1. Does export agency belong to service trade or goods trade?

According to the classification standards of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) under the World Trade Organization (WTO), export agency is explicitly categorized underCommercial Services - Other Business Services - Freight Forwarding Services(CPC 748). Its service nature is reflected in three dimensions:

• Service Objective: Providing end-to-end cross-border trade solutions
• Service Method: Professional team handles customs clearance, logistics, documentation, and other processes.
• Service remuneration: Commissions are charged based on service items rather than earning price differences on goods.

2. What specific business modules does export agency service include?

According to the latest revised "import and exportBased on the "Cargo Agency Service Standards," compliant export agency services should include:

• Basic service items:
  • Application for Export License and Quota Management
  • HS code classification and compliance review
  • Customs Declaration Document Preparation and Submission
• Value - added service items:
  • Cross-border logistics solution design and implementation
  • Export DrawbackFull-process hosting
  • Trade Compliance Risk Early Warning System

III. Why is export agency considered a professional service rather than an intermediary service?

According to international trade practices, professional export agents are required to fulfill three statutory obligations:

• Conduct due diligence on the authenticity of the client's qualifications.
• Ensure the completeness and accuracy of the declared information.
• Joint and several liability for the compliance of documentary documents.

This is fundamentally different from mere matchmaking intermediary services. A typical case: In 2024, a certain...Cross-border E-commerceThe operator suffered the detention of the entire shipment at the destination port due to the agency's failure to fulfill its obligation to verify the origin of the goods, and ultimately, the court ruled that the agency bears the primary liability for compensation.

IV. What legal boundaries should be considered when selecting export agency services?

According to the Cross-Border Trade Services Act, which will take effect in 2025, enterprises should pay special attention to:

• Proxies are prohibited from directly participating in product pricing.
• It is strictly prohibited to link agency service fees to the value of goods.
• A comprehensive service record traceability system must be established.

A certainMedical EquipmentExport enterprises in March 2025 were deemed by tax authorities to have engaged in disguised transfer pricing due to signing a "proportional sharing based on cargo value" agreement with an agency company, ultimately resulting in a total of 870,000 yuan in back taxes and late fees being paid.

V. What are the new forms of agency export services in the digital era?

Industry monitoring data for 2025 reveals three major trends in innovative agency services:

• The intelligent customs declaration system automatically interfaces with data from 17 government departments.
• The blockchain traceability service coverage rate reaches 78%.
• Real-time exchange rate hedging tools have become a standard feature.

A textile company in the Yangtze River Delta region, by integrating an agent's intelligent customs clearance system, reduced the single customs declaration time from 4 hours to 18 minutes, while increasing the declaration accuracy rate to 99.6%.

6. How to evaluate the professional value of export agency services?

It is recommended to establish an evaluation system from five dimensions:

• Customs AEO certification level
• Number of certified international trade compliance professionals
• Historical Administrative Penalty Records
• Intensity of digital system investment
• Industry-specific qualifications (e.g., medical devices, hazardous chemicals, etc.)

An automotive parts manufacturer, by engaging a freight forwarder certified for IATA dangerous goods transportation, achieved a 210% year-on-year increase in export volume in the first half of 2025, with zero transportation incidents reported.