--- title: "What categories should enterprises providing goods import and export agency and supporting customs declaration services register for trademark applications?" description: "When carrying out import and export agency business，enterprises often have vague understanding of trademark category attribution，which leads to insufficient trademark protection coverage or triggers compliance risks，and even affects core business expansion and brand layout. According to the current 2026 trademark classification rules，core services of import and export agencies fall under Class 35. Enterprises need to pay attention to the coverage of associated categories in combination with busi..." url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html" language: "en" type: "Q&A" category: "Freight Forwarding Q&A" datePublished: "2026-10-09" dateModified: "2026-10-09" brand: "Zhongshen Trading China" answerCount: 9 --- # What categories should enterprises providing goods import and export agency and supporting customs declaration services register for trademark applications? ## Question I am the head of a small and micro enterprise in Shanghai that has just transformed into import and export agency business. Last week, I just concluded long-term agency cooperation with 3 cross-border e-commerce clients, and I am intensively preparing to register the company's brand trademark. But after reading through the trademark classification table, I get more confused the more I read -- we not only provide core goods import and export agency services, but also provide supporting services such as customs declaration and foreign exchange settlement for clients. I heard in the industry group before that a peer chose the wrong trademark category, and then competitors squatted the associated categories. Last year, when picking up containers at Ningbo Port, he was maliciously complained of trademark infringement, which not only delayed the delivery time of clients, but also paid more than 100,000 yuan in liquidated damages. I am very anxious now, afraid that I will choose the wrong category, which will not only waste money but also bury compliance risks. I would like to ask what categories of trademarks I should register in this situation, and what pitfalls I must pay attention to? ## Answers ### Answer 1 — Best Answer First of all，we need to expose a common industry misunderstanding: many import and export agency enterprises mistakenly believe that their business falls under the category of Class 39 "logistics and transportation". In fact，according to the current 2026 trademark classification rules，**core services of import and export agencies belong to Class 35，Group 3503**，which clearly covers core services such as "import and export agency" and "sales promotion for others". If you fall into this misunderstanding，a chain of negative reactions will follow: after competitors squat the core Class 35 trademark，they can directly complain that your company's use of its own trademark on agency contracts and customs declaration entrustment documents is suspected of infringement. This will not only lead to cross-border e-commerce clients terminating contracts due to trust crisis，but also may lead to associated complaints during port customs clearance，triggering customs detention and inspection of goods，delaying delivery time and requiring payment of high liquidated damages，and even affecting the enterprise's customs credit rating. Physical risk isolation measures need to be carried out in two steps: first，conduct accurate category search through the official database of the Trademark Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration to confirm the registration availability of Class 35，Group 3503，and avoid similarity with prior trademarks，second，if supporting customs declaration and foreign exchange settlement services are provided，you can additionally cover the associated sub-items of Class 39 "customs declaration services" and Class 36 "financial settlement"，so as to realize trademark coverage for all business scenarios. **Exclusive loss mitigation tips**: If you have mistakenly registered non-core categories，you need to submit the Class 35 trademark registration application within 30 days，and simultaneously launch trademark opposition monitoring. Once competitors are found to have squatted the core category，submit an opposition application immediately to stop losses. **status:** accepted **Author:** Evelyn Li **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 2 The trademark category registration of import and export agency enterprises directly affects the qualification publicity in the customs declaration link. If the core Class 35 is not registered, when submitting the agency customs declaration entrustment to the customs, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant agency service subject logo, and the customs may require supplementary qualification certificates, resulting in delays in customs clearance efficiency, and even triggering price review and verification. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing customs declaration qualifications, to ensure the compliance of the agency subject identity, avoid customs declaration rejection, order deletion and re-declaration caused by trademark category issues. At the same time, when handling price review disputes, the trademark registration certificate can be used as the core supporting material for the legality of the agency service subject. **status:** suggested **Author:** Grace Wang **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 3 If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, when signing a logistics agency agreement with shipping companies and freight forwarders, the legality of the brand logo may be questioned, resulting in the inability to lock shipping space first. Even during the transfer of cargo rights, due to the inconsistency of trademark categories, the validity of the bill of lading endorsement may be questioned, increasing the risk of cargo right disputes. It is recommended to provide the core category trademark registration certificate to the partner before signing the logistics cooperation agreement, to ensure cargo right control in key links such as shipping space reservation and bill of lading endorsement. At the same time, when planning logistics routes, trademark compliance should be included in the evaluation as a core qualification requirement, to avoid situations such as container rolling, port change and surge in detention fees caused by trademark issues. **status:** suggested **Author:** Michael Zhang **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 4 If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when designing a cross-border tax structure, it cannot include brand services into the scope of compliant service income, leading to deviations in VAT deduction and tax base calculation, and even triggering the tax authority's verification of related party transaction pricing. It is recommended to confirm the registration status of the core category trademark before tax planning, and include the agency service income corresponding to the trademark into the compliant accounting system. When enjoying preferential tax policies such as VAT deferral, submit the trademark registration certificate synchronously as supporting evidence of service qualification, to avoid tax adjustment and late fee payment caused by trademark category issues. At the same time, when pricing cross-border related party transactions, trademark compliance can be used as a reference for the rationality of service pricing. **status:** suggested **Author:** Eric Zhou **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 5 If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, when processing SWIFT messages and CIPS RMB cross-border payments, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant receipt and payment subject logo, and the bank may require supplementary qualification certificates, resulting in delays in foreign exchange settlement and account reconciliation efficiency, and even triggering foreign exchange supervision and verification. