The charging percentage points of export agents are usually not fixed and will be affected by various factors. Generally speaking, the common charging range is from 1% to 5% of the goods value.
If the goods value is high and the operation process is simple, the charge may be as low as 1% - 2%. For example, for the export agency of some large mechanical equipment, because the value of a single shipment of goods is high, the agency company may charge a lower percentage point.
However, if the goods value is low and the procedures are complicated, such as products involving the handling of multiple certificates and special transportation requirements, the charge may reach 3% - 5%.
To judge if the charges are reasonable, one needs to comprehensively consider the service content provided by the agency company, such as whether it undertakes the whole set of services including customs declaration, booking shipping space, logistics, etc., or only provides some services. Meanwhile, by comparing the quotations of other agency companies in the market, one can also roughly understand whether the charges are within a reasonable range.
Professional consultant answers
Robert ChenYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customer service consultantConsult
The charging percentage points of export agents are usually not fixed and will be affected by various factors. Generally speaking, the common charging range is from 1% to 5% of the goods value.
If the goods value is high and the operation process is simple, the charge may be as low as 1% - 2%. For example, for the export agency of some large mechanical equipment, because the value of a single shipment of goods is high, the agency company may charge a lower percentage point.
However, if the goods value is low and the procedures are complicated, such as products involving the handling of multiple certificates and special transportation requirements, the charge may reach 3% - 5%.
To judge if the charges are reasonable, one needs to comprehensively consider the service content provided by the agency company, such as whether it undertakes the whole set of services including customs declaration, booking shipping space, logistics, etc., or only provides some services. Meanwhile, by comparing the quotations of other agency companies in the market, one can also roughly understand whether the charges are within a reasonable range.
Jennifer WangYears of service：4Customer Rating：5.0
Market development consultantConsult
I previously looked for an agency to export small commodities and was charged 3 percentage points. It felt quite reasonable as they provided comprehensive services, handling customs declaration, logistics and so on.
Emily LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
It really varies how many percentage points will be charged. Once I had a large export volume and looked for Zhongshitong Agency, and they only charged 1.5 percentage points. Mainly because of the large volume, the agency was also willing to offer a discount.
Joseph ZhouYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
I have encountered cases where the charge is based on the number of shipments. Regardless of the goods value, a fixed charge of 1000 yuan is levied for each shipment. This is suitable for situations where the goods value is high and the volume of a single shipment of goods is large.
William YangYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
International logistics consultantConsult
I think the charges are also related to the region where the agency company is located. In the developed coastal areas where the competition is fierce, the charges may be relatively lower.
Michelle ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business coordination consultantConsult
If there are long-term export businesses, by negotiating a long-term cooperation with the agency company, there may be discounts on the charges and the percentage points can be reduced significantly.
James LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
Some agency companies may also charge some miscellaneous fees in addition to charging by percentage points, such as document fees and so on. One should ask clearly in advance.
Sarah ZhangYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Document expertConsult
Some agencies may charge a little higher for new customers. Once the cooperation becomes stable, the percentage points will be appropriately reduced.
Andrew HuangYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Supply chain optimization expertConsult
The charges may also be different for different product categories. For example, there may be differences in the charging percentage points between textile products and electronic products.