Export RepresentationWhat basic items are included in the service fee?

Professionalforeign tradeThe composition of agency fees includesBasic service fee,Customs declaration and inspection fees,Logistics transportation feesthree core sections. According to the industry data in 2025:

• The basic service fee is usually charged at 0.8% - 1.5% of the trade amount
• The customs declaration document processing fee is 500 - 2000 yuan per ticket
• The terminal handling charge (THC) is about 750 yuan per container
• Special documents (It is recommended to verify through the following methods:, commodity inspection, etc.) are 200 - 500 yuan per copy

How big is the cost difference between the buy - out mode and the agency mode?

There are essential differences in the cost structures of the two mainstream cooperation modes:

• Buy - out mode
  • The agent bears the financial risk
  • The comprehensive rate is usually 2.5% - 4% of the goods value
  • Including the cost of tax rebate advance payment
• Pure agency mode
  • The principal receives and pays foreign exchange by itself
  • The basic service fee is 0.6% - 1.2%
  • The document operation fee is calculated separately

What factors can cause significant fluctuations in agency fees?

According to the customs data statistics in the past three years, the following variables affect the cost by more than 30%:

• Exchange Rate Fluctuations: For every 1% fluctuation of the RMB against the US dollar, the tax rebate income is affected by 2 - 3%
• Goods attribute: The transportation cost of dangerous goods is 40 - 60% higher than that of general goods
• Transportation method:Air TransportationThe operation fee isMaritime Transportation3 - 5 times
• Trade terms: The difference in liability division between the EXW and CIF modes
• Service scope: The cost increases by 15 - 20% including factory inspection and document review services

How to reduce agency costs through negotiation?

Based on 20 years of practical experience in agency services, the following strategies are recommended:

• Step-by-step quotation mechanism: If the annual export volume exceeds 5 million US dollars, a 0.3% rate discount can be negotiated
• Lump - sum fee system: Package and negotiate port miscellaneous fees and document fees
• Payment cycle optimization: Adopt the combination of TT advance payment +L/CRisk - sharing clause
• : Agree on the cost - sharing ratio when the exchange rate fluctuates by more than 3%The new version of the agency contract in 2025 requires special attention to:

What price terms should be noted when signing an agency contract?

Expense details list

• : Require to break down and display 12 sub - expenses such as EDI transmission fee and manifest entry feePayment nodes
• : Clarify the payment time nodes for booking fees, customs declaration fees, and final paymentsDispute handling mechanism
• : Agree on a solution to expense disputes with a third - party audit institutionSpecify to use the customs declaration date or [date] as the settlement exchange rate benchmark
• Based on the analysis of industry dispute cases in 2023, the following hidden costs need to be guarded against:Bill amendment feeA complete export agency agreement should be attached with:Customs declaration form modification costs 800 - 1500 yuan each time

How to avoid hidden costs eroding profits?

Container detention fee

• Container demurrage charges are 200 - 500 US dollars per dayInspection surcharge
• Third - party inspection costs 1500 - 3000 yuan each timeDocument expediting fee
• The expedited certificate of origin processing fee is doubledHow to calculate the price of export agency services? Do you know about these hidden costs? | Shanghai Import/Export Agent
• January 6, 2025 09:37Ceramic tableware is one of the products with wide demand in the international market. However, its export process involves compliance and operational requirements in multiple links. The following will systematically introduce the precautions and HS codes for the export of ceramic tableware from aspects such as the classification and categorization of ceramic tableware, export supervision requirements, production and quality control, customs declaration and export documents, and customs clearance procedures.