How are agency export fees settled? Authoritative answers to common questions.

What are the basic items included in agency export fees?

According to the latest industry standards for 2025, the regular agency export fees typically include the following basic items:

• Basic service fee: Including basic services such as document preparation, customs declaration, and foreign exchange verification.
• Cost of advanced funds: Includes the interest cost of tax refund advance funds (approximately annualized at 6-8%).
• Customs declaration logistics fee: Generate according to the regulatory requirements corresponding to the HS code.
• Tax refund service fees: The tax refund fee is charged at 0.8%-1.2% (depending on product category).
• Other fees: Chamber of Commerce certification, embassy legalization, and other government fees

What are the mainstream methods for service fee settlement?

Currently, the two mainstream settlement models in the market each have their own characteristics:

• Settle by ticket
  • Advantages: Transparent and easy-to-calculate costs.
  • Disadvantages: The cost of small orders is relatively high.
  • Applicable scenarios: Small and medium-sized enterprises with an annual export volume of <5 million.
• Proportional settlement
  • Advantages: Discounted rates for large orders
  • Disadvantages: A minimum fee threshold must be agreed upon.
  • Applicable scenarios: Large-scale enterprises with an annual export volume exceeding 20 million.

How to Avoid Hidden Fee Traps?

According to the analysis of commercial dispute cases in 2024, special attention should be paid to the following hidden fees:

• Express service fee (customs clearance/logistics process)
• Document modification fee (charged per instance after exceeding 3 modifications)
• Abnormal situation handling fee (customs inspection, tax number dispute, etc.)

Suggested operations: Request the agent to provide a detailed quotation covering 28 standard fees, and include a safeguard clause in the contract stating "no additional charges beyond this list."

How to accurately calculate the cost of advance funding?

Taking the average market data of 2025 as an example: a certain enterpriseExport DrawbackThe amount is 100,000 yuan, the funding period is 45 days, and the calculation method is:

• Advance interest = 100,000 × 7% ÷ 360 × 45 = 875 yuan
• Service fee = 100,000 × 1% = 1,000 yuan

Key points to note: Some agents may bundle capital costs into the service fee rate, so it is necessary to explicitly require itemized disclosure.

How to choose the optimal settlement cycle?

Choose the appropriate method based on the characteristics of corporate cash flow:

• Advance payment model: Suitable for new cooperative clients, a 30% advance payment is required.
• Payment upon presentation of the bill: Pay 70% upon receipt of the customs release notice.
• Credit term settlement: High-quality customers can apply for a 30-60 day payment term (a bank guarantee is required).

Industry data for 2025 shows that companies adopting the hybrid settlement model have improved their capital turnover efficiency by 23%.

How to effectively handle disputed costs?

When a fee dispute arises, it is recommended to follow these steps:

• Step 1: Verify the contract attachment "Fee Schedule"
• Step 2: Retrieve operation logs to confirm responsibility attribution.
• Step 3: Apply for Third-Party Trade Service Supervision Intervention
• Step 4: Apply for mediation with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade

According to the 2024 dispute resolution data, 91.5% of disputes are properly resolved by the second step.

Four Key Points to Confirm When Choosing an Agency

• Does it possess the AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) Advanced Certification qualification?
• Could you please provide a detailed breakdown of the quotation by currency and by item?
• Are there any operational cases in the same industry (please provide 3 examples)?
• Whether to establish an ISO9001 risk control management system