Home»Agency Guide» How to choose an import and export agent? These 10 key questions will help you avoid trade traps
What kind of progress?Export Agency?What qualifications are required to be legally compliant?
According to the latest 2025 revised Foreign?Foreign trade?The "Easy Law" stipulates that compliance agents must simultaneously possess:Customs AEO certification,Foreign exchange income and expenditure qualificationandOperation Authority for the Single Window of International Trade.It is recommended to verify through the following three steps:
Check the enterprise credit publicity system to confirm that the business scope includes "goods".?Import/export?”
Please present the Customs-filed "Registration Certificate of Customs Declaration Entity."
Verify the information published by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.Trade Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments Enterprise Directory
Will differences in the scope of agency services affect my business?
There are significant differences in the core capabilities of different agents, which require special attention:
Full-chain service provider: Covering the entire process of customs declaration, transportation, warehousing, and tax refund.
Professional Field Agency:
?Medical Devices?The category requires filing with the drug regulatory department.
The transportation of hazardous materials requires MSDS certification qualification.
Starting from 2025, a new?E-commerce?9610 modelSpecial service requirements
How to Identify Hidden Traps in a Quotation?
Industry research in 2025 shows that 63% of foreign trade disputes stem from fee disputes. Key focus:
DDP termsDoes it include destination port miscellaneous fees?
Exchange rate fluctuation risk sharing mechanism
Demurrage Calculation Standards (Implemented by Most Ports)Tiered pricingTrade dispute settlement mechanisms
How does the agent function when encountering customs inspection?
High-quality agents should have:
HS Code Pre-classification Service (Error rate below 2%)
Rapid Response Team for On-site Inspection
The new customs initiatives introduced in 2025Intelligent Deployment and Control SystemSolution
How to evaluate an agent's emergency response capability?
It is recommended to request the provision of:
In the past 2 yearsCases of Customs Administrative PenaltiesProcessing Record
Trade Friction Response Plan (Particularly Experience in Responding to Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act)
During the pandemic,Logistics alternativesImplementation Case
Is industry experience important for an agent?
Industry data for 2025 shows that customs clearance efficiency for agents specializing in specific sectors has increased by 40%:
For food products, familiarity with the FDA update cycle is required.
?Automotive parts?It is necessary to grasp the changes in the rules of origin.
Electronic products should possessRoHS 2.0 CertificationProcessing capability
How does the payment method ensure the security of funds?
It is recommended to adoptPhased paymentMethod:
30% advance payment (after contract signing)
50% payment upon presentation of bill of lading copy
20% balance payment (after customs clearance is completed)
Be sure to request provision.Customs Payment VoucherOriginal copy
How to avoid selecting a "shadow agent"?
In 2025, out of the 26 major violation cases seized by customs, 19 involved unlicensed agents:
Verify the actual office space (with at least 200㎡ of storage area).
Confirm the number of in-house customs declarants (recommended to be 5 or more).
(Pay attention to the completeness of declaration elements)Bank Credit Line Certificate
Is digital service capability a necessary option?
According to the 2025 "Smart Customs Construction Plan," it is recommended to select those with: