I.Export agentWhat exactly do the fees include?

Professional foreign trade agency service fees are usually composed of four core modules:

• Basic Service Costs: Charged at 0.8%-2.5% of total cargo value (can reach 3% for mechanical and electrical products)
• customs clearanceInspection Application Fee: Single ticket 500-2,000 yuan (including special handling such as commodity inspection and dangerous goods declaration)
• Cost of Document ProcessingIncluding document preparation for certificates of origin, FORM E, etc. (200-800 RMB/set)
• Funds for servicesFinancial services such as foreign exchange settlement and tax refund financing (0.3%-1.2%)

Are there any changes in agency fee calculation methods in 2025?

According to the latest international trade practices, cost accounting shows three major trends:

• Digital service fees listed separately (EDI declaration, blockchain notarization, etc.)
• Green tariff surcharges (services corresponding to EU carbon border tax)
• The RCEPProgressive rates for agreement countries (15% reduction in agency fees for ASEAN countries)

How to avoid hidden fee traps?

It is recommended to focus on the following three common additional fees:

• Special handling fee:
  • Oversized/overweight surcharges (30% additional charge for single side exceeding 2 meters)
  • Dangerous goods handling fee (500 RMB additional charge for GHS Class 9)
• Emergency situation fee:
  • Customs inspection coordination fee (starting from 2000 RMB/instance)
  • Amendment fee (500 RMB/instance for manifest modification after cutoff)

Which is more cost-effective: self-operated export or agency export?

The cost comparison model shows (taking annual export volume of 20 million RMB as an example):

• Self-operated costsApproximately 580,000 RMB (including team, systems, certifications, etc.)
• Agency costsApproximately 420,000 RMB (including full-process services)

Note: For bulk commodities (annual exports exceeding 50 million RMB), it is recommended to establish a self-operated system, while SMEs are more suitable for agency models

What are the new cost optimization methods in 2025?

The following innovative strategies are recommended:

• Apply AI customs declaration system (reducing 20% document costs)
• Participate in alliance procurement (15% reduction in logistics costs through consolidation)
• Adopt digital RMB settlement (saving 1.2% exchange costs)
• Apply for RCEP cumulative origin preferences (3-8% reduction in tariff costs)

How to choose reliable agency service providers?

Five dimensions should be mainly inspected:

• CustomsAEOCertification level (priority given to advanced certification enterprises)
• Special category operation qualifications (chemicals require dangerous goods packaging certificate filing)
• Digital service capabilities (at least equipped with intelligent customs declaration system)
• Historical dispute handling records (case descriptions required)
• Financial service support (including supply chain financing solutions)