What procedures are required for individual businesses to handle export agency?
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I'm an individual business owner selling home decor. Recently, a foreign customer wants to place an order, but I don't have import/export rights. I heard I can use an export agency, but how exactly does it work?
For example, what materials do I need to provide to the agency? Do I handle the tax refund myself or does the agency do it? A friend told me they were scammed by an agency before—their tax refund was withheld, and there's also the risk of customs inspection.
My goods are fragile; will there be logistics issues? It's 2026 now—have policies changed? I'm worried about making a mistake in the process that delays delivery and I don't get paid. I'm so anxious!
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
For individual business export agency，first clarify the **compliant agency mode**—choose a formal service provider with import/export operation rights and agency qualifications，and avoid affiliating with unqualified intermediaries (in 2026，customs penalties for unqualified agencies have been upgraded to 10% of the cargo value).
First step: Pre-document review. You need to provide your business license (individual businesses must have "goods import/export" in their business scope，pre-approval was canceled in 2026)，purchase contract (must match the actual supplier)，packing list，and invoice. The agency will help you verify the HS code (some home decor HS codes were adjusted in 2026，you need to confirm if anti-dumping duties apply).
Key node connection: Choose CIF or FOB for logistics? If you choose FOB，you need to entrust the agency to book the shipping space. Fragile goods require **buffer packaging + anti-damage labels** (in 2026，the inspection rate for fragile goods at ports increased to 15%，non-compliant packaging is prone to being returned). During customs declaration，the agency will synchronize customs declaration data，you need to confirm that the cargo value matches the foreign exchange receipt amount (to avoid abnormal settlement).
Contingency plan: If inspected，the agency must send on-site personnel to cooperate，for fragile goods，buffer materials need to be prepared in advance for unpacking. Regarding tax refunds: In 2026，individual business export agency tax refunds can be declared as long as "documents are complete + foreign exchange is received". The agency will help you do pre-declaration verification to avoid delays from cross-month declarations (cross-month declarations will extend the tax refund cycle by 15 days).
Final compliance implementation: You need to retain 5 types of documents including **purchase invoices，transportation documents，foreign exchange receipt vouchers** for 3 years (in 2026，the tax letter inquiry ratio increased to 20%，incomplete documents will result in cancellation of tax refund eligibility). The agency will help you with document filing and archiving.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
In 2026, customs' price assessment logic for individual business export agency has been updated. Note that **the deviation between the declared cargo value and the average export price of similar goods should not exceed 10%**, otherwise the price assessment system will trigger an alert.
If there is a price assessment dispute, provide purchase invoices and third-party inspection reports (such as material identification for home decor) as evidence. Under integrated customs clearance, you can choose the port closest to your factory for declaration (e.g., Yangshan Port in Shanghai or Ningbo Port for the Yangtze River Delta region) to avoid additional costs of cross-regional customs declaration.
Additionally, if the agency helps you cancel and re-declare the customs declaration, it must be done before the declaration is released. After release, canceling the declaration requires a handling fee of 0.1‰ of the cargo value and will affect subsequent declaration credit ratings.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
For fragile goods export, it is recommended to choose **direct shipping lines** (e.g., direct routes of Maersk or COSCO Shipping). Transshipment ports are prone to container rolling or loading/unloading damage.
Confirm the free storage period with the agency in advance; in 2026, the free storage period at ports is generally 7 days, and overdue container detention fees increase daily (50-100 USD per day for the first container). Pay attention to bill of lading endorsement: if the customer uses L/C settlement, blank endorsement or named endorsement must be done according to L/C requirements to avoid refusal of payment due to bill of lading discrepancies.
Additionally, if the cargo value is high, it is recommended to purchase **all-risk insurance + breakage insurance**. In 2026, the compensation rate for fragile goods by insurance companies has increased to 85%, and packaging photos need to be provided as the basis for insurance.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
2026 changes in tax refund policies for individual business export agency: ① Canceled the restriction that "small-scale taxpayers cannot get tax refunds"; eligible individual businesses can enjoy **exemption, offset, and refund** (annual sales must exceed 500,000 yuan); ② VAT deferral policy applies to goods exported to the EU.
