How much profit is hidden in Fujian customs declaration agency?

"Last month, a batch of handicrafts of ours almost got stuck at the customs. Thanks to finding a professional agent, all the procedures were completed in 3 days..." Mr. Zhang from a certain ceramic factory in Xiamen sighed. In Fujian, a major foreign trade province, such stories areevery day. With the release of the RCEP dividend, more and more small and medium-sized enterprises have entered the cross-border race track, but the complex customs declaration process has become a stumbling block - at this time, the value of Fujian agency export customs declaration companies emerges.

Why do 90% of foreign trade enterprises choose agency customs declaration?

According to industry research, only 7% of Fujian's export enterprises have their own customs declaration teams. The main reasons are concentrated in three pain points:

• Fast policy changes: In 2023, the customs code was updated with more than 1,200 items, and non-professionals are extremely likely to make mistakes
• High cost: Maintaining a customs declaration team costs more than 250,000 yuan per year on average, which is difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to afford
• Uncontrollable risks: Ms. Li from a clothing factory once had a full container of goods confiscated due to classification errors, with losses exceeding 800,000 yuan

Professional agency companies can control the inspection rate to less than 1/3 of the industry average with a combination of intelligent customs declaration systems and customs AEO certification qualifications.

The "Five-Dimensional Evaluation Method" for Choosing Agency Services

Facing hundreds of service providers in the market, Zhongshi Tong customs experts suggest screening from five dimensions:

• Response speed: Can 7×24-hour electronic declaration services be provided?
• Risk control ability: Is there a compensation mechanism for pre-classification errors?
• Special qualifications: For special categories such as dangerous chemicals/food, corresponding qualifications are required
• Data visibility: Whether the customs declaration progress supports real-time tracking on the mobile end
• Value-added services: Such as export tax rebate agency, logistics insurance and other supporting services

It is worth noting that due to the frequent cross-strait trade in the Fujian region, special attention should also be paid to the handling experience of special documents such as the ECFA origin certificate.

Industry changes brought about by digital transformation

With the popularization of blockchain technology in customs recordation, since 2024, the customs declaration agency industry is undergoing three major upgrades:

• The AI intelligent document review system compresses the manual review time from 4 hours to 15 minutes
• Internet of Things devices automatically collect data such as container temperature and humidity
• Customs data between RCEP member states are interconnected, reducing the repeated submission of documents

A person in charge of an agency company revealed: "Now 90% of our regular customs declarations have been realized through 'zero-contact' handling, and customers don't even need to bring their official seals."

When should your enterprise consider agency services?

When the following signals appear, it's time to leave professional matters to professionals:

• The monthly average number of export batches exceeds 3 but there is no full-time customs declarer
• The product involves more than 3 customs code classifications
• Encountered inspection, cargo detention or declaration withdrawal

You might as well take a self-test: If you need to think for more than 30 seconds to explain the "declaration form filling differences between FOB and CIF"? The competition in foreign trade has long extended from products to supply chain efficiency, and choosing the right customs declaration partner may be the key to your next order.