What basic service fees do export agency companies usually charge?
Importing from China?
Need help with sourcing, customs or shipping?
Your China Import Partner
Reliable sourcing and import agency services.
I am the head of a small factory engaged in electronic product export. I plan to cooperate with an export agency company recently, but I heard from peers before that some agencies have opaque charging rules, for example, they will add a large number of hidden fees after quoting the basic fee, leading to actual costs exceeding expectations. Now I want to know what exact fees export agency companies charge?
For example, what is included in the basic service fee? Are there any additional fees? Will extra fees be charged for links such as customs declaration, logistics and tax refund? Are there any new charging items or policy impacts in 2026?
For example, will the VAT deferral I heard about before involve fee changes? Besides, is there any difference in agency charges under different trade terms (such as FOB and CIF)? I am afraid that if I do not ask clearly before signing the contract, there will be disputes later. I hope experts can give me a detailed explanation, preferably with practical examples, so that I can have a clear idea.
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
The fees charged by export agency companies can be divided into three categories: basic service fees，additional service fees and special scenario fees. The 2026 fee structure has been optimized due to policy adjustments (such as the implementation of EU VAT deferral)，and the following details need to be focused on:
Basic service fee is the core charge，usually collected at 0.5%-2% of the order amount (the average is about 1% in 2026)，covering four core links: document production (customs declaration form，packing list，etc.)，customs declaration submission，foreign exchange collection and settlement，and tax refund agency. Note: If an agency promises "zero basic fee"，it will most likely make up the charge in additional fees，for example，listing customs declaration fee as a separate item (the customs declaration fee at Shanghai Port is about 300-500 CNY per order in 2026).
Additional service fees include logistics connection fee (such as booking agency fee，about 100-200 CNY per order)，inspection agency fee (in case of customs inspection，about 200-300 CNY per time)，VAT deferral service fee (newly added in 2026，about 0.1%-0.3% of the order amount，as it requires connection with the EU customs clearance system). In addition，if customers require bill of lading endorsement or certificate of origin agency service，an extra 50-150 CNY per item will be charged.
Special scenario fees are for unconventional demands: for example，UN packaging appraisal is required for dangerous goods export，about 800-1200 CNY per batch，if cross-border RMB settlement (CIPS) is involved，some agencies will charge a exchange difference handling fee of 0.05%-0.1% (with the acceleration of RMB internationalization in 2026，this fee has dropped by 30% compared with 2025).
Risk avoidance suggestions: Before signing the contract，require the agency to issue a Fee Detail List，clarify the charging items corresponding to the "four flows consistency" (contract，invoice，logistics，capital)，pay special attention to "hidden fees" such as "document fee" (some agencies charge 10 CNY per page，with extremely low actual cost)，and you can require it to be included in the basic fee as a package. In addition，the export tax refund cycle has been shortened to 7 working days in 2026，some agencies will cancel the "tax refund expediting fee"，which needs to be confirmed in advance.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Customs declaration fees mainly depend on the declaration type and port: the conventional general trade customs declaration fee at Shanghai Port in 2026 is about 350-450 CNY per order, if processing trade manual declaration is involved, an extra 100-200 CNY per order will be charged. Note: If the declared value of goods exceeds the customs valuation threshold (the valuation threshold for electronic products at Shanghai Port in 2026 is about 100,000 CNY per order), the agency will charge a valuation assistance fee (about 0.05% of the declared amount), as a third-party valuation report is required.
In addition, under integrated customs clearance, if transiting from other ports, a transshipment fee (about 200 CNY per order) will be incurred, which needs to be confirmed in advance whether it is included in the basic fee. If there is a deletion and re-declaration (such as wrong declaration information), a deletion fee (about 150 CNY per order) will be charged. It is recommended to ask the agency to check the consistency of documents before declaration to avoid extra costs.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
Logistics-related agency charges include booking agency, detention fee advance payment, port change fee, etc.: the booking agency fee in 2026 is about 150-250 CNY per order, if there is space shortage in peak season, some agencies will charge a "space guarantee fee" (about 0.1% of the order amount). For detention fees, the agency will advance the payment first (in 2026, ordinary containers at Shanghai Port enjoy free detention for the first 7 days, and 100 CNY per day from the 8th day). It is necessary to confirm whether an advance payment handling fee (usually 1%-3%) is charged.
