What aspects should import and export enterprises in Jiangyin consider when choosing a suitable agency?
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I am a small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprise in Jiangyin that exports high-end textile machinery. We obtained the self-operated import and export right last year. Previously, we relied on foreign trade companies from other regions to receive orders. Now we plan to independently develop overseas customers and take orders.
However, we have no practical experience in the entire process of customs declaration, international logistics, export tax rebate, and cross-border settlement. We tried two local small agencies before, and last month we had a problem of deleting and re-declaring the customs declaration, which resulted in more than 8,000 yuan in container detention fees for no reason, and we almost missed the scheduled shipping date, leading to a breach of contract.
Now we want to switch to a formal and reliable agency, but we don't know which dimensions to screen from, and we are afraid of falling into traps again. Our order volume is not large, so we can't afford additional risks and hidden costs. We want to know which import and export agency is reliable for Jiangyin enterprises and what core points we should pay attention to.
SophiaYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
Many small and medium-sized import and export enterprises in Jiangyin have their first mistake when choosing an agency: only looking at the quotation and selecting the agency with the lowest price. Such agencies often hide multiple hidden costs in their quotations，such as additional inspection fees，amendment fees，and operation fees. They may even help enterprises underdeclare or misdeclare the value of goods to reduce customs clearance costs.
Once underdeclaration or misdeclaration is detected by the customs，the direct consequences are customs seizure and rectification，resulting in high port detention fees and container detention fees. In serious cases，the enterprise will be included in the customs credit abnormality list，affecting all subsequent import and export businesses，and even triggering tax audits，which will affect the enterprise's domestic business.
To isolate such risks，the first step is to verify the front-line practical experience years of the agency. Do not choose small agencies established for less than 3 years，as they have poor risk resistance，high turnover of operators，and are prone to operational errors. Second，confirm the full transparency of the quotation，requiring the agency to provide clear quotation details for all links to eliminate hidden charges.
In addition，priority should be given to agencies that can cover the entire link of services. Do not find multiple agencies for customs declaration，logistics，and tax rebate separately，as the connection between multiple agencies is prone to information misalignment and operational errors. Finally，require the agency to issue an abnormal plan in advance，clarify the responsibility division and compensation standards for different abnormal situations，lock risks at the contract level，and avoid no one taking responsibility when problems occur.
SarahYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign Exchange AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to verify the customs clearance integration qualification of the agency, confirm its filing qualification at Shanghai Port and ports around Jiangyin, and whether it supports the fast customs clearance mode of local declaration and port inspection and release. For price assessment disputes that are prone to occur in the declaration link, it is necessary to confirm whether the agency has a mature price pre-audit process, and can sort out supporting materials such as transaction contracts, foreign exchange payment vouchers, and original factory invoices in advance to avoid price assessment doubts.
If there are cases of account suspension or order delay, the agency needs to provide a rectification plan within 1 working day and complete the operation of deleting and re-declaring to avoid delaying the customs clearance time. At the same time, it is necessary to confirm the customs declaration error rate of the agency; agencies with an error rate exceeding 1% for two consecutive years are not worth considering, as the probability of operational errors of such agencies is much higher than the industry average.
OliviaYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Customs AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to confirm the logistics resources integrated by the agency. Given that most Jiangyin enterprises ship goods from Shanghai Port, it is necessary to confirm whether the agency can obtain contracted freight rates from shipping companies and whether it has priority stowage rights to avoid container dropping and overloading during peak seasons. At the same time, confirm that the agency can provide full cargo rights tracking, update the cargo transportation status in a timely manner, and provide alternative solutions immediately in case of abnormal situations such as port change or detour.
For the reduction or exemption of container detention fees and port detention fees, confirm that the agency can negotiate with shipping companies to extend the free storage and container period, help enterprises apply for reasonable fee reductions, and reduce unnecessary logistics costs. Compare the transit plans of different agencies, and prioritize direct shipping plans that match the shipping cycle to avoid unnecessary transit that increases time and costs.
DanielYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Legal AdvisorStart a Chat
For export enterprises, confirm whether the agency can provide compliant tax planning solutions, and arrange compliant operations such as VAT deferment according to the tax requirements of different export markets to reduce the cost of capital occupation. For the situation that many Jiangyin enterprises engage in cross-border related transactions, confirm that the agency can provide a reasonable transfer pricing plan that meets the relevant requirements of BEPS, avoid the risk of base erosion, and do a good job in tax risk isolation.
For the relevant withholding tax declaration of non-resident enterprises, the agency should prepare materials in advance and complete compliant declarations to avoid late fees and fines. Confirm that the agency can regularly update the tax policy adjustments of different countries, adjust the operation plan in a timely manner, and adapt to the latest compliance requirements.
RobertYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Warehouse Management AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to confirm that the agency can support CIPS RMB cross-border payment and settlement, help enterprises optimize the timing of foreign exchange purchase and settlement, and reduce exchange rate difference losses. For the compliance requirements of foreign exchange collection and payment, the agency should sort out the corresponding materials for foreign exchange collection and payment in advance to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and avoid abnormal settlement and account balancing.
For the processing of SWIFT messages, the agency should accurately interpret message information, handle abnormal messages in a timely manner, and avoid delays in foreign exchange collection and payment. It can assist enterprises in the compliant management of offshore account funds, ensure that all capital flows comply with compliance requirements, and avoid the risk of account freezing.
AlexanderYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Trade AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to confirm the export tax rebate operation process of the agency, whether it can achieve the consistency of four flows (capital flow, cargo flow, invoice flow, and contract flow), prepare document filing in advance, and respond to tax inquiries. For links such as cross-month declaration and pre-declaration verification, the agency should conduct audits in advance to avoid declaration errors affecting the tax rebate arrival time.
For the capital shortage of small and medium-sized enterprises, the agency can arrange tax rebate pre-declaration in advance to speed up the tax rebate progress and shorten the capital occupation cycle. It can assist enterprises in sorting out relevant materials for foreign exchange collection verification, ensure the entire tax rebate process is compliant, and avoid tax rebate failure due to document problems that cause losses to the enterprise.
EllaYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior Financial AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to confirm whether the agency has on-site operators stationed at the port, who can arrive at the scene immediately after receiving the inspection notice, interpret the inspection requirements, and sort out the corresponding declaration materials. For the arrangement of container unpacking inspection, the agency should coordinate in advance, check the authenticity of the seal, and avoid problems such as wrong unpacking and missed inspection.
For goods that need to be sent for inspection and identification, the agency can follow up the inspection process, obtain the test report in time, complete the subsequent customs clearance procedures, and shorten the time occupied by inspection. It can provide enterprises with guidance on inspection response in advance to avoid the enterprise failing the inspection due to insufficient preparation and prolonging the customs clearance time.
EmilyYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Client Success AdvisorStart a Chat
It is necessary to match the corresponding agency service mode according to the enterprise's annual shipment volume, product type, and shipping market. For enterprises with small and medium batches and multiple shipments, choose an agency that can provide flexible LCL (less than container load) and integrated customs declaration to reduce the operation cost per order.
The agency can help enterprises sort out the choice of trade terms, complete the conversion between CIF and FOB according to the actual situation, and optimize the cost structure. It can combine the enterprise's inventory turnover situation to formulate corresponding inventory linkage strategies, optimize the overall efficiency of the supply chain, and reduce the overall operating cost. It can adjust the agency service plan according to the enterprise's future business expansion plan to adapt to the needs of business growth.