Does agency export belong to goods trade or service trade? Authoritative answers from foreign trade experts

What type of international trade does agency export belong to?

According to the classification standards of WTOs General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), agency export clearly belongs toTrade in Servicescategory. Unlike traditional goods trade where buyers and sellers transact directly, the core of agency export is providing professionalforeign tradeservices, including but not limited to:

• Customs declaration and document processing services
• Foreign exchange collection/payment and tax refund agency services
• International LogisticsCoordination and risk management services

What is the essential difference between agency export and self - operated export?

From a legal subject perspective, agency export involvesdual legal relationships:

• Principal-agent contractual relationship between manufacturer and agency
  • Agency conducts export business in the name of the principal
  • Transaction risks borne by the actual goods owner
• Service contract relationship between agency and overseas buyer
  • No transfer of goods ownership involved
  • Collection of agency fees according to service agreement

What impact will the 2025 new regulations have on agency export?

According to the revised version of ,import and exportGoods Declaration Management Measures effective January 2025 by the General Administration of Customs, special attention should be paid to agency export:

• Mandatory implementation of electronic power of attorney filing system
• Newly added agency fee disclosure clauses
  • Declaration forms must indicate service fee proportion
  • Cross-border payments must match service trade codes
• Tax refund document review cycle shortened to 15 working days

How to identify compliant agency export service providers?

It is recommended to evaluate agency qualifications from the following dimensions:

• Basic qualification verification
  • Customs AEO certification status
  • (Enterprises of category B and above are in normal status)
  • Export DrawbackClassification management level
• Verification of service capabilities
  • Export cases of similar products in the past three years
  • Experience in special supervision zone operations
  • RCEP origin certification practical records

Typical case: Analysis of electronic component enterprises agency export model

Case of a Shenzhen Bluetooth headset manufacturer (without self-operated export rights) exporting to Germany through an agency company:

• Business structure
  • Manufacturer retains 100% goods ownership
  • Agents charge a 3% service fee on the goods value
  • A complete export agency agreement should be attached with:Path: German buyer → agent account → manufacturer account
• Full - container cold chain
  • Reduces documentation labor costs by 35% compared to self-operated exports
  • Shortens tax refund cycle to 18 days (industry average: 32 days)

The above analysis shows that export agency, as a professional service trade model, holds unique value in lowering enterprises foreign trade barriers and improving capital turnover efficiency. Selecting compliant and professional agency service providers requires comprehensive consideration of multi-dimensional factors including legal framework design, trade compliance management, and service response speed.