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing the receipt and payment account, to ensure compliance in the cross-border payment link. At the same time, when optimizing the foreign exchange purchase rate, trademark compliance should be included in the bank cooperation evaluation as a core qualification requirement, to avoid exchange rate losses, account freezing and other situations caused by trademark issues. **status:** suggested **Author:** Linda Gao **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 6 If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when signing an agency agreement, the exclusive right to use the brand logo cannot be fully protected by law. Competitors can squat the core category trademark and claim that the enterprise's use of the trademark in agency business is suspected of infringement, resulting in the invalidity of the agency contract, and even facing high infringement compensation. It is recommended to provide the core category trademark registration certificate to clients before signing the agency agreement, and at the same time include trademark compliance into the breach of liability clauses of the agreement, clarifying the division of liability for disputes caused by trademark category issues. In addition, you can simultaneously apply for intellectual property customs protection filing to strengthen the cross-border legal protection of the brand. **status:** suggested **Author:** Kevin Lin **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 7 If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, during on-site customs inspection, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be associated with the agency service subject, and the customs may require supplementary agency qualification certificates, resulting in delays in inspection efficiency, and even triggering the inspection and appraisal process, increasing additional costs such as port detention fees and container detention fees. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate to the customs before on-site inspection to ensure the legality of the agency subject identity. At the same time, when interpreting the inspection notice, trademark compliance should be included in the emergency plan as a core verification item, to avoid cargo detention, return and other situations caused by trademark issues. In addition, when identifying the authenticity of seals, the trademark logo can be used as an auxiliary verification basis for the agency subject. **status:** suggested **Author:** Victor Sun **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 8 If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when declaring export tax refund, the agency service income corresponding to the brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant tax refund accounting scope, leading to deviations in the "four flows consistency" verification, and even triggering tax official correspondence investigation, affecting the tax refund efficiency. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing export tax refund documents, to ensure the compliance of agency service income. At the same time, during pre-declaration verification, the trademark category should be included in the document review as a core verification item, to avoid tax refund suspension, tax refund quota reduction and other situations caused by trademark issues. In addition, during foreign exchange receipt verification, the trademark registration certificate can be used as auxiliary supporting material for the authenticity of agency services. **status:** suggested **Author:** Cindy Chen **Date:** 2026-10-09 ### Answer 9 If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when designing the supply chain structure, the brand logo cannot be included in the supply chain system as a core service brand, resulting in the inability to establish stable brand cooperation relationships with upstream suppliers and downstream clients, affecting the cost actuarial calculation and inventory linkage of the supply chain. It is recommended to take the core category trademark registration as the core link of brand layout during supply chain planning, and include it into the cost actuarial model to ensure the compliance of brand services when converting CIF/FOB trade terms. At the same time, when formulating inventory linkage strategies, trademark compliance should be taken as the core qualification requirement for supplier cooperation, to improve the overall competitiveness and stability of the supply chain. **status:** suggested **Author:** Andy Guo **Date:** 2026-10-09 ## Related Categories - [Import Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-import-agency/) - [Export Agency Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-agency/) - [Export Tax Rebate Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-export-tax-rebate/) - [Customs Declaration Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-customs-declaration/) - [Forex Settlement Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-forex-settlement/) - [Entrepôt Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-entrepot-trade/) - [General Trade Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-general-trade/) ## Related Resources - [Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/services/) - [Trade Cases](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/cases/) - [Trade Wiki](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/wiki/) - [Trade Class](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/guide/) - [Global Trade Services](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/country/) ## Structured Data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "QAPage", "inLanguage":"en", "isPartOf": { "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#website" }, "publisher":{ "@id":"https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/#organization" }, "mainEntity": { "@type": "Question", "name": "What categories should enterprises providing goods import and export agency and supporting customs declaration