Will agent exporters steal customer resources? How to prevent it?

According to the typical cases disclosed by the General Administration of Customs in 2022, there are indeed individual cases where some unregulated agent enterprises profit from customers information. Professional export agents safeguard customers rights and interests through the following measures:

• Sign an exclusive service agreement: Clearly stipulate that the agent shall not establish direct cooperation with the customers existing suppliers
• Segmented information management: Split and store customer information, and the salesperson only masters the necessary operation information
• ERP system permission control: Use professional systems such as SAP to set field - level data access permissions

How to protect customer resources through contract terms?

A standardized agency agreement should include the following core clauses:

• Confidentiality obligation clause: Clearly define the scope of business secrets and liability for breach of contract
  • Including core information such as customer lists, quotation sheets, and technical parameters
• Non - competition clause: Prohibit the agent from developing similar customers during the cooperation period and within 2 years after the end of the cooperation
• Liquidated damages clause: Agree on the punitive compensation standard for disclosing customer information

How to design business processes to prevent information leakage?

Effective methods verified in the actual operations of Fortune 500 companies:

• Third - party logistics monitoring: The customer designates the freight forwarder, and the agent only handles customs declaration documents
• Segmented quotation system: Split the FOB price into purchase cost + agency service fee and list them separately
• Third - party payment account: Manage the receipt and payment of payment for goods through financial institutions such as China Credit Insurance

What should be done if the agent is found to be in contact with the end - customer?

It is recommended to take the following emergency measures:

• Evidence preservation: Immediately notarize the communication emails and communication records
• Warning letter from a lawyer: Require the agent to immediately stop the improper contact behavior
• Apply for an injunction: Apply to the court for pre - litigation behavior preservation measures
• Initiate a breach of contract claim: Hold the economic compensation liability in accordance with the contract agreement

How to choose a reliable agent export service provider?

It is recommended to conduct inspections from the following dimensions:

• Enterprise reputation: Check qualifications such as customs AEO certification and bank credit rating
• : Document review process, historical data of error rates: Require the presentation of information security management system documents
• Historical cases: Investigate whether there is a record of customer resource disputes
• Technical guarantee: Confirm the use of a professional trade management system (such as UFIDA U8 version)foreign tradeWhat confidentiality work do customers need to cooperate with?

It is recommended that customers take the following measures simultaneously:

Provide information by classification

• : Do not provide detailed information of end - customers unless necessary: Use virtual contact methods
• : Open dedicated contact email and phone for the agent: Regular audit
• : Check the correspondence between the logistics tracking number and the customs declaration form every quarter: Decentralized management
• : Set up separate permissions for order confirmation, payment approval, etc.: How can new digital means help customers with protection?

: Record the key negotiation process on the chain in real - time for evidence preservation

The latest application solutions in 2025 include:

• Blockchain evidence storage: Smart contract
• : Automatically trigger the breach of contract compensation mechanism: AI monitoring system
• AI monitoring system: Real - time monitoring of abnormal data access behavior
• Virtual middleman: Achieve information isolation between supply and demand sides through the digital trade platform