---
title: "Which Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Need to Conduct Foreign Trade Via Import and Export Agent?"
description: "Many enterprises encounter multi-link problems in compliance，logistics，taxation and other aspects when developing foreign trade business，especially micro，small and medium-sized enterprises and entities that enter foreign trade for the first time. Professional import and export agents can provide full-chain solutions covering customs declaration，logistics，tax planning and other services，helping enterprises avoid risks，cut costs，and realize compliant and efficient cross-border trade operation.。"
url: "https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/small-enterprises-import-export-agent.html"
language: "en"
type: "Q&A"
category: "General Trade Q&A"
datePublished: "2026-08-14"
dateModified: "2026-08-14"
brand: "Zhongshen Trading China"
answerCount: 10
---

# Which Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Need to Conduct Foreign Trade Via Import and Export Agent?

## Question

 I am a precision parts manufacturer established only two years ago. We only did domestic business before, and recently received several orders from European clients, but we have no idea how to handle the export procedures. I tried to contact a freight forwarder on my own last week, but the other side said we need an import and export license, which our company has not applied for yet, and we also do not know how to prepare the documents required for customs declaration. What worries me more is that I heard the export tax refund process is very complicated. If we operate incorrectly, we will not only fail to get the tax refund but also face compliance risks. Now the order is urgent, do I have to hire an import and export agent in this situation? What specific problems can the agent help me solve? 

## Answers
                            
### Answer 1 — Best Answer

For manufacturing enterprises entering foreign trade for the first time，whether to choose an import and export agent depends on the matching between business needs and your own capabilities. If the enterprise has no import and export qualification，lacks a professional foreign trade team or faces urgent orders，agency services can quickly solve core pain points.

First of all，the agent will assist with the **Import and Export Qualification Filing**，and review the full set of export documents (such as commercial invoice，packing list，customs declaration，etc.) to ensure they meet the requirements of customs and the destination country. For connection of core nodes，the agent will coordinate with the freight forwarder to arrange booking and customs declaration，follow up logistics status in real time，and avoid risks of rolling cargo or port detention.

For contingency plans for abnormalities，if there is inconsistent customs declaration data，the agent can initiate the **deletion and re-declaration process** to reduce the impact on order delivery. For the export tax refund link，the agent will guide the enterprise to prepare tax refund materials and ensure **consistency of four flows** (contract，invoice，logistics，capital flow)，reducing the risk of tax correspondence investigation.

In terms of final compliance implementation，the agent will confirm whether commodity inspection is required based on the product category (such as precision parts)，assist with handling documents such as certificate of origin，and ensure smooth customs clearance of goods. Through agency services，enterprises can quickly enter the foreign trade market while avoiding compliance and operational risks.

**status:** accepted
**Author:** Grace Wang
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 2

For enterprises without import and export qualification, customs declaration needs to be processed by the agent in dual-title form. The agent will review the accuracy of the HS code on the customs declaration, to avoid price assessment disputes or customs detention caused by incorrect coding.

If there is an outstanding account with customs, the agent can assist in providing supplementary documents for push processing and shorten the solution cycle. In addition, the agent is familiar with the integrated customs clearance policy, and can select the nearest customs declaration port to improve customs clearance efficiency.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Victor Sun
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 3

First-time export enterprises often face difficulties in selecting logistics routes. The agent will recommend appropriate transportation methods based on cargo characteristics (e.g., precision parts require shockproof protection), coordinate with the freight forwarder to reserve space, and avoid rolling cargo due to space congestion.

For container detention fees, the agent will monitor the free storage period, arrange container pickup or apply for extension in time to reduce extra costs. In the link of bill of lading endorsement transfer, the agent will guide the enterprise to operate correctly to ensure safe transfer of cargo title.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Kevin Lin
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 4

Export tax refund is an important profit point for enterprises. The agent will assist the enterprise to complete VAT declaration, to ensure compliance with tax refund conditions. For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, the agent can use tax difference optimization strategies to reduce the overall tax burden.

In addition, the agent is familiar with relevant BEPS rules, avoiding tax risks caused by related party transaction pricing issues. In the capital reflux link, the agent will guide the enterprise to collect foreign exchange in compliance, to ensure the smooth progress of the tax refund process.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Andy Guo
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 5

Cross-border payment and receipt of foreign exchange must comply with national foreign exchange management regulations. The agent will assist enterprises to complete cross-border RMB payment through the CIPS system, and optimize the foreign exchange purchase exchange rate.

For offshore account management, the agent will provide compliance suggestions to avoid account freezing. In the SWIFT message parsing link, the agent will review the message content to ensure the accuracy of payment and receipt information, and reduce capital arrival delay.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Daniel Xu
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 6

Soft clauses in international trade contracts are common risk points. The agent will assist in reviewing letter of credit clauses, identify unreasonable requirements such as "buyer's inspection certificate" and avoid the risk of payment refusal.

For force majeure clauses, the agent will guide the enterprise to clarify fallback clauses in the contract to cope with emergencies. In the cargo title transfer link, the agent will ensure the consistency of the bill of lading and the contract, to protect the enterprise's rights and interests.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Linda Gao
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 7

When customs conducts on-site inspection, the agent will assist the enterprise to prepare inspection materials and interpret the inspection notice. For devanning inspection, the agent will guide the enterprise to place cargo reasonably to facilitate customs inspection.

For X-ray inspection skills, the agent will advise enterprises to optimize packaging methods to reduce the abnormal inspection rate. If sending for inspection and identification is required, the agent will coordinate with the laboratory to speed up the process and shorten the inspection time.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Jason Wu
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 8

Transportation of precision parts requires professional packaging solutions. The agent will assist in preparing MSDS documents (if involving hazardous categories), select appropriate cushioning packaging materials (such as foam, bubble film) for moisture-proof reinforcement.

For UN dangerous goods packaging, the agent will ensure the packaging meets international standards, avoiding customs detention caused by non-compliant packaging. In addition, the agent will guide the enterprise to paste shipping labels correctly to ensure smooth transportation of goods.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Lucas Liu
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 9

Export tax refund audit focuses on verifying the consistency of four flows. The agent will assist the enterprise in organizing tax refund documents (such as customs declaration, VAT invoice, foreign exchange receipt certificate) to ensure complete filing materials.

For tax correspondence investigation, the agent will guide the enterprise to provide authentic and valid certification materials, and quickly respond to inquiries from tax authorities. For cross-month declaration, the agent will monitor the declaration deadline to avoid tax refund loss caused by overdue declaration.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Cindy Chen
**Date:** 2026-08-14

### Answer 10

First-time export enterprises need to optimize the supply chain structure. The agent will assist enterprises to choose CIF or FOB trade terms, to balance logistics costs and risks.

For inventory linkage strategy, the agent will advise enterprises to adjust inventory levels according to the order cycle, to reduce capital occupation. In addition, the agent will analyze market demand, assist enterprises to formulate a reasonable trade structure, and improve supply chain efficiency.

**status:** suggested
**Author:** Evelyn Li
**Date:** 2026-08-14

## 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/)
- [Freight Forwarding Q&A](https://www.sh-zhongshen.com/en/qa/cat-freight-forwarding/)
- [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/)

## 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/)

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