1. How to Judge Tea QualityExport agentagents genuine qualifications?

When selecting an agent, key verifications are required.Four core qualification documents:

• Customs Registration Certificate (validity period must be within 2025)
• Foreign Trade Operator Registration Form
• Food Circulation License (must include tea category)
• ISO 22000 or HACCP Certification Certificate

Practical Case: A green tea exporter checked the registration status of a proxy company on the official website of the General Administration of Customs and discovered that the registration of a certain proxy company had expired in December 2024 but was still accepting orders, successfully avoiding cooperation risks.

2. What are the options for the cooperation models of agents?

Comparative Analysis of Mainstream Cooperation Models:

• Exclusive agency model
  • Advantages: Comprehensive services covering customs declaration, logistics, and tax refund.
  • Cost: A service fee of 3-5% of the cargo value will be charged.
• Segmented Proxy Mode
  • Advantages: Customizable selection of customs clearance/logistics/foreign exchange settlement services.
  • Risk: Coordination of multiple service provider interfaces is required.

Emerging Industry Trends: Leading Agencies to Launch Partial Services by 2025Supply Chain Finance + Agency ServicesThe bundled solution can provide tea enterprises with prepayment financing of up to 70% of the highest cargo value.

III. How to Reduce Export Costs Through Agents?

Cost optimization is achieved through three aspects:

• Optimization of logistics programs
  • Case: A black tea company adopted the LCL (Less than Container Load) solution recommended by its agent, reducing freight costs on the European route by 28%.
• Planning of Tariffs
  • Leverage the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement (with 7 additional protected varieties including Longjing tea added in 2025)
• Export tax refundTimeliness
  • High-quality agents can achieve tax refunds within 14 working days.

IV. How to Prevent Agency Cooperation Risks?

The three essential elements for establishing a risk prevention and control mechanism:

• Contract Clause Setting
  • It must include a minimum customs clearance time guarantee clause.
  • Clarify the responsibility for document errors
• Payment Method Selection
  • It is recommended to adopt a payment method of 30% deposit + 70% payment against copy of bill of lading.
• Regular service evaluation
  • Establish a quarterly KPI assessment system (customs clearance efficiency, document accuracy rate, etc.)

V. How Can Emerging Markets Identify Specialized Agents?

To meet the special requirements of emerging markets such as the Middle East and Africa:

• Select an agent with Halal certification experience.
• Verify the agent's credit rating with the local customs (such as AEO certification in the UAE).
• Prioritize logistics partners with dedicated temperature-controlled warehouses for tea storage.

Industry Data: By 2025, new regulations for tea imports in the Middle East will require all packaging to include an Arabic ingredient list. Professional agents can provide compliance review services.