What core nodes and key details are included in the complete operation process of a professional import agency?

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  • Aug 9, 2026 at 05:26
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I am the person in charge of a newly established beauty e-commerce company in Shanghai. Last month, I ordered a batch of niche brand cosmetics from South Korea. I used to cooperate with freight forwarders for express delivery before, but this time the shipment volume is larger so we choose sea freight.

I heard that working with an import agency is more compliant and can save costs, but I have no idea about it at all. Yesterday the freight forwarder also reminded me that if there are errors in the documents, the goods will be detained at the port, and the port detention fee alone is thousands of dollars a day.

I am very anxious now, and want to know what the exact process of entrusting an import agency is? What do I need to cooperate with in each link from preliminary preparation to the final warehousing of the goods? Are there any hidden pitfalls that need to be avoided in advance?

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

Senior Manager of Foreign Exchange & Tax RebatesStart a Chat

First comes the pre-document review link. You need to submit core documents including certificate of origin，ocean bill of lading，commercial invoice，packing list provided by overseas suppliers to the agency for pre-review 3 to 5 days in advance. The focus is to check whether the HS code of the goods，declared value，and country of origin information on the documents are completely consistent with the actual goods，especially pay attention to the accurate classification of HS codes -- Customs will impose stricter control on codes for beauty products in 2026，and classification errors will directly lead to price review disputes or customs seizure.

For the connection of core nodes，the agency will complete customs declaration form pre-entry，manifest electronic declaration simultaneously. After the goods arrive at the port，it will immediately connect with the integrated customs clearance system of Shanghai Customs to complete formal declaration，at the same time，it will coordinate with the port yard to complete bill of lading exchange and cargo pick-up operations，to ensure that the connection time from port arrival to customs declaration is controlled within 24 hours，greatly reducing the probability of port detention fees.

For abnormal response plans，you need to reach a clear agreement with the agency in advance: if you encounter customs price review doubts，immediately start the price negotiation plan，and the agency will assist you in providing supporting materials such as procurement contracts，bank foreign exchange payment vouchers，and supplier quotations，if you encounter sampling inspection，the agency will feedback the inspection requirements as soon as possible，and cooperate in completing cargo unpacking，sample submission for inspection and other operations，to avoid delays caused by unfamiliarity with the process.

In the final compliance implementation stage，the agency will complete the payment of import tariffs and value-added tax on your behalf. After the customs releases the goods，it will arrange domestic logistics and delivery to your e-commerce warehouse，and provide a full set of compliant documents for enterprise bookkeeping simultaneously，to ensure that the whole process complies with the latest cross-border e-commerce import compliance requirements of Shanghai Customs in 2026.

Reference: Full Process Analysis of Xi'an Metal Products Import: Key Steps from Overseas Factories to Inland Workshops
Daniel Xu
Daniel XuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

Director of Import & Export OperationsStart a Chat

For the customs declaration link in the import agency process, it is necessary to focus on the "double declaration" rule implemented by the customs in 2026: that is, first complete cargo lifting from the port through "summary declaration", and then complete the "full declaration" within 14 days. The agency needs to confirm whether the HS code of the goods meets the simplified requirements of summary declaration in the pre-stage, to avoid summary declaration being rejected due to code inconsistency, which will lead to port detention.

In case of price review disputes, a complete price supporting chain shall be submitted within 3 working days, including payment terms of the procurement contract, cost composition details of overseas suppliers, etc., to avoid being included in the "key monitoring list" by the customs which will affect subsequent customs clearance efficiency.

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

Senior Foreign Trade ConsultantStart a Chat

In the logistics link of import agency, it is necessary to focus on controlling the details of cargo ownership and transportation connection: first, the endorsement of the bill of lading shall be consistent with the authorization document of the entrusted agency to avoid cargo ownership disputes; second, when choosing sea freight routes, if your goods are beauty products with strong timeliness, priority should be given to direct routes to Shanghai Port. Although transit routes have lower cost, they are prone to risks of container rollover and space shortage.

The shortage of transit space at Shanghai Port in 2026 has increased by 20% compared with previous years, so you need to lock the space 2 weeks in advance. In addition, the application for free storage period shall be submitted to the agency 1 day before the arrival of the goods. If demurrage is incurred due to overdue, the agency can assist in applying for reduction and exemption from the shipping company, but it is necessary to provide the customs clearance progress certificate after the arrival of the goods.

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

Trade Risk Control ManagerStart a Chat

In 2026, the VAT deferral policy can be applied for cross-border e-commerce imports in Shanghai. In the import agency process, the agency needs to assist you in completing the qualification filing for VAT deferral in advance.

The filing requires materials such as the enterprise's e-commerce platform operation license and sales records in the past 3 months. Through VAT deferral, enterprises do not need to prepay value-added tax during customs clearance, and can delay the tax payment to the VAT declaration period, effectively alleviating capital pressure.

At the same time, it should be noted that the tax base of import tariff is the CIF price of the goods, and the agency needs to strictly review the declared value of the commercial invoice to avoid tax inspection caused by underreported price. If you are inspected, you need to submit real foreign exchange payment vouchers and procurement contracts within 10 working days.

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

Senior Operations ConsultantStart a Chat

The foreign exchange receipt and payment link in the import agency process shall comply with the latest requirements of CIPS RMB cross-border payment in 2026: if RMB settlement is adopted, the agency shall complete the transaction information filing in the CIPS system 3 working days before foreign exchange payment, and the filing content includes the trade background of the goods, the overseas account information of the supplier, etc. In addition, when settling foreign exchange, it is necessary to ensure "four flows consistency", that is, capital flow, goods flow, invoice flow and contract flow are completely matched, to avoid being listed as suspicious transactions by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange due to inconsistent flows. If your enterprise handles foreign exchange receipt and payment for the first time, the agency can assist you in completing the foreign exchange directory registration, which requires materials such as the enterprise's import and export operation right filing certificate, business license, etc.

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

Supply Chain Management ExpertStart a Chat

Before entrusting an import agency, you need to sign a standardized agency contract, which shall clearly specify the cargo ownership clause -- it is recommended to agree that "the ownership of the goods shall be transferred to the entrusting party when the overseas supplier delivers the goods", to avoid the goods being seized due to the agency's own debt problems. At the same time, force majeure clauses shall be added to clarify the responsibility division for extreme weather, port strikes and other common situations in sea transportation in 2026.

If the goods are detained at the port due to force majeure, the agency shall not bear the loss of port detention fees. In addition, the exemption scope of the agency shall be clearly specified in the contract. For example, the loss of customs seizure caused by wrong documents provided by the entrusting party shall be borne by the entrusting party itself.

Jason Wu
Jason WuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0

International Logistics & Supply Chain ManagerStart a Chat

For the on-site inspection link in the import agency process, Shanghai Customs implements the "machine inspection priority" policy in 2026. If the goods are beauty liquid or cream products, the agency shall note the MSDS information of the goods in the customs declaration form in advance, so that the machine inspection system can identify quickly and reduce the probability of manual inspection.

In case of manual unpacking inspection, it is necessary to ensure that the packaging of the goods is consistent with the packing list, to avoid inconsistency between the goods and the documents. During the inspection, the agency will arrange special personnel to assist on site. If the customs requires sample submission for inspection, the inspection application shall be submitted within 2 working days, the inspection cycle is about 7 to 10 days, and the agency will follow up the inspection progress simultaneously to ensure that the goods are released in time.

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