Must - see for Chongqing Enterprises Going Global! 5 Tips to Avoid Pitfalls in Acting as an Import and Export Agent

"Mr. Zhang has been very troubled recently - his Chongqing hot pot base material factory received an overseas order, but the complex customs declaration process made him want to give up." Such a scene is not uncommon in the Chongqing foreign trade circle. As an inland open high - land, the total foreign trade volume of Chongqing has exceeded 100 billion yuan for consecutive years, but behind this, 80% of small and medium - sized enterprises are forced to put aside their plans to go global due to issues such as qualifications, logistics, and taxes. Today, let's talk about how these import and export agency service providers in this mountain city have become the "invisible promoters" for enterprises to break into the international market.

Ms. Li, who runs a clothing factory by the Chaotianmen Wharf, has a deep understanding: "Last year, when I tried to directly export to Southeast Asia, the origin certification alone took two months and I finally missed the peak sales season." Although Chongqing has the China - Europe Railway Express and the Yangtze River Golden Waterway, when enterprises deal with them alone:

• The customs declaration documents involve 12 types of documents, with an error rate exceeding 40%
• There are exchange rate fluctuations and compliance risks in foreign exchange settlement
• Cross - border e - commerce platforms require certifications such as FDA/CE

1. Logistics Combo: For the "Chongqing - Singapore" iron - sea combined transport route, the agent will choose to transfer via Qinzhou Port or Yangshan Port according to the characteristics of the goods, and the freight difference can reach 23%.

2. Tax Optimization Technique: A certain auto and motorcycle parts enterprise applied for the ASEAN FORM E certificate through the agent, and the tariff was directly reduced from 12% to 5%.

3. Risk Firewall: Last year, a batch of electronic products exported to Germany was returned due to non - compliance with RoHS testing. The agency service provider made a pre - plan in advance and avoided losses by transferring via Vietnam.

• Check the AA - class certification qualification of the customs
• Compare the service quotation sheets of at least three agencies
• Require to provide past similar cases
• Confirm whether it is equipped with small - language customer service
• Verify the foreign exchange settlement facilitation measures

With the deepening of the RCEP agreement, the tariffs for Chongqing's exported sake bottles to Japan and tangerines sold to South Korea will be reduced to zero in stages. But behind the opportunities lie new challenges - the origin accumulation rules require the full - process traceability of the supply chain, which is exactly where professional agents can play their role.

When you are eating hot pot at Hongya Cave, perhaps the Sichuan peppercorns of a local enterprise are reaching a sushi restaurant in Tokyo in the most compliant way through the arrangement of the agent. The foreign trade story of this city has never been limited to the cargo ships and trains by the river.

Has your enterprise ever encountered the dilemma of "wanting to export but not knowing where to start"? You are welcome to share your experience in the comment section or send a private message to obtain the latest foreign trade policy manual of Chongqing. Next time, we will reveal how to open up the European and American markets through cross - border e - commerce "reverse customization".