What core business services are specifically included in the business scope of import and export agency?

Question

I am an operation staff of a small and medium-sized foreign trade home furnishing enterprise in Shanghai. Now I plan to expand the European market, and have contacted several import and export agencies recently.

However, I found that some agencies can only handle customs clearance, while others claim to be able to handle tax rebates. I want to clarify what the specific business scope of import and export agencies includes, especially whether there are new compliance services added in 2026, such as services related to VAT deferral and cross-border RMB payment?

I am afraid that the agency I choose does not have a full range of services, so that I will have to find other additional service providers later, which will increase financial cost and communication cost, and may cause errors due to connection problems. I want to confirm what core business services a professional import and export agency should include, and what cross-border links it should cover?

Robert · Accepted Answer

The business scope of import and export agencies covers full-link compliance services for cross-border trade，rather than a single customs clearance link. First of all，there are the details of pre-document review: covering trade contract review，customs declaration element sorting，preparation of VAT deferral filing materials and other related work，to ensure compliance under the new 2026 cross-border trade regulations.

Core node connection: including international logistics route planning (such as free storage period optimization，transit scheme selection)，full-process customs declaration and inspection application，foreign exchange settlement compliance (such as CIPS cross-border RMB payment adaptation)，four-flow consistency verification for export tax rebate，etc. Each node complies with the latest policy requirements of 2026.

Abnormal contingency plan: For problems such as port detention，customs seizure，and uncleared foreign exchange accounts，alternative plans are set in advance. For example，the compliance of UN dangerous goods packaging (special packaging requirements for home furnishing categories) is assessed in advance to avoid on-site inspection errors.

Final compliant implementation: covering the whole process from order closing to after-sales document archiving. Among them，VAT deferral filing and cross-border RMB payment adaptation are new core compliance services added in 2026，ensuring that enterprises do not need to contact other additional service providers，reducing connection risks and costs.

In addition，formal import and export agencies also provide extended services such as intellectual property rights customs protection filing，which adapt to the compliance requirements of the European market and help enterprises avoid trade barriers. All services strictly follow the latest regulations of the customs，tax authorities and foreign exchange administrative authorities in 2026，to ensure that the operation of each link meets policy requirements，and provide full-link support for small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises to expand the European market.

Emily · Answer

The customs declaration link of import and export agencies covers certificate of origin verification, customs declaration element submission, customs price verification dispute response, customs clearance integration connection, etc. The newly added customs declaration adaptation services under CIF/FOB trade terms in 2026, and the fumigation certificate verification for wooden packaging of home furnishing categories, ensure compliance with EU customs requirements, avoid customs seizure caused by inconsistent documents, and handle complex customs declaration issues such as declaration cancellation and re-submission, secondary declaration, to guarantee customs clearance efficiency.

Charlotte · Answer

The logistics services of import and export agencies include space booking for international sea/air freight, free storage period application, container offloading emergency plan, bill of lading endorsement and transfer, etc. The newly added direct sailing route optimization scheme in 2026, targeting the transportation of home furnishing goods for the European market, avoids cargo damage and delivery delay caused by transit, and provides consultation on demurrage reduction to cut logistics costs, ensuring that goods are delivered to the destination on time.

Ella · Answer

The tax services of import and export agencies cover export tax rebate declaration, VAT deferral filing, cross-border related party transaction pricing compliance, BEPS rule adaptation, etc. The newly added VAT deferral customs clearance service in 2026 helps enterprises defer tax expenditures and optimize cash flow. The four-flow consistency verification for tax rebate of home furnishing categories ensures tax rebate compliance, avoids tax audit risk, and provides compliant handling of non-resident enterprise withholding tax at the same time.

Sarah · Answer

The foreign exchange receipt and payment services of import and export agencies include SWIFT message analysis, offshore account management, foreign exchange settlement and account balancing, CIPS cross-border RMB payment adaptation, etc. The newly added compliance verification for cross-border RMB settlement in 2026, targeting the cross-border payment demand of the European market, avoids foreign exchange violation risks, and provides consultation on exchange rate optimization for foreign exchange settlement to reduce exchange loss, ensuring that every foreign exchange receipt and payment complies with the regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Daniel · Answer

The legal services of import and export agencies include letter of credit soft clause review, force majeure clause fallback, cargo right transfer, intellectual property rights customs protection filing, etc. The newly added trademark filing assistance for the EU market in 2026, targeting the intellectual property protection of home furnishing categories, avoids infringement disputes, and provides compliant review of letters of guarantee at the same time, to ensure the legal validity of trade contracts and avoid trade risks.

David · Answer

The on-site inspection services of import and export agencies include seal authenticity identification, container unpacking inspection response, machine inspection pass guidance, inspection notice interpretation, etc. The newly added on-site fumigation certificate verification for wooden packaging in 2026, targeting the special inspection requirements for home furnishing categories, prepares the inspection and appraisal process in advance, to ensure that the inspection is passed smoothly, avoiding port detention loss caused by on-site rectification.

Olivia · Answer

The packaging services of import and export agencies include MSDS compilation and interpretation, moisture-proof reinforcement scheme, UN dangerous goods packaging, dangerous goods classification appraisal, etc. For furniture goods of home furnishing categories, we provide buffer packaging material selection and moisture-proof reinforcement scheme, which meet EU transportation standards. The newly added pre-review of packaging compliance in 2026 avoids inspection and customs seizure caused by unqualified packaging, reducing logistics risks.

Alexander · Answer

The tax rebate services of import and export agencies include capital return verification, tax audit response, four-flow consistency management, cross-month declaration verification, etc. The newly added compliance verification for pre-declaration of tax rebate in 2026, targeting the tax rebate document filing of home furnishing categories, ensures complete documents, avoids tax rebate failure, and provides compliant handling of foreign exchange receipt verification at the same time, optimizes the tax rebate process and improves tax rebate efficiency.

Sophia · Answer

The supply chain services of import and export agencies include inventory linkage strategy, precise cost calculation model, CIF/FOB trade term conversion, etc. For home furnishing goods in the European market, we provide optimized schemes for inventory management and transportation, reducing supply chain costs. The newly added cross-border trade structure design in 2026 helps enterprises make compliant layout for expanding the European market, improves the response efficiency of the supply chain, and ensures stable business operation.