What items does the factory export agency fee actually include? How to avoid hidden charges?

I.Export RepresentationWhat basic items does the service fee consist of?

According to the latest agency service guidance standards announced by the General Administration of Customs in 2025, regular export agency fees usually include:

• Customs declaration service fee: Including HS code classification, declaration document preparation, and customs system operation
• Logistics coordination fee: Covering booking, transportation monitoring, and handling of abnormal situations
• Document processing fee: Including commercial invoices, packing lists,It is recommended to verify through the following methods:etc.
• Inspection and quarantine fee: Involving special supervision fees such as commodity inspection, phytosanitary inspection, and health inspection
• Fund settlement fee: Foreign exchange receipt and payment,L/COperation and other financial service costs

II. What are the industry practices for calculating agency fees?

Based on our experience in serving Fortune 500 companies, the mainstream pricing models in 2025 show new trends:

• Percentage pricing method: Charged at 1.5% - 3% of the total FOB value of the goods (Customs data in 2023 shows an average of 2.8%)
• Fixed service package model: Structure of basic service fee + additional service fee (e.g., basic fee ¥8000 per ticket + urgent declaration ¥2000)
• Mixed pricing system: The first 20 cubic meters are charged at a fixed rate, and the excess part is charged in a stepped manner

III. How to identify hidden costs in the quotation sheet?

Customers are advised to pay special attention to the following potential charge items:

• Exchange rate fluctuation compensation (adjustment fee when the RMB fluctuates by more than ±2%)
• Special period service surcharge (such as urgent declaration during holidays)
• Non - standard packaging handling fee (special handling for over - sized dimensions/hazardous goods, etc.)
• Re - customs declaration fee for returned goods (it is necessary to clarify whether it is included in the initial quotation)

IV. How large is the difference in agency fees in different regions?

Taking the data of the first quarter of 2025 as an example:

• Yangtze River Delta region: Average quotation ¥0.85 - 1.2/kg (including port construction fee)
• Pearl River Delta region: The operation fee for special containers is 15% - 20% higher than that of northern ports
• Southeast Asia route: The customs clearance fee for RCEP member states can be reduced by 30%
• Middle East region: An additional 3% - 5% religious document authentication fee needs to be paid

V. How to negotiate the best price with the agency company?

Based on the actual cases we have obtained for manufacturing customers, it is recommended to adopt:

• Freight volume commitment negotiation method (a 20% discount can be obtained for an annual export volume of 1000 TEU)
• Service module splitting method (self - customs declaration can reduce the basic fee by 25%)
• Risk - sharing clause (delayed compensation is linked to fee reduction)
• Quarterly review mechanism (adjust the service rate according to the CPI index)

VI. What are the new changes in the industry charging standards in 2025?

Special attention should be paid to the following policy adjustments:

• The Smart Customs Declaration system fee implemented by the General Administration of Customs (¥80-150 per declaration)
• Impact of the new INCOTERMS®2025 on liability division
• EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) declaration service fee
• Cross-border E-commerceSpecial supervision fees under the 9810 model

VII. What are the common misunderstandings in price negotiation?

According to the big data analysis of our customer service, the following should be avoided:

• Simply comparing unit prices and ignoring service integrity (low prices may lack key liability insurance)
• The exchange rate fluctuation handling mechanism is not agreed upon (it is expected that the RMB will fluctuate within ±5% in 2025).
• The cost of digital services is ignored (e.g., the API docking fee is usually ¥5,000 - 20,000).
• The sharing of dispute resolution costs is not specified (arbitration/litigation costs may account for 15% of the disputed amount).