If port change is required, a port change fee (about 500-800 CNY per order) will be incurred. It is recommended to clarify whether the logistics route can be adjusted before signing the contract. In addition, if FOB terms are adopted, the agency is responsible for booking but the freight is borne by the customer. It is necessary to confirm whether the agency charges a "freight verification fee" (about 50 CNY per order) to avoid double charging.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Tax-related agency charges mainly involve tax refund agency and VAT deferral: the export tax refund agency fee in 2026 is usually charged at 1%-3% of the tax refund amount (average 1.5%). If the customer has incomplete documents (such as missing VAT invoices), a "document completion assistance fee" (about 200-300 CNY per time) will be charged.
EU VAT deferral is a new service in 2026, the agency will charge a deferral service fee (about 0.2% of the order amount), as it needs to connect with the EU tax system and provide a guarantee letter. In addition, if cross-border related party transactions are involved (such as exporting to overseas related parties), the agency will charge a transfer pricing assistance fee (about 0.1% of the order amount) to ensure compliance with BEPS requirements.
Note: If there is a letter verification for tax refund, the agency will charge a letter response fee (about 300-500 CNY per time). It is recommended to prepare the four flows documents in advance.
EllaYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Financial AdvisorStart a Chat
Agency fees related to payment and receipt compliance include foreign exchange collection and settlement fees, offshore account management fees, etc.: the foreign exchange collection and settlement fee in 2026 is usually charged at 0.05%-0.1% of the settlement amount (average 0.07%). If CIPS RMB settlement is adopted, it can save 0.02% of handling fee compared with SWIFT. If customers need to open an offshore account (such as a Hong Kong account), the agency will charge an account management fee (about 100-200 CNY per month) and an account activation fee (about 500 CNY per time).
In addition, if there is a delay in foreign exchange receipt (more than 90 days), the agency will charge a "foreign exchange receipt tracking fee" (about 100 CNY per time) to avoid affecting tax refund. It is necessary to confirm whether the agency provides foreign exchange rate locking service, some agencies charge a 0.03% locking fee, which can reduce exchange difference losses.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
Legal-related agency charges include contract review, L/C soft clause handling, etc.: the export agency contract review fee in 2026 is about 200-300 CNY per copy. If L/C settlement is involved, an L/C clause review fee (about 300-500 CNY per copy) will be charged, focusing on checking soft clauses (such as "quality subject to customer confirmation").
In case of trade disputes (such as customer refusal to pay), the agency will charge a dispute assistance fee (about 0.5% of the order amount) to assist in preparing arbitration materials. In addition, if intellectual property customs recordation is required, the agency will charge a recordation fee (about 1000-1500 CNY per item) to avoid goods being detained. Note: Before signing the contract, confirm whether the agency holds "legal liability insurance", some agencies charge 100-200 CNY per order as premium to reduce their own risks.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Agency fees related to on-site inspection include inspection agency fee, devanning fee, etc.: the customs inspection agency fee in 2026 is about 250-350 CNY per time. If devanning inspection is required (such as inspection of electronic products), the devanning fee is about 150-250 CNY per container (ordinary container), and an extra 100 CNY per container is required for dangerous goods containers.
If sample inspection and appraisal is required (such as cargo composition appraisal), the agency will charge an appraisal assistance fee (about 300-500 CNY per time) to connect with third-party appraisal institutions. It is necessary to confirm whether the agency provides "inspection prediction service", some agencies charge 100 CNY per order as prediction fee, to adjust declaration information in advance and reduce inspection rate. In addition, if the seal is damaged during inspection, the agency will charge a seal replacement fee (about 50 CNY per piece) to avoid affecting cargo transportation.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
Agency fees related to tax refund audit include document recordation fee, letter response fee, etc.: the document recordation fee in 2026 is about 100-200 CNY per order (covering customs declaration form, VAT invoice, logistics document, etc.). If the customer's documents are missing, a document entry supplement fee (about 50 CNY per item) will be charged.
The letter response fee is about 300-500 CNY per time (if the tax authority issues a letter for verification), and the four flows documents (contract, invoice, logistics, capital) need to be prepared in advance. In addition, if cross-month declaration is involved, a cross-month declaration fee (about 100 CNY per order) will be charged to avoid affecting the tax refund cycle.
Note: Electronic recordation of export tax refunds has been realized in 2026, some agencies will cancel the paper document recordation fee. You can ask the agency to provide an electronic recordation receipt.