You need to submit a VAT deferral application through the agency during customs declaration to avoid capital occupation from paying first and refunding later; ③ For tax letter inquiries, pay attention to "four flows consistency"—contract flow (purchase contract between you and the supplier), invoice flow (VAT special invoice issued by the supplier to you), capital flow (bank statements of your payment to the supplier), and cargo flow (transportation documents). If the four flows are inconsistent, it will be judged as "suspicion of tax fraud", requiring tax repayment and fines.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
In 2026, for cross-border payment and receipt, pay attention to the use of **CIPS RMB cross-border payment**. Individual businesses can receive foreign exchange through the agency's CIPS account to avoid foreign exchange control risks; the settlement exchange rate must be the mid-rate, and the agency cannot deduct exchange differences without permission (exchange differences exceeding 0.5‰ are non-compliant); offshore account use must be compliant.
If the customer requires payment to an offshore account, confirm whether the account is registered with a domestic bank—unregistered offshore accounts will have their foreign exchange receipts frozen. Additionally, check the payee name in the SWIFT message (it must be consistent with your individual business name, no abbreviations allowed), otherwise it will cause delays in foreign exchange receipt.
JohnYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Export Tax Rebate AdvisorStart a Chat
The agreement signed with the agency must clarify **responsibility division**: ① If the agency's customs declaration error causes port detention, it must bear the detention fee; ② The tax refund amount must be clearly written in the agreement, and the agency cannot deduct the tax refund (a deduction ratio exceeding 5% is a breach of contract); ③ Responsibility for fragile goods damage (if damage is caused by non-compliant packaging, you are responsible; if caused by logistics loading/unloading, the agency or shipping company is responsible); ④ The force majeure clause must include common situations in 2026 such as "port congestion, customs inspection delay" to avoid delivery delay breaches. Additionally, confirm whether the agency has intellectual property registration qualifications—if the goods are involved in infringement, they will be seized by customs.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
2026 customs inspection requirements for fragile goods: ① Packaging must have "fragile" labels + buffer materials (e.g., foam, bubble wrap); goods inside the box must be fixed and not shake; ② Prepare a **cargo list** (marking the model and quantity of each item) in advance for inspection, and cooperate with customs for unpacking. If the goods are fragile, you can apply for "light unpacking" (only open part of the boxes); ③ Seals must be applied by customs.
If a seal is found damaged, immediately notify the agency and customs to avoid being judged as "smuggling suspicion"; ④ When passing through machine inspection, place fragile goods in the middle of the box to avoid edge extrusion. If machine inspection is abnormal, manual inspection will be triggered.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Packaging plan for fragile home decor: ① Use five-layer corrugated boxes for the outer layer (in 2026, ports require five-layer boxes for goods weighing over 10kg); ② Wrap each item with bubble wrap in the inner layer, and fill gaps with foam particles; ③ Stick "fragile" labels + "up" labels inside the box; ④ If the goods have sharp parts, wrap them with cardboard to avoid scratching other goods; ⑤ After packaging, perform a **drop test** (drop from a height of 1 meter, no damage to the goods).
The test report can be used as evidence for customs inspection. Additionally, if the goods are glass products, use wooden boxes for packaging, which must meet IPPC label requirements (wooden boxes without IPPC labels cannot be exported in 2026).
WilliamYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
International Logistics AdvisorStart a Chat
2026 document management requirements for export tax refunds: ① Purchase invoices must be issued within 30 days after the goods are exported, and the invoice content must be consistent with the HS code; ② Transportation documents must include information such as "port of departure, port of destination, bill of lading number, cargo description" and cannot be missing; ③ Foreign exchange receipt vouchers must arrive within 90 days after export (extended to 120 days in 2026).
If overdue, apply to the tax authority for extension; ④ Document filing must include "purchase contract, sales contract, packing list, invoice, transportation documents, foreign exchange receipt vouchers" and be retained for 3 years; ⑤ Pre-declaration verification must pass the agency's tax refund system. If verification fails, modify the documents and re-declare.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
Supply chain optimization for individual business export agency: ① Supplier selection: Prioritize factories with general VAT taxpayer qualifications to enjoy full tax refunds; ② Logistics path: If exporting to Southeast Asia, choose direct sea shipping (e.g., Shanghai to Singapore direct shipping takes 4 days); if exporting to Europe, choose China-Europe Railway Express (2026 China-Europe Railway Express freight rates have decreased by 10%); ③ Trade terms: For small orders, choose FOB (you bear domestic transportation costs); for large orders, choose CIF (you bear sea freight + insurance fees and can get more favorable freight prices); ④ Inventory management: Prepare goods 15 days in advance to avoid delivery delays due to port congestion; ⑤ Cost accounting: Include agency service fees (usually 1%-3% of cargo value), freight, insurance fees, and tax refund amount to ensure positive profit.