What core service dimensions should be considered when selecting a formal import and export agency in Jiangyin?
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I am the person in charge of a local hardware accessories production factory in Jiangyin with an annual export volume of around 30 million yuan. Last year, we cooperated with a small-scale local import and export agency, and there were two cases of customs declaration document review errors leading to cargo detention at the port, resulting in a loss of nearly 80,000 yuan in port detention fees and customer liquidated damages.
Additionally, a 120,000 yuan export tax refund has been delayed for 8 months and still hasn't been processed, and the contact person is often unreachable. Recently, we have received a new order for hardware kits with built-in lithium batteries to be shipped to the EU.
We need to go through the customs declaration process in compliance and also implement EU VAT deferment to reduce customer costs. Now we want to switch to a long-term cooperative agency and would like to know which Jiangyin import and export agency is more reliable and what dimensions to judge whether it meets our business needs.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
When selecting a Jiangyin import and export agency，first check the local port service qualifications. Priority should be given to service providers with a permanent docking team at Jiangyin Port. Do not choose secondary agencies that can only go through customs transfer via Shanghai Port，as customs transfer will add at least 2-3 days to the clearance cycle and increase the probability of document transmission errors.
In the pre-audit link，confirm whether the other party can provide pre-declaration document verification service. For electrified goods with lithium batteries，cross-verify MSDS，UN code，and cargo transport condition identification certificate 3 working days in advance to avoid customs rejection due to inconsistent documents. Your hardware accessories fall into the category of ordinary goods with hidden dangerous goods. Once rejected，the cargo will be detained at the port for at least 7 days，and the enterprise's customs declaration credit will be deducted.
For core node connection，confirm whether the other party's customs declaration，logistics，and tax refund teams are internally coordinated or outsourced. Service providers with internal coordination can arrange trailer loading within 24 hours after customs clearance and submit tax refund pre-audit materials within 3 days after export. The tax refund delays you encountered before are mostly due to the agency outsourcing the tax refund business to a third party，leading to document transmission gaps.
Finally，verify whether the other party has a clear exception compensation mechanism. For example，for port detention fees and liquidated damages caused by the agency's review errors，a compensation plan can be issued within 48 hours. For EU VAT deferment needs，confirm that the other party has a local customs clearance partner in the EU and can directly connect with bonded warehouses in Belgium and the Netherlands for deferment declaration without third-party transit，which can help your customers reduce cash flow pressure in the import link by at least 15%.
CharlotteYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Currency Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
Before declaring the export of electrified goods, pre-classify the commodity code in advance. Hardware kits with built-in lithium batteries cannot be declared directly as ordinary hardware accessories. The HS code of the lithium battery should be split separately and the corresponding dangerous goods level should be marked. In 2026, Jiangyin Port will directly detain goods found with undeclared dangerous goods during inspection, and also downgrade the credit of the declaring enterprise.
The inspection rate of all subsequent export goods will be increased to 80%. Before submitting customs declaration documents, three logical verifications should be done to ensure that the value, quantity, and name on the customs declaration form are completely consistent with the manifest, contract, and invoice information, avoiding logical errors leading to customs price review rejection. The processing cycle for price review disputes is at least 15 days, which will seriously affect delivery timeliness.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
For goods shipped from Jiangyin Port to the EU, priority should be given to direct shipping routes from Shanghai Yangshan Port instead of transshipment via Ningbo Port. In the first half of 2026, the congestion rate of EU routes remained around 32%, and the container rejection rate of transshipment routes was 17% higher than that of direct routes.
The timeliness of direct routes to Rotterdam is stable at about 26 days, while transshipment routes take at least 7-10 days longer. When booking a container, apply for a 14-day free detention period at the destination port and a 7-day free container use period in advance. The local container detention fee in the EU is as high as 45 euros per day.
Once customs clearance is delayed, it is easy to incur high additional fees. After loading, check the bill of lading information in time to ensure that the consignor, consignee, and shipping mark are completely consistent with the letter of credit requirements to avoid affecting subsequent foreign exchange settlement.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
For EU VAT deferment declaration, cooperate with agencies with local EU customs clearance qualifications. Do not ship via cross-border e-commerce's double clearance and tax-included channels.
Most double clearance and tax-included channels use third-party tax IDs for customs clearance. Once the other party's tax ID is abnormal, your goods will be directly detained by customs, and you will also bear the risk of paying back taxes and fines.
After VAT deferment declaration, keep complete customs clearance documents, transportation documents, and transaction contracts to avoid being identified as tax evasion by the EU tax authorities when they conduct inspections and cannot provide materials. The tax repayment ratio is as high as 20%-30% of the goods value, and it will also affect the enterprise's credit record in the EU.
DavidYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business Development AdvisorStart a Chat
For foreign exchange collection, priority should be given to agencies that support CIPS RMB cross-border settlement. In 2026, the proportion of RMB settlement in China-EU trade has increased to 38%. Using RMB settlement can avoid the exchange rate fluctuation risk between the euro and RMB and save 1-2 percentage points of foreign exchange purchase and settlement fees. When settling foreign exchange, ensure that the fund path and transaction link are completely matched.
The payment should be directly transferred from the overseas buyer's account to the agency's verification account, not through a third-party account. Once there is an abnormal fund path, it will trigger the anti-money laundering inspection by the foreign exchange bureau, and the account will be frozen for at least 3 months, seriously affecting capital turnover.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
For export tax refund declaration, ensure that the four key documents (contract, invoice, customs declaration form, and foreign exchange collection certificate) are fully consistent in terms of goods value, quantity, and name. Do not have differences in the name between the customs declaration form and the VAT invoice. Even minor differences in name expression will trigger a tax bureau inquiry.
The processing cycle for the inquiry is at least 1 month, which will seriously slow down the tax refund arrival time. Do pre-declaration verification in advance to check all suspicious data. In 2026, the inspection intensity for export tax refunds in Jiangsu Province will be further increased. Once an application is submitted with unresolved suspicious points, the enterprise will be listed as a high-risk enterprise, and all subsequent tax refund applications will go through the manual review process, and the arrival cycle will be extended to more than 6 months.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
Before the inspection of electrified goods at Jiangyin Port, prepare complete MSDS, cargo transport condition identification certificate, and UN38.3 report for lithium batteries in advance. When unpacking for inspection, actively place the goods with lithium batteries in a position that is easy to inspect, and do not mix them with ordinary goods in the innermost part of the container to avoid damage to the goods during unpacking.
Before machine inspection, inform the inspectors in advance that the goods contain lithium batteries and do not use high-energy machine inspection to avoid the risk of leakage or fire due to radiation. If goods are damaged during inspection, take photos on the spot to keep evidence, confirm the cause of damage with the inspectors, which can be directly used as evidence when claiming compensation from the insurance company later.