What Are the Detailed FOB Export Agency Fee Items and Standards
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I am the head of a small and micro enterprise that has just started cross-border e-commerce business. I cooperated with an export agency once before, and the other party listed a long list of charge items when billing. I could not figure out which are mandatory and which are extra surcharges, and I was also overcharged an unexplained port miscellaneous fee.
This time I plan to seek a long-term cooperation, so I want to clarify what items are included in the FOB export agency fees, whether there are hidden charges, for example, whether customs declaration fees, port miscellaneous fees and other such items are all included, whether there are differences in charges between different ports, and whether a clear list of charges can be provided?
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
FOB export agency fees in 2026 are mainly divided into three core sections，and full-process clarity and transparency can avoid hidden charges. Basic agency service fee is the core fee for the full-process services provided by the agency，covering basic services such as export document review，customs declaration submission，foreign exchange settlement guidance，and export tax refund assistance. It is generally charged per shipment or as a percentage of the cargo value，with the standard range of RMB 100-300 per shipment or 0.1%-0.3% of the cargo value. If customers choose cross-border RMB settlement，some agencies will also provide free exchange rate difference optimization solutions to help save settlement costs.
Special operation fee is charged for special business scenarios，such as declaration cancellation and resubmission，port change，dangerous goods packaging appraisal，LCL unpacking，etc. Among them，the service fee for declaration cancellation and resubmission is about RMB 200-400 per time，the port change service fee is about RMB 200-500 per time，the UN packaging appraisal fee for dangerous goods is about RMB 1000-3000 per time，and the LCL unpacking fee is charged by cubic meter at about RMB 20-30 per cubic meter. If there is a customs valuation dispute，the assistance and consultation service fee is charged at 0.05%-0.1% of the cargo value，with a minimum of RMB 500.
Collected and paid miscellaneous fees on behalf refer to the actual incurred port，logistics and customs fees paid by the agency on behalf of customers，including domestic trailer fee (RMB 800-1200 per 20GP for short-distance transport in the Yangtze River Delta)，THC (Terminal Handling Charge，about RMB 1000 per 20GP container，about RMB 1800 per 40HQ container)，port construction fee，security inspection fee，document fee，manifest fee，etc. The total miscellaneous fees for FCL are about RMB 1500-3000 per container. All collected fees must be provided with formal payment vouchers. In 2026，some ports have realized online inquiry of electronic payment vouchers，so the details can be checked directly.
It should be noted that container detention fee and port demurrage fee under FOB terms are abnormal expenses. If the goods fail to be loaded on board or picked up in time due to the customer's reasons，the customer shall bear the expenses，and the agency only collects and pays the fees on behalf. Before cooperation，a clear charge list shall be signed with the agency，and all charge items，charge standards and payment voucher requirements shall be written into the contract. At the same time，the agency can be required to provide the latest 2026 port charge guidance price for reference to avoid being charged excessive fees.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Customs declaration related charges are one of the core items in FOB export agency services. First is the basic customs declaration service fee, which is charged per shipment for regular declaration of general trade exports. The standard charge range at Shanghai Port in 2026 is RMB 150-300 per shipment.
If there is a valuation dispute, for example, the customs has doubts about the cargo value and requires supplementary documents and consultation, a valuation assistance service fee will be incurred, generally charged at 0.05%-0.1% of the cargo value, with a minimum of RMB 500. In case of declaration cancellation and resubmission or secondary declaration, an additional amendment service fee will be charged, which is RMB 200-400 per time at most ports.
If the goods are subject to customs inspection, the on-site inspection labor service fee is charged per container, about RMB 300 per FCL container, and about RMB 20 per cubic meter for LCL. In addition, if sample testing is required, the fee of the third-party testing institution shall also be borne, subject to the actual incurred amount.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Logistics related charges under FOB terms are mainly generated from domestic segment and port operations. First is the domestic trailer fee, calculated based on transport distance, cargo weight/volume. In 2026, the short-distance trailer (within 50 km) FCL charge in the Yangtze River Delta is about RMB 800-1200 per 20GP.
THC (Terminal Handling Charge) is the fee charged by the container terminal, about RMB 1000 per 20GP container, about RMB 1800 per 40HQ container, with slight fluctuations at different ports. Port miscellaneous fees include port construction fee, security inspection fee, document fee, etc., about RMB 300-500 per FCL container. Manifest fee is the electronic manifest declaration fee charged by the shipping company, about RMB 100 per shipment.
