Where should import equipment agency service fees be spent? Breakdown analysis of three key processes

The iceberg structure of import equipment agency fees

In 2025, import equipment agency service fees have formed a composite charging system combining explicit and implicit costs. According to the latest statistics from the General Administration of Customs, implicit costs account for 37.2% of comprehensive service fees for imported equipment, mainly including:

• Logistics insurance surcharges: Special insurance types for precision equipment transportation
• Technical parameter compliance costs: Localization adaptation for CE/FCC and other certifications
• Exchange rate fluctuation reserves: Risk hedging for payment cycles exceeding 90 days

Three-dimensional perspective of hidden costs

In theequipment. For example, Indonesia has the SNI certification, Thailand has the TISI certification, and the Philippines has the BPS certification. It is necessary to confirm in advance the equipment voltage (such as 380V/50Hz in Thailand), the compatibility of the CE certification, and the proof of environmentally friendly materials.In practice, three types of hidden costs are most easily overlooked:

• Port demurrage multiplier mechanism
  • Days 1-3: Basic storage fees
  • Days 4-7: 150% tiered rate
  • Beyond 7 days: 200% punitive charges
• Re-export cost transfer clauses
• Cost sharing for re-export due to technical parameter non-compliance
• Packaging restoration and secondary customs declaration expenses

2025 agency fee optimization strategies

Based on data from 500+ import cases, we have distilled three core optimization strategies:

• Pre-contract terms review
  • Clear technical parameter dispute resolution mechanisms
  • Agreed exchange rate fluctuation sharing ratio
• Dynamic optimization of logistics plans
  • Combined transportation of 40-foot containers and bulk carriers
  • Destination port split customs clearance strategy

The gold standard for service fee evaluation

Quality agency services should include three essential service modules:

• Risk Early - Warning System: At least 14 days advance notice of HS code change risks
• Technical document pre-review: Compliance review for EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
• Capital turnover solutions:L/CCombination with TT payment

A semiconductor company successfully reduced comprehensive service fees by 23.7% in its Q1 2025 lithography machine import project by optimizing agency service solutions. Core measures included adopting bonded warehousing at destination ports, separate customs declaration for non-critical components, and locking in 90-day forward exchange ratesIn order to crack down on tax evasion, the customs and tax departments are now strictly examining the operation of buying export declarations. If the behavior of buying export declarations is discovered, the regulatory authorities will require tax replenishment (even a 2% tax rate may be a considerable amount). In addition, fines may also be imposed on the relevant responsible parties.and other combined strategies.