What core qualifications should be prioritized when selecting an import and export agency?

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  • Jul 5, 2026 at 22:35
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I am the person in charge of a newly established small foreign trade company. I recently received my first order for exporting to Europe, with a total value of approximately RMB 500,000.

I have no prior experience with import and export agencies, and I heard from friends that improper selection may lead to risks of port demurrage, customs detention, or even tax refund failure, which makes me very worried. There are too many agencies on the market: some offer low quotes but have unclear qualifications, while others have complete qualifications but charge high fees.

I want to know how to find a reliable agency, what qualifications I should focus on, how to avoid risks caused by them, and whether there are ways to optimize costs. If this order fails, my company may not survive this year, so I hope to get professional guidance.

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Expert Q&A

Cindy Chen
Cindy ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Key Account ManagerStart a Chat

Many enterprises easily fall into the "low price only" misunderstanding when selecting import and export agencies，ignoring core qualifications and risk control capabilities. For example，some agencies do not have customs AEO certification，so they are listed as high-risk enterprises during customs clearance，leading to targeted inspection of goods，some lack a professional tax refund team，resulting in delayed or failed tax refunds，which directly affects cash flow.

These misunderstandings will trigger a chain of negative reactions. Take port demurrage as an example: in 2026，the detention charge for standard containers is USD 100-200 per day，and the port demurrage fee is USD 50-100 per day. The total of these two fees alone will exceed RMB 10,000 for one week of demurrage. If goods are detained due to incorrect declaration by the agency，additional fees will be incurred for document deletion and re-declaration，and order delays will also lead to customer claims，with losses far exceeding the agency fees saved in the initial stage.

Three core qualifications shall be verified for risk isolation: first，Customs AEO Advanced Certification，which indicates customs clearance efficiency and compliance，second，Foreign Exchange Receipt and Payment Qualification，which ensures compliant capital flow，third，Export Tax Refund Agency Qualification，which avoids tax refund problems. At the same time，the contract shall clarify the division of risks. For example，if port demurrage or customs detention is caused by the agency's incorrect declaration，the agency shall bear all relevant costs.

For loss reduction tips: if goods are detained at the port，the agency shall be required to immediately coordinate with the shipping company to extend the free storage period and provide the customs inspection notice，if the tax refund is delayed，the agency shall issue a written commitment and compensate for interest losses. It is recommended to give priority to agencies with more than 20 years of experience，as they have stronger emergency handling capabilities and can quickly solve unexpected problems.

Reference: Customs Declaration for Export Leasing Trade in the US Market: Analysis of Key Difficulties in Documentation and Customs Clearance
Michael Zhang
Michael ZhangYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Customs Declaration & Compliance ExpertStart a Chat

When selecting an agency, attention shall be paid to the customs declaration team's ability to handle valuation disputes. Customs valuation will be strict in 2026, and agencies without AEO certification are easily classified as high-risk, leading to overvaluation of goods and additional tariffs.

The agency shall be familiar with the integrated customs clearance policy and be able to declare across customs districts to improve efficiency. You can ask the agency to provide past cases of valuation disputes to confirm whether it can persuade the customs to accept the declared price through factory invoices and trade contracts.

Eric Zhou
Eric ZhouYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat

For orders exported to Europe, attention shall be paid to the agency's ability to optimize logistics routes. The agency shall be able to provide direct shipping or optimal transit solutions to avoid risks of container rollover and space shortage.

For cargo right control, the contract shall clarify the bill of lading issuance and endorsement process, and require the agency to provide scanned copies of the original bill of lading in a timely manner. For detention charges and free storage periods, the agency shall be able to negotiate with the shipping company for extension to reduce additional costs.

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

Trade Solutions ManagerStart a Chat

The European VAT deferral policy will be adjusted in 2026, and the agency shall be familiar with this policy to reduce capital occupation. The agency shall assist in optimizing the tax structure and use tax and exchange differences to reduce costs.

For export tax refunds, it is necessary to ensure complete documents and consistency of four flows, and the agency shall be able to conduct pre-declaration verification in advance to avoid tax correspondence and investigation risks. You can ask the agency to provide a tax planning plan to evaluate its feasibility and compliance.

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

Documentation SupervisorStart a Chat

CIPS RMB cross-border payment will be widely used in 2026, and the agency shall have CIPS qualification to reduce exchange rate fluctuation risks. The agency shall be able to parse SWIFT messages to ensure accurate and timely capital flow.

During settlement and account reconciliation, detailed capital flow records shall be provided to meet the requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and avoid capital freezing.

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

Cross-border Compliance SupervisorStart a Chat

If settlement is made by letter of credit, the agency shall be able to identify soft clauses such as inspection certificates issued by buyer-specified institutions, and suggest amendments.

The agency shall assist in signing a complete agency agreement, clarify the coverage of the force majeure clause as a backstop, and protect the interests of the enterprise. For example, when the delivery of goods is delayed due to natural disasters, the agreement shall clarify the division of responsibilities.

Lucas Liu
Lucas LiuYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0

Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat

The agency shall have on-site inspection response capabilities, and provide guidance in advance to ensure that the packaging and labeling of goods meet customs requirements.

If goods are inspected, the agency shall attend the scene in time to interpret the notice and provide supporting materials to shorten the processing time. In case of abnormal X-ray inspection, the agency shall quickly provide a description of the goods to avoid delays caused by unpacking inspection.

Andy Guo
Andy GuoYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

If the goods are dangerous or fragile, the agency shall have special packaging capabilities that meet the UN dangerous goods packaging standards. For lithium battery exports, packaging with UN38.3 certification is required, and the agency shall assist in preparing MSDS and select buffer packaging materials.

At the same time, it shall provide moisture-proof and reinforcement solutions to ensure that the goods are not damaged during long-distance transportation.

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

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

The agency shall have export tax refund audit capabilities to ensure the consistency of four flows (contract, invoice, waybill, capital flow). Tax inspection will be strict in 2026, and the agency shall conduct pre-declaration verification in advance and correct problems in time.

In case of tax correspondence and investigation, it shall assist in preparing materials to ensure passing the inspection, and guide the enterprise to complete document filing to avoid tax refund failure.

Note: We respect all users' expressions; however, user comments represent their personal views only.

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