In addition, if you apply for extension of free storage period and free container period, container detention fee and port demurrage fee will be incurred after the deadline, about RMB 50-80 per day for 20GP, subject to the shipping company's public announcement. If you change the port or ship, a port change service fee of about RMB 200-500 per time will also be incurred.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
Tax and foreign exchange related charges for FOB export agency include export tax refund agency service fee and cross-border settlement handling fee. The export tax refund agency service fee is generally charged at 0.5%-1% of the tax refund amount.
If it involves tax refund filing for cross-border e-commerce B2B exports, an additional filing service fee of about RMB 200 per time will be charged. In 2026, the handling fee rate for cross-border RMB settlement is about 0.02%-0.04%, about 0.01% lower than that of US dollar settlement. If customers choose RMB settlement, they can save part of the handling fee.
If it involves VAT deferred declaration, such as VAT deferral in the EU region, a deferred declaration service fee will be charged at 0.03% of the cargo value, with a minimum of RMB 300 per time. In addition, if there is an abnormality in foreign exchange verification that requires assistance in adjustment, an abnormality handling service fee of about RMB 300-800 per time will be charged.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
Compliance related charges for FOB export agency mainly involve cross-border receipt and payment management and document compliance review. First is the document review service fee.
The agency will conduct compliance review of commercial invoices, packing lists, bills of lading and other documents to avoid order rejection due to document discrepancies, with a charge of about RMB 100-200 per shipment. For cross-border receipt and payment compliance reporting fee, if the customer settles through the CIPS system, the agency will assist in completing the receipt declaration, charged per transaction at about RMB 50 per transaction.
If it involves compliance review of receipt and payment for offshore accounts, an annual compliance service fee of about RMB 2000-5000 per year will be charged. In addition, if anti-money laundering compliance training or filing is required, corresponding service fees will be charged, which shall be calculated based on actual needs.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
Legal related charges for FOB export agency include contract review service fee and guarantee handling fee. First is the review service fee for export agency contracts, charged at 0.05%-0.1% of the contract amount, with a minimum of RMB 300 per time.
If the customer needs to issue performance guarantee, cargo right guarantee, etc., the bank will charge a guarantee handling fee, generally 0.5%-1% of the guarantee amount per year. The agency can assist in handling, charging a small agency service fee of about RMB 100-200 per time.
If legal consultation on international trade disputes is involved, the service fee is charged by hour, about RMB 500-1000 per hour. In addition, if assistance in filing for customs protection of intellectual property rights is required, a filing agency service fee of about RMB 1500 per time will be charged.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
On-site inspection related charges for FOB export agency mainly include inspection and unpacking fee, seal fee and inspection accompaniment fee. If the goods are subject to customs unpacking inspection, the FCL unpacking fee is about RMB 300-500 per container, and about RMB 20 per cubic meter for LCL.
The seal fee is the fee for customs to replace the seal, about RMB 50 per piece. If accompaniment to customs inspection is required, the agency will arrange on-site personnel and charge an accompaniment service fee of about RMB 200 per time.
If the goods need to be sent for testing, the agency will assist in arranging testing personnel and follow up the testing progress, charging a testing assistance service fee of about RMB 300-600 per time. In addition, if the inspection result is abnormal and assistance in submitting defense materials is required, an abnormality handling service fee of about RMB 400-800 per time will be charged.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
Packaging related charges for FOB export agency are mainly for packaging and compliance appraisal of special goods. First is the special packaging service fee, such as moisture-proof reinforcement, shock-proof buffer packaging, calculated based on cargo volume or weight, about RMB 50-100 per cubic meter. If the goods are dangerous goods, UN packaging appraisal is required, with a fee of about RMB 1000-3000 per time, subject to the category of the goods.
The MSDS preparation service fee is charged based on the quantity of goods, about RMB 200-500 per copy. In addition, if fumigation and disinfection of goods are required, a fumigation fee will be charged, about RMB 300-500 per FCL container, and about RMB 15 per cubic meter for LCL. If the packaging does not meet the transportation requirements and needs rectification, a rectification service fee will be charged, calculated based on the actual rectification workload.