Which enterprises need export agents? How to judge whether you should find an agent?

Newly establishedforeign tradeWhether the company needs to findExport Representation?

For new foreign trade enterprises registered for less than 3 years, it is recommended to give priority to agency services. According to the latest customs data in 2025, nearly 40% of trade violation cases come from enterprises established for less than 3 years. Agency services can help you:

• Avoid qualification risks: Special business licenses are required for the export of some commodities (e.g.,Medical Equipmentproducts require CFDA certification)
• Save operating costs: There is no need to build a self - built customs declaration team (the annual maintenance cost of a single port is about 150,000 - 200,000 yuan)
• Quickly establish channelsThe existing customer data of the agency company can help you obtain better shipping prices.

Is it more cost - effective for a manufacturing enterprise to export on its own or through an agency?

For manufacturing enterprises with an annual export volume of less than $5 million, it is recommended to adopt the agency model. Take manufacturing enterprises in the Yangtze River Delta region as an example:

• Full - container cold chain:
  • Self - export: It is necessary to equip a 3 - person foreign trade team (with an average annual labor cost of 450,000 yuan) + system maintenance fee of 80,000 yuan.
  • Agency service: Charge a service fee of 0.8% - 1.2% of the cargo value (for a cargo value of 5 million yuan, it is about 40,000 - 60,000 yuan).
• Suggestions for special scenarios:
  • When a transaction involves the DDP clause, it is recommended to entrust an agency with the ability to clear customs at the destination.
  • When there is a dispute over the HS code of a product, a professional agency can provide a pre - classification ruling service.

Which special commodities must be exported through an agency?

According to the latest regulatory catalog of the Ministry of Commerce in 2025, the following categories are recommended to be exported through an agency compulsorily:

• Controlled commoditiesLithium batteries (UN38.3 certification), hazardous chemicals (require professional MSDS filing).
• Technologically sensitive productsCommodities such as encryption devices and drones that are involved in the export control list.
• Agricultural productsSpecial handling procedures such as origin certification and animal and plant quarantine are required.

Case of a Shenzhen - based drone enterprise: Due to self - export without declaring the GPS positioning module, it was classified as a military - controlled product by the customs, resulting in the entire container of goods being detained at the port for 35 days. Finally, it was only through re - declaration by a professional agency that the customs clearance was completed.

Cross-border E-commerceDoes a seller need a professional export agency?

Cross - border sellers with an average daily order volume of more than 200 tickets are recommended to establish agency cooperation. The new Amazon FBA regulations in 2025 require:

• Compliance Requirements:
  • All goods entering the warehouse must provide an IOSS number.
  • Product labels must comply with the latest standards of the destination country (such as the EU EPR label).
• Solutions to logistics pain points:
  • A professional agency can integrate the resources of multiple logistics providers and reduce the first - stage freight by more than 30%.
  • Reverse logistics service for handling returns and exchanges in overseas warehouses.

How to judge the professionalism of an agency company?

It is recommended to evaluate an agency company from three dimensions:

• Qualification Verification:
  • Check the AEO customs certification level (give priority to enterprises with advanced certification).
  • Check whether it has membership in industry associations (such as the China Customs Brokers Association).
• Verification of service capabilities:
  • Require the provision of customs clearance certificates for the same category of goods in the recent 3 months.
  • Test its ability to respond to emergencies (such as the response speed in a simulated customs inspection scenario).
• Cost Transparency:
  • Beware of All-Inclusive Prices containing vague clauses
  • Regular agents should provide a detailed quotation (including 12 sub - fees such as customs declaration fees, document fees, inspection fees, etc.).