Must-read for Foreign Trade Practitioners! 5 Truths about Applying for the Right to Import and Export through an Agent

Mr. Zhang finally got his first overseas order last month, but got stuck when applying for the right to import and export - the materials had to be revised repeatedly and the process was so complicated that it made him "doubt life". Meanwhile, Ms. Li, a peer of his, completed the record-filing in 3 days and successfully declared the goods for shipment through a professional agent. What's the difference behind this? Today, we'll dissect the underlying logic of applying for the right to import and export through an agent.

Applying for the right to import and export requires going through multiple departments such as industry and commerce, customs, and foreign exchange. The basic materials alone include:

• A copy of the business license (the scope of business needs to be expanded to include import and export)
• Record-filing of the legal person's ID card and official seal
• Registration of the customs declaration unit
• Application for the e-Port IC card

A random inspection once showed that the average time taken for self-handling is 27 working days, and the error rate of materials is as high as 68%. The value of an agency lies in predicting the review minefields with experience.

Taking compliant agencies such as Zhongshitong as examples, their core advantages lie in:

• Dynamic Tracking of Policies: For example, for the record-filing of the RCEP rules of origin newly added by the customs in 2023, the agent will actively synchronize with the clients
• Material Pre-review System: Identify common errors (such as blurred official seals and irregular expressions of the scope of business) through AI
• Full-process Custody: Form a standardized service loop from business record-filing to foreign exchange registration

Ms. Li once encountered the low-price promotion of "999 yuan all-inclusive", but was actually required to pay additional fees such as express fees and material translation fees during the actual handling. When choosing an agent, it is necessary to confirm:

• Whether it includes subsequent services for customs annual inspection
• Whether it can provide training on foreign exchange receipt and payment operations
• Whether there are successful cases for verification

When you are hesitating about "saving 5,000 yuan by self-handling", you may be losing the opportunity of an order worth 50,000 US dollars. You might as well scan the QR code at the end of the article to obtain the tool for evaluating the handling time limit of the right to import and export - enter the enterprise type and product category, and immediately calculate your optimal solution.