Import and Export Companies Can Provide Export Agency Services: One-Stop Full-Process Compliance Operation Guide

Core Business Scope and Compliance Prerequisites of Import and Export Agency Services

The General Administration of Customs updated more than 1,200 HS code annotations in 2026,global trade compliance supervision has tightened by 27% year on year,many small and medium-sized foreign trade manufacturers often get stuck in the export link due to incomplete qualifications and inconsistent documents.The essence of export agency services provided by import and export companies is to provide full-process export agency services for enterprises without import and export rights by virtue of their legal foreign trade operation rights and customs registration qualifications.There are three core compliance prerequisites: first,the agency must have valid filing qualifications,second,declaration elements must be completely consistent with the actual goods,third,foreign exchange settlement must meet the supervision requirements of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

Last spring,I handled a case of a hardware manufacturer in Suzhou.The client classified lithium electric power tools under HS code 85076000 on its own,while the actual correct code should be 85016100,which led to targeted inspection and cargo detention at Shanghai Port,delaying the shipping schedule by 12 days.The Zhongshitong team,with 20 years of practical port operation experience,helped the client resubmit classification instructions and third-party test reports.The cargo was finally released smoothly,and we also helped the client apply for customs advance ruling to avoid similar problems in the future.

• Agency qualification verification: It is necessary to confirm that the other party holds customs registration certificate and filing form of foreign trade operators
• Declaration element matching: Information such as brand,model,material and voltage must be completely consistent with the actual goods and factory qualification certificates
• Foreign exchange compliance filing: The agency must have foreign exchange settlement and sales qualifications recognized by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange to avoid the risk of offshore account freezing

Four Core Service Modules Covering the Whole Export Chain

1.Destination Port Certification and Compliance Customs Clearance

Major export destinations such as the European Union and the United States updated nearly 30 product certification standards in 2026.For example,the new EU CE regulation adds annual random inspection requirements for EMC,and the US CPSC has tightened the lead content limit for children’s products by 15%.Import and export agencies can pre-audit certification documents for clients in advance and coordinate with local customs clearance agents at the destination port to avoid port detention fees.

A chemical enterprise in Shanghai exported latex gloves to Thailand.The FORM R certificate of origin prepared by the client itself had inconsistent signature issues.The Zhongshitong team assisted in completing the electronic network pre-audit 10 days in advance.Finally,the goods were cleared directly after arrival at the port,saving the client 23,000 THB in port detention fees,and also enjoying zero tariff preference under the RCEP framework,saving about 120,000 RMB in costs for a single batch.

2.Anti-dumping Early Warning and Risk Avoidance

Global anti-dumping investigations increased by 22% year on year in 2026,the United States adjusted the anti-dumping duty on Chinese photovoltaic modules to 25.3%,and the European Union’s anti-dumping duty on hardware fasteners reached up to 47%.Formal import and export agencies will build a real-time monitoring system to push notifications of trade policy changes in destination countries 7-15 days in advance.

A photovoltaic enterprise in Guangdong originally planned to export photovoltaic inverters to the United States.Zhongshitong’s risk control team received the anti-dumping review notice from the US Department of Commerce 30 days in advance,helped the client adjust the shipping plan,and switched to shipping from Southeast Asian OEM factories,avoiding about 2.3 million RMB in anti-dumping duty expenditure.

3.Export Tax Refund Optimization and Capital Turnover

The coverage rate of the national integrated tax refund platform reached 100% in 2026,but 62% of small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises still experience delayed tax refunds due to incomplete documents and classification errors,with an average cycle of 18 days.Import and export agencies can sort out tax refund documents in advance and connect with the pre-audit channel of the tax authority,shortening the tax refund cycle to 5-8 days.

4.Foreign Exchange Receipt Security Guarantee and Foreign Exchange Settlement

The US OFAC sanctions list is updated with about 120 enterprises every month in 2026,and many small and medium-sized foreign trade enterprises have their offshore accounts frozen without reason.Import and export agencies can provide foreign exchange settlement and sales channels filed with the central bank,support multiple settlement methods such as T/T,L/C and DP,and review the buyer’s qualification in advance to avoid bad debt risks.

A textile enterprise in Zhejiang had a Middle Eastern buyer who delayed payment three times consecutively due to its own bank issues.The Zhongshitong team assisted the client to recover the payment in advance through the factoring business of domestic banks,and also helped the client apply for a 0.3% exchange rate preference,avoiding about 80,000 RMB in exchange loss.

Common Misunderstandings and Pitfall Avoidance Guide for Import and Export Agency Services

• Do not choose unqualified low-cost agencies: Some small agencies will hide hidden fees such as document exchange fees and demurrage fees,and the final total expenditure is 15%-20% higher than that of formal agencies
• Do not ignore the impact of holidays in destination countries: For example,during Ramadan in the Middle East and Christmas season in Europe and the United States,port customs clearance efficiency will drop by 30%,so shipping should be arranged 7-10 days in advance
• Do not ignore the division of rights and responsibilities in the agency contract: Details such as ownership of goods,foreign exchange settlement time and tax refund sharing ratio should be clarified to avoid subsequent disputes
• Do not skip the customs advance ruling link: The customs targeted inspection rate increased to 42% in 2026,and applying for advance ruling in advance can greatly reduce the inspection probability

As a local import and export agency in Shanghai,Zhongshitong relies on the resource advantages of Shanghai Port,and can coordinate with customs declaration teams of 12 major ports across the country to provide cross-regional export agency services for clients.Whether it is general cargo or special goods such as electromechanical and chemical products,we can provide targeted compliance solutions to help clients easily open up global export links.