services register for trademark applications?", "text": "I am the head of a small and micro enterprise in Shanghai that has just transformed into import and export agency business. Last week, I just concluded long-term agency cooperation with 3 cross-border e-commerce clients, and I am intensively preparing to register the company's brand trademark. But after reading through the trademark classification table, I get more confused the more I read -- we not only provide core goods import and export agency services, but also provide supporting services such as customs declaration and foreign exchange settlement for clients. I heard in the industry group before that a peer chose the wrong trademark category, and then competitors squatted the associated categories. Last year, when picking up containers at Ningbo Port, he was maliciously complained of trademark infringement, which not only delayed the delivery time of clients, but also paid more than 100,000 yuan in liquidated damages. I am very anxious now, afraid that I will choose the wrong category, which will not only waste money but also bury compliance risks. I would like to ask what categories of trademarks I should register in this situation, and what pitfalls I must pay attention to?", "answerCount": 9, "upvoteCount": 3, "datePublished": "2026-10-09T06:43:14Z", "dateModified": "2026-10-09T06:54:45Z", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zhongshen Trading China", "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html" } ,"acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "First of all，we need to expose a common industry misunderstanding: many import and export agency enterprises mistakenly believe that their business falls under the category of Class 39 "logistics and transportation". In fact，according to the current 2026 trademark classification rules，**core services of import and export agencies belong to Class 35，Group 3503**，which clearly covers core services such as "import and export agency" and "sales promotion for others". If you fall into this misunderstanding，a chain of negative reactions will follow: after competitors squat the core Class 35 trademark，they can directly complain that your company's use of its own trademark on agency contracts and customs declaration entrustment documents is suspected of infringement. This will not only lead to cross-border e-commerce clients terminating contracts due to trust crisis，but also may lead to associated complaints during port customs clearance，triggering customs detention and inspection of goods，delaying delivery time and requiring payment of high liquidated damages，and even affecting the enterprise's customs credit rating. Physical risk isolation measures need to be carried out in two steps: first，conduct accurate category search through the official database of the Trademark Office of the National Intellectual Property Administration to confirm the registration availability of Class 35，Group 3503，and avoid similarity with prior trademarks，second，if supporting customs declaration and foreign exchange settlement services are provided，you can additionally cover the associated sub-items of Class 39 "customs declaration services" and Class 36 "financial settlement"，so as to realize trademark coverage for all business scenarios. **Exclusive loss mitigation tips**: If you have mistakenly registered non-core categories，you need to submit the Class 35 trademark registration application within 30 days，and simultaneously launch trademark opposition monitoring. Once competitors are found to have squatted the core category，submit an opposition application immediately to stop losses.", "upvoteCount": 3, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#acceptedAnswer", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:17:58Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Evelyn Li","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/evelyn-li/"} } ,"suggestedAnswer": [ { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The trademark category registration of import and export agency enterprises directly affects the qualification publicity in the customs declaration link. If the core Class 35 is not registered, when submitting the agency customs declaration entrustment to the customs, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant agency service subject logo, and the customs may require supplementary qualification certificates, resulting in delays in customs clearance efficiency, and even triggering price review and verification. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing customs declaration qualifications, to ensure the compliance of the agency subject identity, avoid customs declaration rejection, order deletion and re-declaration caused by trademark category issues. At the same time, when handling price review disputes, the trademark registration certificate can be used as the core supporting material for the legality of the agency service subject.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-2", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:16:05Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Grace Wang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/grace-wang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, when signing a logistics agency agreement with shipping companies and freight forwarders, the legality of the brand logo may be questioned, resulting in the inability to lock shipping space first. Even during the transfer of cargo rights, due to the inconsistency of trademark categories, the validity of the bill of lading endorsement may be questioned, increasing the risk of cargo right disputes. It is recommended to provide the core category trademark registration certificate to the partner before signing the logistics cooperation agreement, to ensure cargo right control in key links such as shipping space reservation and bill of lading endorsement. At the same time, when planning logistics routes, trademark compliance should be included in the evaluation as a core qualification requirement, to avoid situations such as container rolling, port change and surge in detention fees caused by trademark issues.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-3", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:14:31Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Michael Zhang","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/michael-zhang/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when designing a cross-border tax structure, it cannot include brand services into the scope of compliant service income, leading to deviations in VAT deduction and tax base calculation, and even triggering the tax authority's verification of related party transaction pricing. It is recommended to confirm the registration status of the core category trademark before tax planning, and include the agency service income corresponding to the trademark into the compliant accounting system. When enjoying preferential tax policies such as VAT deferral, submit the trademark registration certificate synchronously as supporting evidence of service qualification, to avoid tax adjustment and late fee payment caused by trademark category issues. At the same time, when pricing cross-border related party transactions, trademark compliance can be used as a reference for the rationality of service pricing.