What are the core operational steps in the full process of handling agent export business?

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  • Jun 14, 2026 at 10:57
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We are a small and medium-sized factory that has just entered the foreign trade industry. We recently received an order from Europe and plan to operate via agent export, but we have no idea where to start.

We heard from peers earlier that the agent export process is very complicated, and careless mistakes may lead to port detention, delayed tax rebates, or even fines. Our factory does not have a professional foreign trade team, and we are not familiar with document preparation, so we are worried that incorrect customs declaration documents will cause cargo detention.

In addition, we are also very concerned about tax rebates, and do not know what materials need to be prepared and how long it will take to receive the tax rebate. We would like to ask how to handle agent export business specifically, and what key links need to be paid attention to in order to avoid these problems?

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Expert Q&A

Linda Gao
Linda GaoYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0

Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat

The handling of agent export business shall follow full-chain specifications，and pre-document review shall be completed first. Enterprises shall provide basic qualifications such as business license，import and export right filing，VAT general taxpayer qualification certificate，etc。and prepare core documents such as commercial invoice，packing list，customs declaration power of attorney，etc. Special attention shall be paid that the commodity code on the customs declaration form shall be consistent with the actual goods. Incorrect codes may lead to customs valuation disputes or cargo detention.

Core node connection is critical. The agency company will assist in completing customs declaration，space booking，transportation and other links. Enterprises shall follow up the cargo status in time to ensure the accuracy of bill of lading information. If the goods are subject to statutory inspection，the commodity inspection clearance form shall be handled in advance to avoid missing the shipping schedule due to delayed commodity inspection. In addition，the foreign exchange collection link shall be completed within 90 days after the goods are exported，otherwise it will affect the export tax rebate declaration.

Exception response plans shall not be ignored. In case of customs inspection，cooperate with the agency company to provide relevant supporting materials，such as cargo specifications，procurement contracts，etc. In case of shipping schedule delay，communicate with the freight forwarder in time to adjust the plan to avoid container detention charges. Finally，the compliance implementation link shall ensure the consistency of four streams (contract stream，cargo stream，capital stream，invoice stream)，which is the core requirement for export tax rebates.

Export tax rebate declaration materials shall be submitted within 30 days after the goods are exported，including export goods customs declaration form，VAT special invoice，foreign exchange collection voucher，etc. The agency company will assist in completing the pre-declaration verification，and adjust timely if problems are found to ensure the smooth arrival of tax rebates. At the same time，enterprises shall keep relevant documents on file for at least 5 years for inspection by tax authorities.

Reference: Shanghai Foreign Trade Export Agent: Full-Process Solutions for Cross-Border Export Challenges
Andy Guo
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

When conducting agent export customs declaration, the classification of commodity codes shall strictly follow the Import and Export Commodity Tariff announced by the General Administration of Customs in 2026. If enterprises are not familiar with the codes, they can entrust the agency company to conduct pre-classification to avoid valuation disputes caused by incorrect codes. In addition, the transaction method on the customs declaration form shall be consistent with the contract.

For example, CIF price shall include freight and insurance premiums, while FOB price shall not. Incorrect declaration of transaction method may lead to the adjustment of dutiable value by the customs, increasing the cost of enterprises. When encountering customs valuation review, provide supporting materials such as procurement contracts and payment vouchers to prove the authenticity and rationality of the transaction price.

Victor Sun
Victor SunYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat

When selecting transportation plans for agent export, comprehensive consideration shall be given to cargo characteristics, timeliness requirements and costs. Direct shipping solutions are suitable for goods with high timeliness requirements, but the cost is higher; transit solutions have lower costs but longer timeliness. In addition, attention shall be paid to the free storage period and container detention charge standards of the destination port. For example, the free storage period of European ports is usually 7 days, and the container detention charge is about 50-100 euros per day.

If the volume of goods is large, full container transport can be selected, and if the volume is small, less than container load can be selected. When booking space, confirm the space availability of the shipping company to avoid cargo delay caused by space shortage during peak seasons. Attention shall be paid to the endorsement and transfer of the bill of lading. If it is an order bill of lading, it shall be endorsed by the shipper before it can be transferred to the consignee.

Evelyn Li
Evelyn LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat

The agent export tax rebate in 2026 shall meet the conditions such as VAT general taxpayer qualification, actual export of goods, completion of foreign exchange collection, etc. Enterprises can enjoy the VAT exemption, credit and rebate policy, and the rebate rate is determined according to the commodity code. If the enterprise is a small-scale taxpayer, it can only enjoy the tax exemption policy and cannot get tax rebates.

In addition, the export tax rebate shall be declared within 90 days from the date of customs declaration of the goods. Failure to declare within the time limit will be regarded as domestic sales for tax collection.

If the enterprise has retained tax credits, it can apply for tax rebates, otherwise it can only enjoy the exemption and credit policy. The agency company will assist enterprises in tax planning and make rational use of policies to reduce costs.

Grace Wang
Grace WangYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat

Agent export foreign exchange receipt and payment shall comply with the regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and foreign exchange shall be collected through formal channels, such as SWIFT or CIPS systems. Enterprises shall conduct foreign exchange declaration within 30 days after the goods are exported.

If there is a difference between the amount of foreign exchange received and the amount declared in customs declaration, relevant supporting materials shall be provided, such as commission agreement, discount certificate, etc. In addition, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange has strengthened the supervision of offshore accounts in 2026, and enterprises shall ensure the compliance of capital transactions in offshore accounts to avoid being included in the abnormal list. When settling foreign exchange, you can choose an appropriate exchange rate time point to reduce exchange difference losses.

Kevin Lin
Kevin LinYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0

Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat

A formal agency agreement shall be signed for agent export business to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties. The agreement shall include clauses such as cargo quality responsibility, foreign exchange collection risk bearing, fee settlement method, etc. If letter of credit settlement is adopted, attention shall be paid to the soft clauses of the letter of credit, such as "the bill of lading shall be confirmed by the issuing bank", etc. Such clauses may lead to the failure of enterprises to settle foreign exchange smoothly.

In addition, the force majeure clause shall be clearly defined, such as the division of responsibilities under circumstances such as natural disasters and wars. If a dispute occurs, it can be resolved through arbitration or litigation, but attention shall be paid to the agreement on the jurisdiction.

Daniel Xu
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

The export tax rebate audit focuses on verifying the consistency of the four streams. Enterprises shall ensure that the information of contracts, goods, funds and invoices is completely matched. If the four streams are found to be inconsistent, the tax authority will conduct letter verification and require enterprises to provide relevant supporting materials. In addition, pre-declaration verification is a key link. The agency company will conduct pre-declaration through the electronic tax bureau, and adjust timely if there are doubts. Tax rebate funds usually arrive within 15-30 days after the declaration is approved. Enterprises shall pay attention to the progress of tax rebates. If the funds do not arrive within more than 30 days, communicate with the tax authority in time. At the same time, enterprises shall keep all tax rebate related documents on file for at least 5 years for subsequent inspection.

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