I've recently been exposed to foreign trade business and am a bit confused about the two concepts of agency and export. I wonder what the differences between agency and export are. Is it the difference in the operation process or the liability assumption involved? I hope someone can explain it in detail so that I can clearly understand the two and make appropriate choices in actual business.
The company intends to expand overseas markets and wants to find a Qingdao foreign trade export agency. However, it is worried about its unreliability and asks about the operation process, service quality, charging standards, etc. The best answer points out that there are reliable and unreliable Qingdao foreign trade export agencies. You can examine them from aspects such as standardized operation processes, comprehensive services, and transparent and reasonable charges. By examining qualifications, word-of-mouth, cases, etc., you can find a reliable agency.
Interested in international trade and wanting to understand the agency export business, asking about its specific contents, the differences from the general export business and the precautions in actual operations. The best answer states that agency export means that those without qualifications or experience entrust qualified companies to handle exports. The agency is responsible for customs declaration, foreign exchange settlement and other procedures. The difference from general exports lies in leveraging the resources of the agency company. In the operation, it is necessary to select a good agency and clarify rights and responsibilities.
The company plans to expand its overseas photovoltaic business. Due to unfamiliarity with the export process, it wants to find a well - known and reliable photovoltaic export agency company in Qingdao. It hopes that the agency has rich experience in customs declaration, logistics, customs clearance, etc., and can guarantee the service quality. The best answer recommended Zhongshitong, which has rich experience in the field of photovoltaic export agency, accurate and fast customs declaration, excellent logistics solutions, strong customs clearance ability, and a good reputation, which can effectively guarantee the photovoltaic export business.
The person in charge of an SME wants to expand overseas markets. Due to the complexity of the export process, they plan to find an agent and ask how much it generally costs for SMEs to use export agency services, how the fees are calculated, and whether there are any hidden fees. The best answer states that there is no fixed standard for export agency fees. Commonly, it is charged at a rate of 1% - 5% of the order amount or a fixed fee of 2000 - 10000 yuan. Before cooperation, the fee items should be clarified and a detailed contract should be signed.
I'm new to export agency business and want to know if overt and covert commissions still exist in this field, including their operational details and business impacts. The best answer confirms both types remain: overt commissions are explicitly stated in documents and directly deducted by foreign clients, while covert commissions are privately paid after receiving full payment. Overt commissions offer transparency for cost calculation, while covert ones require compliance attention.
I want to apply for an import and export agency but don't know where to start. I'm asking about the application steps, required materials, and enterprise qualification requirements. The best answer points out that first, register legally to obtain a business license, then go to the commercial department to handle the record-filing registration of foreign trade operators. Next, do customs record-filing, inspection and quarantine record-filing, and electronic port access. Finally, handle the registration of the foreign exchange receipt and payment list. Just prepare the materials and follow the steps as required.
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Professional consultant answers
Robert ChenYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customer service consultantConsult
The main differences between agency export and general self - export are as follows. First, in terms of the main body, export means that an enterprise produces products by itself and sells them directly to foreign countries, and the enterprise is the owner of the goods; agency means that the agent, entrusted by the principal, handles export business in the name of the principal or itself, and the agent is not the owner of the goods. In terms of the process, for self - export, the enterprise needs to independently complete a series of operations from production to export, including finding customers, signing contracts, customs declaration, foreign exchange collection, etc.; for agency export, the principal is responsible for production, finding customers, etc., and the agent mainly assists in handling professional matters such as customs declaration, logistics, foreign exchange collection and settlement, and tax rebate. In terms of liability assumption, the self - exporting enterprise bears all risks, such as market risk and quality risk; in agency export, the principal bears the main responsibility, and the agent bears corresponding responsibilities within its agency scope, for example, it needs to be responsible for losses caused by agency mistakes. In terms of profit distribution, the profit of self - export belongs to the exporting enterprise; for agency export, the principal pays the agent a certain agency fee.
In conclusion, enterprises need to choose the appropriate way according to their own situation.
Sarah ZhangYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Document expertConsult
From the perspective of qualification requirements, an exporting enterprise usually needs to have a complete import and export qualification, including that the business scope of the business license covers import and export business, customs filing, etc.; in addition to basic qualifications, an agency company also needs to have professional foreign trade agency capabilities and experience. In addition, in terms of the cash flow, the cash flow of self - export is within the enterprise; for agency export, the principal may rely on the financial support of the agent, such as the agent advancing the tax rebate in advance.
Joseph ZhouYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
In the tax rebate link, the self - exporting enterprise applies for tax rebate by itself; for agency export, generally the principal applies for tax rebate, but in some cases the agent can also handle it, but there are differences in operational details. Moreover, in terms of brand promotion, self - export is conducive to the enterprise establishing its own brand; for agency export, the brand mostly belongs to the principal, and the agent is more of a service provider.
James LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
In terms of flexibility, a self - exporting enterprise can flexibly adjust its business according to its own plan; the flexibility of agency export is slightly weaker, and it needs to follow the entrustment and agency agreement, and the communication and coordination cost between the two parties may be higher. From the risk perspective, the risks of self - export are concentrated in the enterprise; although the principal bears the main responsibility in agency export, the agent also has the risk of improper operation.
Elizabeth LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Compliance and risk managerConsult
From the perspective of professional requirements, self - export requires the enterprise to have comprehensive foreign trade knowledge and talents; for agency export, the principal can draw on the professional resources of the agency company. In addition, from the perspective of business expansion, a self - exporting enterprise needs to explore the market by itself; an agency - exporting enterprise can sometimes draw on the channels and resources of the agent.
Andrew HuangYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Supply chain optimization expertConsult
In terms of document processing, a self - exporting enterprise makes and processes various documents by itself; for agency export, the agent will assist in processing, and an experienced agent can handle them more efficiently and accurately. And from the tax perspective, in addition to the differences in tax rebate, there are also different details in the calculation and payment of some tax types between the two.
Jennifer WangYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Market development consultantConsult
From the perspective of customer relationship management, a self - exporting enterprise directly communicates with customers, which is convenient for maintaining customer relationships; if agency export is operated in the name of the agent, the communication between the principal and the customer is restricted to a certain extent, which has an impact on customer relationship management.
Amanda YangYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Cost control consultantConsult
From the perspective of scale adaptability, small and medium - sized enterprises may choose agency export in the initial stage due to limited resources; large and powerful enterprises mostly choose self - export. In addition, in terms of international market popularity, self - export is conducive to enhancing the international popularity of the enterprise; agency export mostly enhances the popularity of the principal.
Emily LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
From the cost perspective, self - export requires more investment in human and material resources to establish a foreign trade system; for agency export, an agency fee is paid, and the initial investment is relatively small, but there may be differences in the long - term cost. And in terms of information control, a self - exporting enterprise has a more comprehensive understanding of the information of each business link; there are certain links in the information transfer of agency export.
Michelle ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business coordination consultantConsult
From the perspective of cooperation stability, the business stability of a self - exporting enterprise depends on itself; agency export is affected by the entrustment and agency relationship, and if the cooperation is not pleasant, it may affect the business. In addition, from the perspective of supply chain integration, a self - exporting enterprise can integrate by itself; for agency export, the principal and the agent need to cooperate in integration.