1. Does the agency possess the necessary legal qualifications?

Pursuant to the latest 2025 revision of the Customs Law of the People’s Republic of China, a qualified import-export agency must possess:

• CustomsAEOAdvanced Certification Qualifications (with new blockchain filing requirements added in 2025)
• Import and Export Operation License issued by the Ministry of Commerce
• Certificate of Foreign Exchange Administration
• Special industries must hold the appropriate licenses (e.g., medical devices require CFDA filing).

Verification method:Log in to the "China International Trade Single Window," enter your company's unified social credit code, and you can instantly check the validity period of your qualifications and the scope of your business.

2. Does the service scope align with my business needs?

Comparison of Common Service Type Differences:

• Basic proxy service (customs clearance+Logistics)
  • Suitable for: Standardized product exports
  • Quotation Range: 0.8%–1.5% of the cargo value
• End-to-end service (from origin certification to overseas warehouse)
  • Suitable for: cross-border e-commerce / special-regulation goods
  • Quotation range: 3%–5% of goods value + value-added service fee

In 2025, special attention is recommended to the capacity for handling rules of origin under the RCEP agreement to avoid losing tariff preferences due to certificate-related issues.

III. Does the fee structure contain any hidden costs?

Typical fee-trap case: In 2024, a small or medium-sized enterprise selected an agency without noticing the hidden clauses in the quotation:

• Destination document handling fee: USD 120 per bill
• Exchange Rate Fluctuation Compensation: The portion exceeding ±3% shall be borne by the customer
• Emergency Customs Clearance Service Fee: RMB 5,000 per occurrence

Countermeasures:Provide a standardized quotation template that includes 30 line-item cost breakdowns, with particular emphasis on the accuracy of tax estimates under DDP terms.

IV. How to Evaluate Risk Prevention and Control Capabilities?

Essential Risk-Control Mechanisms for High-Quality Proxies:

• Credit insurance coverage (recommended coverage ≥150% of annual business volume)
• Customs Error Compensation Fund (industry standard starts at RMB 500,000)
• Real-time tracking system (must support HS CODE change alert functionality)

2025 New Trend: Require agents to provide AI-based pre-screening reports for trade compliance, especially for dual-use items subject to ECCN controls.

5. Can industry experience stand up to scrutiny?

Recommend evaluating through three dimensions:

• Case Library Review: Provide operational cases of the same category from the past three years.
• Customs Response Test: Simulating the Handling of HS Classification Disputes
• Resource Network Verification: On-Site Inspection of Partner Yards at Key Ports

In 2024, an automotive parts supplier had an entire container seized at the Port of Rotterdam because its agent was unfamiliar with EV lithium-battery transport regulations, resulting in a direct loss of USD 230,000.

6. Does the digital service level meet expectations?

Basic digital capabilities that an agency should possess in 2025:

• Real-time cabin availability visualization system (deviation ≤ 4 hours)
• Automatically generate declaration documents that comply with EU DCS requirements
• Blockchain traceability functionality (covering at least three major stages)

Be wary of traditional freight forwarders who still rely on Excel spreadsheets to track shipments; their response to unexpected issues is typically slow.

VII. How should trade disputes be handled?

Dispute-resolution clauses that must be clearly stated in the contract:

• Liability Allocation Standards (it is recommended to adopt the INCOTERMS? 2025 version)
• Compensation cap (typically not exceeding 300% of the service fee)
• Choice of Dispute Resolution Venue (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission preferred)

Article 807 of the Civil Code, effective in 2024, explicitly stipulates that when tax recovery results from the agent’s negligence, the client may claim full compensation.

8. What details should be kept in mind for long-term cooperation?

Recommended quarterly partnership evaluation:

• Clearance Time Volatility Analysis (Alert required for year-over-year change >15%)
• Document Error Rate Statistics (Health value should be <0.3%)
• Service Fee Rate Market Comparison (Based on Data Published by the General Administration of Customs)

A garment-export company established a KPI-based assessment system and cut its average customs-clearance time from 72 hours to 41 hours in 2024.

Summary & Recommendations:When selecting an import/export agency, focus on three key factors: the completeness of their qualifications, the alignment of their services, and the transparency of their fees. It is recommended to compare proposals from at least three firms. For a first-time collaboration, you may require the agency to provide a deposit or a bank guarantee as performance security.