I. Which types of enterprises must use export agency services?

According to the latest 2025 Cross-Border Trade Service Management Measures, the following five types of enterprises are recommended to prioritize export agency services:Agency export service:

• Newly established enterprises without import-export rights: Enterprises with less than 12 months of business registration or paid-in capital below 3 million yuan
• Special commodity exporters: Industries requiring special qualifications, such as medical devices, food, and cosmetics
• Single shipment value below USD 50,000: Compliance solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises with scattered orders
• Enterprises with foreign exchange management restrictions: Those with abnormal foreign exchange settlement records or restricted cross-border payment quotas
• First-time market entrants: Traders needing localization services like customs clearance and certification in target countries

II. What specific problems can export agency services solve?

Taking a 2025 case of Ningbo electromechanical equipment export as an example, the agency company primarily provides four core services:

• Document compliance processing: Including special documents like the new ECFA Certificate of Origin and AEO certification documents
• Cross-border tax optimization: Helping clients reduce 12-18% tax costs through VAT deferral mechanisms
• Risk isolation mechanism: Using dual-header customs declaration to isolate trade risks
• Supply chain financial servicesProvides blockchain-based financing services with 30-day payment terms

III. How to calculate the true cost of export agency services?

The composition of agency service fees in 2025 mainly includes:

• Basic service fee: 0.8%-1.5% of cargo value (including customs clearance, documentation, and tax refund services)
• Value Added Services:
  • Special documentation preparation: 800-2000 yuan per shipment
  • Destination port clearance: USD150-500 per container
  • Trade financing: LIBOR+3%-5%
• Compared to self-operated export costs: Additional expenses includeExport tax refundFund occupation (average 4-6 months), AEO certification maintenance fees (annual average 80,000-120,000 yuan) and other hidden costs

IV. Under what circumstances is it not advisable to use export agency services?

According to the General Administration of Customs 2025 Trade Facilitation Report, the following three types of enterprises are more suitable for self-operated exports:

• Large-scale enterprises with annual export volumes exceeding 50 million yuan
• Foreign-funded enterprises with complete legal and tax teams
• Export businesses involving special national regulatory areas such as military industry

V. Core criteria for selecting an agency company in 2025

It is recommended to focus on evaluating four capabilities of agency companies:

• The digital capacity: Whether equipped with ERP system interfacing with Single Window
• Risk response casesRecent experience handling new types of cases such as RCEP origin disputes and cross-border data compliance
• Fund security mechanismsWhether third-party fund supervision account services are provided
• Regional specializationPractical experience in specific industries or target markets (such as the African ECOWAS region)