How to Conduct Legally Compliant Full-process Import Agency Business
Importing from China?
Need help with sourcing, customs or shipping?
Your China Import Partner
Reliable sourcing and import agency services.
We are a newly established cross-border trade service provider that previously only engaged in domestic trade, with zero practical experience in import business, and now plans to launch import product agency business. Not long ago, a precision instrument supplier from Germany took the initiative to contact us for cooperation, but we have no idea where to start: what compliance documents are required for import?
How to avoid customs detention of goods or port detention fines? We also have no concept of the procedures for foreign exchange settlement and subsequent tax refund, and are most afraid of stepping into pitfalls due to unfamiliarity with relevant rules, which will lead to cargo detention or extra costs. We urgently need clear full-process operation guidance and key points for risk avoidance at present.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
The first step is to complete pre-document review，which is the core starting point of import agency. In 2026，the General Administration of Customs updated the nationally unified HS Code database. First，you need to accurately verify the customs code of the goods，as different codes correspond to drastically different regulatory conditions. For example，precision instruments may involve 3C certification，and you must confirm in advance whether the supplier can provide the corresponding certification documents. Meanwhile，a full set of commercial documents shall be prepared: commercial invoice，packing list，sea waybill (or air waybill)，certificate of origin. For goods subject to statutory inspection，the Inspection and Quarantine Certificate for Entry Goods shall be obtained in advance，and all documents must ensure consistency between different documents，and consistency between documents and actual goods.
The next step is core node connection，which directly determines customs clearance efficiency. First of all，complete the document exchange operation: exchange the original bill of lading for delivery order at the freight forwarder. In 2026，most ports support electronic document exchange，which can be completed online in advance to save offline processing time. Then proceed with electronic declaration，the pre-review must be completed 72 hours in advance to avoid document rejection due to inconsistent documents during on-site declaration. When declaring，fill in the exact value of the goods，the customs will conduct price verification through the global price database. If there is a price dispute，you need to provide supporting materials such as purchase and sales contracts and payment vouchers in time. For the tax payment link，VAT deferral is an optional policy，and most free trade zones support this policy in 2026，which can effectively relieve capital pressure.
Then make preparation for contingency plans for abnormal situations. Common abnormalities include customs inspection，port detention fee generation and so on. If you receive an inspection notice，sort out the technical documents of the goods and original factory packaging instructions in advance，and cooperate with the on-site inspection. If unpacking is involved，arrange dedicated personnel to supervise on site to avoid cargo damage. For port detention fees，confirm the standard free storage period with the freight forwarder，which is generally 7 days，and you can apply for extension to 14 days. Meanwhile，you shall avoid late payment penalty caused by overdue undeclared goods.
The last step is compliance implementation and subsequent closing. Foreign exchange settlement shall be completed through compliant cross-border payment channels. In 2026，the CIPS system covers most countries around the world，you can select this system to complete foreign exchange settlement to ensure the consistency of capital flow and document flow. For subsequent tax refund，you need to ensure the consistency of four flows (cargo flow，document flow，capital flow，information flow)，keep all customs declaration documents，purchase and sales contracts and payment vouchers properly. In 2026，the verification system of tax authorities will automatically compare the four flow information，once any abnormality occurs，document verification will be triggered，you need to prepare relevant materials in time for response.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
Accurately verifying the HS Code is the first step of import agency. In 2026, the price database of the General Administration of Customs covers more than 90% of global trade goods. If the declared price deviates from the database, the price verification procedure will be triggered. At this time, you shall provide supporting materials such as supplier quotation, purchase and sales contract, and payment slip to prove the rationality of the declared price. In case of cargo detention, first confirm the reason for detention.
If it is caused by inconsistent documents, supplement or modify the documents in time. If it is caused by price verification dispute, submit an application for price consultation to the customs, and provide the price appraisal report issued by a third-party institution. In addition, the national integrated customs clearance reform has covered all ports in 2026, you can choose the nearest port for declaration instead of going through procedures at the origin port, which can effectively shorten customs clearance time.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
The selection of international logistics routes shall combine the attributes of goods and timeliness requirements. Direct shipping routes are suitable for precision instruments, which can reduce the risk of cargo damage during transit. In 2026, the tight situation of global shipping space has been alleviated, but it is still required to book shipping space 30 days in advance in peak seasons. After document exchange, confirm the free storage period and free container period, which are generally 7 days.
If the expected inspection time is long, apply to the freight forwarder for extending the free storage period to 14 days to avoid port detention fees and container detention fees. In case of port diversion or container rollover, communicate with the freight forwarder in time to adjust the transportation plan, and confirm the ownership of the goods at the same time to avoid ownership disputes. Endorsement transfer of bill of lading shall ensure continuous endorsement to avoid affecting goods pickup.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
VAT deferral is an important cost optimization measure for import agency in 2026, which is only applicable to importers that have completed tax registration, and relevant application shall be submitted to the customs in advance. The deferred VAT can be paid in the subsequent declaration period, which can effectively relieve capital pressure. Meanwhile, attention shall be paid to the pricing of cross-border related party transactions.
If there is a related relationship between the importer and the supplier, pricing shall follow the arm's length principle to avoid adjustment of taxable income by tax authorities. In addition, the payment of withholding income tax for non-resident enterprises shall be confirmed in advance. If the supplier is a non-resident enterprise, the withholding income tax shall be withheld and paid, otherwise you will face tax penalties.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
Compliant cross-border receipt and payment is a key link of import agency. In 2026, the CIPS system supports RMB settlement in most countries around the world, which can effectively avoid exchange rate difference risks. When conducting foreign exchange settlement, choose compliant bank channels to ensure the consistency of capital flow and document flow, so as to avoid abnormal settlement resulting in account frozen by banks.
If you use an offshore account, ensure the compliance of the account to avoid being included in the sanction list. In addition, the monitoring system of foreign exchange administration authorities will automatically compare the receipt and payment information with customs declaration information in 2026. If there is any discrepancy, explain the situation to the foreign exchange administration authorities in time to avoid triggering verification.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
The import agency contract shall clarify the rights and obligations of both parties, including product quality standards, delivery time, liability for breach of contract, etc., and add a force majeure clause as fallback to avoid disputes caused by unexpected situations. For large-value transactions, you can require the supplier to provide a bank guarantee or standby letter of credit to ensure the safety of payment.
In addition, IPR customs protection record filing shall be completed in advance. If the imported goods involve intellectual property rights, confirm whether the supplier has legal IPR authorization to avoid infringement disputes. Exclusive agreement shall clarify the cooperation scope and term to avoid horizontal competition situations.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
After receiving the customs inspection notice, first confirm the type of inspection, namely machine inspection or manual inspection. For machine inspection, ensure that the packaging of the goods meets the machine inspection requirements to avoid failing the machine inspection due to packaging problems. For manual inspection, sort out the technical documents of the goods and original factory packaging instructions in advance, cooperate with customs officers to conduct unpacking inspection, and supervise the unpacking process at the same time to avoid cargo damage.
If the customs requires sample delivery for testing, contact a third-party testing institution in time to ensure the representativeness of the submitted sample, and follow up the testing progress to avoid cargo detention. In addition, confirm the authenticity of the customs seal to avoid the situation that the seal is replaced.