How do export agents actually make profits? What are the hidden income sources beyond service fees?

Export RepresentationWhat are the main sources of income?

According to the agency industry white paper released by the General Administration of Customs in 2023, the profit structure of professional export agencies typically includes the following core elements:

• Basic service fee: Charging 0.8%-2.5% of cargo value (2025 market average price)
• Exchange rate operation profits: Obtaining bank rebates through hedging timing selection
• Logistics channel commissions: Revenue sharing from freight rate discounts provided by shipping companies/airlines
• Tax refund service fees: Charging 1%-1.8% handling fee for quick advance tax refund services
• Financing interest spreads: Interest spread income from supply chain financial products
• • Presentation of L/C documents: 800 - 1500 yuan per order
  • Agency for export tax rebate: 5% - 8% of the tax rebate amount
  : Including specialized services such as certification agency and compliance consulting

Why can price differences between different agents reach 3 times?

Industry research in 2025 shows that price differences mainly come from three dimensions:

• Differences in service depth
  • Basic customs declaration agency: only includes document preparation and customs declaration
  • Full-process service: covers 32 services including supply chain finance and destination port clearance
• Channel resource gap
  • Ordinary agents: use public booking platforms with significant freight rate fluctuations
  • Leading agents: with Maersk, COSCOMaritime TransportationSign annual contract space agreements
• Risk assumption level
  • No assumption of trade risks: Only fixed service fees are charged
  • Risk-sharing model: Participate in profit sharing but bear corresponding commercial risks

Is the "no service fee" claimed by the agent really trustworthy?

The 23 cases of violations investigated by the State Administration for Market Regulation in 2025 reveal that the so-called "zero service fee" may involve the following profit compensation mechanisms:

• Freight rate markup: Ocean freight quotes USD100-300/TEU higher than market price
• Exchange rate spread amplification:FX Settlement AgencyExchange rate 0.05-0.1 points lower than real-time quotation
• Tax rebate withholding: Delaying tax rebate payments to obtain fund deposit benefits
• Additional fee breakdown: Split the basic service fee into multiple items such as customs clearance fees and documentation fees

How to determine if agency fees are reasonable?

It is recommended that enterprises evaluate the reasonableness of charges through the "Three-Dimensional Comparison Method":

• Horizontal price comparison: Obtain detailed quotations from at least 3 agencies of similar scale
• Vertical Breakdown: Require breakdowns showing logistics costs, bank charges and other third-party fees
• Dynamic monitoring: Regularly verify deviation rates between actual costs and estimates (recommended control range ±5%)

What new profit models will emerge in the agency industry by 2025?

With the development of digital trade, leading agencies have begun exploring innovative profit points:

• Data monetization: Provide market insight reports through trade data analysis
• Carbon tariff services: Carbon emission accounting services under the EU CBAM mechanism
• Digital customs clearance: Blockchain traceability system access service fee
• AI customs declaration: Subscription-based pricing for intelligent classification systems