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What core qualification certificates are required for import and export agency business in 2026?
or complex compliance issues.
clearance and fund security.
I am the owner of a newly established small trading company. I plan to expand import and export agency business recently, but I have no clue at all. I heard there are many certificates to apply for.
I asked two peers last week, one said I need a customs registration certificate, while the other said there is no need to apply for it separately after the implementation of the three-in-one certificate reform? Also, is the VAT qualification from the tax authority mandatory?
I am afraid that missing any certificate will lead to my clients' goods failing to clear customs, or I will be fined by the tax bureau, which will cause huge losses. I am anxious about the processing sequence and requirements of these certificates every day, and I want to know what exactly I need to apply for, and if there are any common pitfalls to avoid.
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat
First of all，you need to clarify the application logic of core qualifications for import and export agencies in 2026，to avoid business suspension caused by missing certificates. The first step is pre-review: enterprises need to complete industrial and commercial registration first，and ensure the business scope includes "import and export agency" or "import and export of goods and technologies"，which is the basis for all subsequent qualification applications.
For core node connection，the first certificate to apply for is filing of consignors and consignees of import and export goods with customs -- online processing has been fully rolled out in 2026. After submitting materials via the Single Window，the process can be completed within 1 to 2 working days，no offline submission of paper documents is required. The second one is foreign trade operator filing registration. Note that this filing has been cancelled in some regions in 2026，but it is still required in Shanghai，and applications need to be submitted via the official website of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.
Tax-related certificates cannot be ignored: you need to go to the tax bureau to handle export tax refund (exemption) filing，submit filing forms，customs filing certificates and other materials，you can apply for tax refunds normally only after the process is completed. In addition，if you involve in cross-border foreign exchange receipt and payment，you need to go to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to handle registration in the foreign exchange receipt and payment enterprise directory，to ensure compliant capital flow.
For exception response plans，if your filing application is rejected due to incomplete materials，you need to supplement and revise the materials within 3 working days to avoid affecting subsequent business，if the business scope does not include import and export related content，you need to update the industrial and commercial information in time，otherwise the customs filing will not be approved. To achieve final compliant operation，you need to ensure the validity periods of all certificates are synchronized，and submit annual public reports on a regular basis every year to avoid qualification invalidation.
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat
From the perspective of customs declaration, import and export agencies need to focus on the completeness of customs filing. Customs has stricter review of filing information in 2026, especially enterprise contact information and business scope.
Vague filling may easily lead to account suspension or order rejection. It is recommended to fill in the main import and export commodity codes in detail when filing, to facilitate subsequent customs declaration classification.
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Key Account ManagerStart a Chat
In the logistics link, import and export agencies need to ensure they have valid bill of lading endorsement authority, which relies on the legality of customs filing. If an agency company has not completed customs filing, it cannot receive bills of lading as a consignor or consignee, which may easily lead to loss of cargo right control.
It is recommended to synchronize qualification information with logistics providers in time after completing customs filing, to avoid delays caused by qualification problems when containers are rolled or ports are changed.
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat
At the tax level, import and export agencies need to apply for VAT general taxpayer qualification certification (if not granted by default), otherwise they cannot enjoy the export tax rebate policy. The scope of application of the VAT deferral policy in Shanghai has been expanded in 2026, agency companies can apply for this policy to reduce capital occupation, but they need to ensure the tax filing information is accurate and correct.
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat
For cross-border foreign exchange receipt and payment compliance requirements, import and export agencies need to ensure their registration status in the foreign exchange directory is normal.
If the directory registration is cancelled, they need to re-apply for registration before carrying out foreign exchange receipt and payment. It is recommended to handle RMB cross-border payment via the CIPS system, which has lower handling fees and faster arrival speed in 2026, helping to optimize the foreign exchange purchase rate.
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat
From a legal perspective, import and export agencies need to sign standardized agency agreements to clarify cargo right ownership and responsibility division.
If intellectual property products are involved, it is necessary to complete intellectual property customs protection filing to avoid goods being detained due to infringement. It is recommended to add a force majeure clause in the agreement to cope with risks such as logistics delays.
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat
During on-site inspection, customs will check whether the filing information of the agency company is consistent with the actual business.
If the filed commodities are inconsistent with the actual import and export commodities, it may easily lead to extended inspection time. It is recommended to fill in the commodity range accurately when filing to avoid subsequent disputes.
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat
If the goods under agency are dangerous goods, it is necessary to apply for the UN dangerous goods packaging certificate to ensure the packaging meets international transportation standards.
Customs has stricter review of dangerous goods packaging in 2026, goods without the certificate cannot clear customs. It is recommended to contact a professional institution for packaging appraisal in advance.
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat
For export tax rebate, the agency company needs to ensure all documents are complete (customs declaration form, invoice, bill of lading, etc.) and the four streams are consistent (capital stream, cargo stream, invoice stream, contract stream) to avoid tax verification. Tax rebate review pays more attention to data comparison in 2026, it is recommended to use an electronic document management system to improve efficiency.
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat
From the supply chain perspective, import and export agencies need to choose the appropriate qualification application sequence according to the business scale.
If the business is mainly export, give priority to export tax rebate filing; if the business is mainly import, give priority to customs filing. It is recommended to integrate the qualification application process to reduce time cost and improve business startup speed.