1. What are the main charging methods for export agency companies?

According to the 2024 data from the General Administration of Customs, the following three mainstream charging models are adopted in China's export agency business:

• Fixed Service Fee Rate System: Charged at 0.5%-1.2% of the export amount, suitable for long-term stable cooperation.
• Tiered pricing system: Fees are calculated in tiers based on export value, with 1% for amounts below $1 million and a reduced rate of 0.3% for portions exceeding $5 million.
• Project lump-sum system: Includes a full range of services such as customs clearance, logistics, and documentation, with a single-ticket fee ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 yuan.

II. How exactly does the payment process for export agency work?

Typical?Foreign trade?The agency payment collection process consists of five key steps:

• Sign a tripartite agreement (factory-agent-overseas buyer)
• The overseas buyer remits foreign exchange to the agent company's account.
• The agency has completed the task.?Foreign exchange settlement?and VAT refund declaration
• After deducting service fees and advanced payments, pay the factory's invoice amount.
• Provide a complete set?Tax Refund?Voucher (average processing time: 45 working days)

III. How to Prevent Foreign Exchange Settlement Risks?

Agency companies typically employ three risk control measures:

• Advance Payment Guarantee: The order will be initiated after 30% deposit is received.
• ?L/C?Document review: Professional team reviews L/C terms, with data from 2024 showing the error rate in document review has dropped to 0.08%.
• Credit insurance coverage：By insuring through Sinosure, up to 90% of the payment loss can be covered.

IV. How to handle VAT refunds?

Special attention should be paid to the tax refund procedures for export agency:

• Customs declaration must be filed under the letterhead of the agency company.
• The factory is required to issue a special value-added tax invoice to the agency company.
• The tax refund cycle is influenced by the product's HS code, with mechanical and electrical products averaging 15 days faster than textiles.
• Starting from 2025, electronic tax refunds will be fully implemented, with the processing time shortened to within 20 working days.

V. What hidden costs are included in the service fee?

In addition to the explicitly stated service fees, special attention should be paid to:

• Bank handling fee (usually 0.1% of the remittance amount)
• Abnormal situation handling fee (e.g., amendment of declaration, deletion and re-declaration)
• Warehouse detention fee (0.5 RMB per cubic meter per day after the free storage period).
• Foreign exchange rate locking service fee (a 0.3% margin is required for forward exchange settlement).

6. How to Choose a Reliable Agency?

It is recommended to focus on evaluating the following five dimensions:

• Customs AEO certification level (priority given to Advanced Certified Enterprises)
• Classification Level of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (Fund flows for Class A enterprises are unrestricted)
• Professional field matching degree (e.g., hazardous chemicals require hazardous materials operation qualifications)
• Level of informatization system (real-time business progress query available)
• Risk Response Case Database (requires providing more than 3 dispute resolution examples)

7. How are special trade methods charged?

Special attention should be paid to different trade modes:

• ?E-commerce?: An additional overseas warehouse system integration fee is required (approximately 5,000 RMB per instance).
• Processing trade: The manual write-off service fee starts at 2,000 yuan per ticket.
• Market procurement: Under the 1039 model?Forex Settlement?The handling fee is increased by 0.2%.
• Offshore trade: A financial handling fee of 1‰ will be charged for transactions involving multi-party settlements.