Full Analysis of 2026 Import and Export Agency Law: Core Compliance Points and Practical Risk Avoidance Guide

Last year,I assisted Ms.Ma from Changzhou,Jiangsu Province in handling a batch of CNC lathes exported to Germany.At that time,she was unclear about the port of destination certification requirements in the Import and Export Agency Law,which almost caused port detention of the goods and nearly RMB 120,000 in demurrage charges.Combined with the latest requirements of global trade compliance in 2026,I dissect the practical key points of the Import and Export Agency Law from four core dimensions to help foreign trade enterprises avoid risks accurately.

Port of Destination Certification Compliance: Core Measures to Avoid Port Detention Risks

In 2026,countries have further tightened certification requirements for imported goods,especially for mechanical,electrical and chemical products,and the port of destination customs has significantly increased the inspection intensity of certification documents.Taking the EU as an example,the EC Declaration of Conformity for CE certification must include 12 core elements such as product model,production batch,and laboratory qualification,and any missing item will directly lead to cargo detention at the port.

Certification rules vary significantly across regions.Below is a comparison of core certification requirements for major markets in 2026:

In practice,pre-examination of certification documents must be completed 15 days before shipment,especially for goods involving RCEP member states,it is necessary to ensure that the goods description on the certificate of origin is completely consistent with that on the customs declaration form,to avoid invalidation of tax reduction eligibility caused by information discrepancies.Relying on the global agency network of our Shanghai headquarters,we can coordinate with the port of destination customs in advance to confirm details of certification requirements and reduce port detention risks.

Proactive Anti-dumping Early Warning: 2026 Trade Barrier Response Plan

Trade barriers imposed by Europe and the US against China continue to escalate in 2026.The US Department of Commerce raised the anti-dumping duty rate for hardware tools from 15% to 22% at the beginning of the year,and the EU launched 3 new anti-dumping investigations on chemical raw materials.Many foreign trade enterprises lack proactive early warning,resulting in failure of customs clearance after goods arrive at the port and heavy losses.

Based on the compliance framework of the Import and Export Agency Law,we have summarized three practical early warning measures:

• Relying on the global agency network,monitor anti-dumping announcements of the target country’s commerce authority in real time,adjust quotation strategy 30 days in advance,and include anti-dumping duty costs into the quotation system
• For high-risk categories,obtain the port of destination customs valuation model in advance,predict the probability of targeted inspection,and optimize declaration elements to reduce the inspection rate
• Adjust trade terms in compliance with regulations,adopt EXW terms to transfer customs clearance responsibility to overseas buyers,and clarify the party responsible for paying anti-dumping duties

The year before last,I assisted Mr.Shen from Zhejiang Province in handling a batch of hardware tools exported to the US.We gave early warning of the anti-dumping duty rate adjustment,helped him raise the quotation by 23%,and revised the trade term to EXW.The customs clearance was finally completed smoothly,avoiding nearly RMB 80,000 in extra costs.

Export Tax Refund Optimization: Improve Capital Efficiency Under the Framework of the Agency Law

Shanghai Port launched a new export tax refund policy in 2026,the processing cycle for paperless tax refund has been shortened from 7 days to 3 days,but the compliance requirements for declaration materials are higher.The Import and Export Agency Law clearly stipulates that the customs declaration form,VAT special invoice,and export goods sub-ledger must be completely matched,and any discrepancy will lead to delayed tax refund.

The most common pitfall in practice is incorrect HS Code classification.Last year,I encountered a chemical enterprise in Suzhou,which classified ethylene glycol as general cargo instead of chemical product,resulting in rejection of its tax refund application,a 45-day delay,and nearly RMB 100,000 in capital interest losses.The correct approach is: complete HS Code pre-classification 3 days before shipment,ensure that the brand,model,and material in the declaration elements are completely consistent with the actual goods,and prepare MSDS for chemical products or certificates from electromechanical products regulatory authority for mechanical and electrical products in advance.

Relying on the advantages of Shanghai Port,we can realize off-site declaration at all ports nationwide.No matter the goods are shipped from Shenzhen,Ningbo or Tianjin,they can enjoy the fast tax refund channel of Shanghai simultaneously,with an average tax refund cycle 2 days shorter than the industry standard.

Foreign Exchange Collection Security: Property Right and Capital Risk Control Under the Agency Law

The foreign exchange regulatory authority has further tightened supervision on cross-border foreign exchange collection in 2026.The Import and Export Agency Law explicitly prohibits third-party payment on behalf,otherwise enterprises will be included in the foreign exchange verification list,affecting subsequent foreign exchange collection.Many foreign trade enterprises accept third-party payments from overseas buyers for convenience,resulting in frozen funds and failure to settle foreign exchange in time.

In addition,hidden fees at the port of destination are also common traps.For example,some agencies may conceal document exchange fees,terminal handling charges,etc.resulting in extra costs after the goods arrive at the port.Our risk control system will calculate all port of destination fees in advance and list them clearly in the contract to avoid hidden charges.

In practice,we will assist enterprises to adopt letter of credit settlement,and control the property right of goods through the global agency network to ensure that goods are released only after foreign exchange is collected.Last year,I assisted Ms.Tan from Guangdong Province in handling a batch of cosmetics exported to Malaysia.The overseas buyer tried to pay via a third party,we stopped it in time and helped her switch to letter of credit settlement.The foreign exchange was finally collected smoothly,avoiding nearly RMB 150,000 in capital losses.