capital supervision of cross-border e-commerce in 2026);
• Choose the settlement timing based on exchange rate trends;
• Handle foreign exchange declaration and verification.

Common Problems:

• Unable to settle foreign exchange in time after receipt,missing the exchange rate peak;
• Incorrect declaration information leads to fund freezing.

Role of Zhongshen: Cooperating with multiple banks,we can complete foreign exchange settlement within 1 working day after receipt (2 days faster than independent operations of enterprises).The financial team,based on the 2026 RMB exchange rate trend suggestions,helped Mr.Wan’s electronic product order settle exchange before the currency appreciated,earning an additional 3% profit.We also verify declaration information to avoid fund freezing.

4.Export Tax Rebate and Follow-up Stage

Objective: Obtain tax rebates quickly and ease cash flow pressure.

Key Actions:

• Sort out tax rebate documents (VAT invoices,customs declarations,bills of lading,etc.);
• Submit electronic tax rebate applications (the system was upgraded in 2026,and the review time has been shortened to 7 working days);
• Track progress and handle abnormalities such as inconsistent invoices.

Common Problems:

• Incomplete documents lead to review delays;
• Inconsistent information between invoices and customs declarations,making tax rebates impossible.

Role of Zhongshen: The tax rebate team is familiar with electronic system operations,and submits applications after pre-reviewing documents,with an average review time of 6 working days (3 days faster than the industry average).Last year,Mr.Lin’s furniture order had its tax rebate funds received within 10 days after we verified the invoices and customs declarations in advance,easing the cash flow pressure.

2.Core Differences Between Independent Operations and Agency Operations (2026 Data)

As can be seen from the table,agency operations have obvious advantages in error rate,efficiency and cost,which is the core reason why small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises choose agencies in 2026.

3.Summary of Core Service Value of Zhongshen

The import and export trade industry is not a "errand service",but a professional support to help enterprises avoid risks and improve efficiency.Zhongshen has been engaged in this field for 20 years,with practical advantages in every link: the customs declaration team masters the latest procedures of Shanghai Port,the tax rebate team is familiar with the key points of system upgrades,and the financial team accurately grasps exchange rate trends.Last year,Mr.Ma’s enterprise chose Zhongshen,which reduced its customs declaration error rate from 15% to 3%,shortened the tax rebate time by half,and reduced cash flow pressure by 40%.

If you want to get involved in foreign trade,or are already doing it but encounter problems such as customs declaration and tax rebates,you may wish to consult a professional agency —— leave professional matters to professionals,so that enterprises can focus more on products and markets.