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-4", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:14:16Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Eric Zhou","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/eric-zhou/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, when processing SWIFT messages and CIPS RMB cross-border payments, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant receipt and payment subject logo, and the bank may require supplementary qualification certificates, resulting in delays in foreign exchange settlement and account reconciliation efficiency, and even triggering foreign exchange supervision and verification. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing the receipt and payment account, to ensure compliance in the cross-border payment link. At the same time, when optimizing the foreign exchange purchase rate, trademark compliance should be included in the bank cooperation evaluation as a core qualification requirement, to avoid exchange rate losses, account freezing and other situations caused by trademark issues.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-5", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:12:00Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Linda Gao","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/linda-gao/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when signing an agency agreement, the exclusive right to use the brand logo cannot be fully protected by law. Competitors can squat the core category trademark and claim that the enterprise's use of the trademark in agency business is suspected of infringement, resulting in the invalidity of the agency contract, and even facing high infringement compensation. It is recommended to provide the core category trademark registration certificate to clients before signing the agency agreement, and at the same time include trademark compliance into the breach of liability clauses of the agreement, clarifying the division of liability for disputes caused by trademark category issues. In addition, you can simultaneously apply for intellectual property customs protection filing to strengthen the cross-border legal protection of the brand.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-6", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:07:11Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Kevin Lin","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/kevin-lin/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If the trademark category of an import and export agency enterprise does not cover the core category, during on-site customs inspection, the enterprise's brand logo cannot be associated with the agency service subject, and the customs may require supplementary agency qualification certificates, resulting in delays in inspection efficiency, and even triggering the inspection and appraisal process, increasing additional costs such as port detention fees and container detention fees. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate to the customs before on-site inspection to ensure the legality of the agency subject identity. At the same time, when interpreting the inspection notice, trademark compliance should be included in the emergency plan as a core verification item, to avoid cargo detention, return and other situations caused by trademark issues. In addition, when identifying the authenticity of seals, the trademark logo can be used as an auxiliary verification basis for the agency subject.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-7", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T07:05:13Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Victor Sun","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/victor-sun/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when declaring export tax refund, the agency service income corresponding to the brand logo cannot be recognized as a compliant tax refund accounting scope, leading to deviations in the "four flows consistency" verification, and even triggering tax official correspondence investigation, affecting the tax refund efficiency. It is recommended to submit the core category trademark registration certificate synchronously when filing export tax refund documents, to ensure the compliance of agency service income. At the same time, during pre-declaration verification, the trademark category should be included in the document review as a core verification item, to avoid tax refund suspension, tax refund quota reduction and other situations caused by trademark issues. In addition, during foreign exchange receipt verification, the trademark registration certificate can be used as auxiliary supporting material for the authenticity of agency services.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-8", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T06:57:56Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Cindy Chen","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/cindy-chen/"} } , { "@type": "Answer", "text": "If an import and export agency enterprise only registers non-core trademark categories, when designing the supply chain structure, the brand logo cannot be included in the supply chain system as a core service brand, resulting in the inability to establish stable brand cooperation relationships with upstream suppliers and downstream clients, affecting the cost actuarial calculation and inventory linkage of the supply chain. It is recommended to take the core category trademark registration as the core link of brand layout during supply chain planning, and include it into the cost actuarial model to ensure the compliance of brand services when converting CIF/FOB trade terms. At the same time, when formulating inventory linkage strategies, trademark compliance should be taken as the core qualification requirement for supplier cooperation, to improve the overall competitiveness and stability of the supply chain.", "upvoteCount": 0, "url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/import-export-agency-and-customs-service-trademark-registration-category.html#suggestedAnswer-9", "datePublished": "2026-10-09T06:54:45Z", "author": {"@type": "Person","name": "Andy Guo","url": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/team/andy-guo/"} } ] } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ {"@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/"},{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Freight Forwarding Q&A", "item": "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/"} ,{"@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What categories should enterprises providing goods import and export agency and supporting customs declaration services register for trademark applications?"} ] } ] ```