What is export agency? What are the fundamental differences between it and self-operated export?

Agency export refers to the act where aImport and exportOperating rightsforeign tradeServing enterprises, a service model where the agent handles the entire export process on behalf of the manufacturing enterprise. The fundamental difference from self-operated exports lies in the fact that the manufacturing enterprise does not need to handle specialized procedures such as customs declaration, tax refund, or foreign exchange verification independently—these are fully managed by the AEO-certified agency. According to the latest 2025 data from the General Administration of Customs, approximately 68% of small and medium-sized export enterprises nationwide adopt the agency model.

Can self-operated exports really save costs?

Most companies have three major cognitive misconceptions:

• Hidden costs are underestimated:
  • The average annual cost of building an in-house foreign trade team is approximately 250,000 to 400,000 yuan.
  • The average demurrage fee per shipment caused by documentation errors is 8,000 yuan.
  • The upper limit of penalties for customs declaration errors in 2025 has been raised to 100,000 yuan per instance.
• Difference in capital turnover efficiency:The average tax refund cycle for professional agents is 15 working days faster than that of self-operated businesses.
• Opportunity cost loss:The time cost for management personnel in small and medium-sized enterprises to engage in foreign trade affairs is as high as 34% (survey data from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, 2024).

How to ensure trade compliance in export agency?

The core value of professional agency is reflected inRisk control system:

• Real-time updated global trade control list (2025 edition covering 37 countries/regions)
• HS Code Intelligent Classification System (Accuracy Rate: 99.2%)
• End-to-end document review mechanism (including 12 compliance checkpoints)
• Trade Country Risk Alert (Covering 5 New High-Risk Countries Added in 2025)

Will choosing an export agent result in the loss of customer resources?

Standardized proxy services adoptDual information isolation mechanism:

• Customer information is encrypted (compliant with GB/T 39725-2025 information security standards).
• The agency contract clearly stipulates confidentiality clauses for commercial information.
• Buyer and seller information is stored separately in the operating system.

In fact, the churn rate of enterprise customers adopting the agency model in 2025 decreased by 41% year-on-year, primarily due to the credit investigation services provided by the agents.

How to handle complex trade terms in export agency?

Professional agents are capable of handling special trade scenarios.Four core competencies:

• DDP terms destination customs clearance (local service outlets in 7 additional countries to be added in 2025)
• Temporary import and export goods guarantee
• Processing trade manual record filing
• Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Services (Compatible with the Latest Customs 1210/9610 Supervision Modes)

How to determine whether an export agent is needed?

Meet the followingOne of the three scenariosIt is recommended to adopt the proxy mode:

• Annual export value below 20 million RMB.
• Involves more than 3 different HS code categories.
• The target market includes five or more countries outside of RCEP.

What are the new trends in export agency for 2025?

The industry presentsThree major development directions:

• Digital Service Upgrade:
  • Blockchain Customs Declaration Transmission System
  • AI Intelligent Order Generation System
• Specialized Services for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement
• Carbon Neutral Trade Solutions (including Carbon Footprint Certification and Green Tariff Optimization)

Choosing a professional export agent is not merely about outsourcing business operations, but about buildingCompliant, efficient, and sustainable.Key decisions in the international trade system. Under the trends of digitalization, compliance, and regionalization in global trade by 2025, partnering with professional agents will become a strategic choice for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in international competition.