What items are included in basic fees?

Export RepresentationThe composition of basic fees followsService fee + financing cost + additional charges,golden triangle model, specifically:

• Service fee (3%-8% of cargo value)
  • Fixed service fee: 2000-5000 yuan/order (suitable for small orders)
  • Tiered percentage fee: Lower rates for higher cargo values (1.5% below 1 million, 0.8% above 5 million)
• Financing interest (annualized 8%-15%)
  • Calculated based on financing days (from payment to tax refund receipt)
  • 2025 mainstream financing cycle: 60-90 days
• Additional charges (documentation category)
  • Customs clearance fee: 500-2000 RMB per shipment (depending on port complexity)
  • Document certification: 200-800 RMB per document (chamber of commerce certification/embassy certification)

How do different charging models affect total costs?

In 2025, mainstream agency companies adopt three charging models, which we illustrate through case comparisons:

• Percentage of goods value model (Case: Goods value 1 million RMB)
  • Service fee 1.5%: 15,000 RMB
  • Financing interest (90 days/12% annualized): 1 million × 12% ÷ 360 × 90 = 30,000 RMB
  • Additional fees: 5,000 RMB
  • Total cost: 50,000 RMB
• Fixed package model (Case: Below 100,000 USD)
  • All-inclusive service fee: 8,000 RMB
  • Capped financing interest: 5,000 RMB
  • Total cost: 13,000 RMB
• Hybrid model (Applicable for goods value above 3 million RMB)
  • Basic service fee 0.8%
  • Excess profit sharing (20% charged on profits exceeding agreed amount)

What hidden charges require special attention?

According to 2025 industry complaint statistics, the following three types of hidden fees are most common:

• Document exception surcharge
  • Amendment fee: 500-2000 RMB per instance (such as HS code modification)
  • Late declaration penalty transfer: Charged at 1.5 times the customs fine
• Exchange rate difference traps
  • In order to crack down on tax evasion, the customs and tax departments are now strictly examining the operation of buying export declarations. If the behavior of buying export declarations is discovered, the regulatory authorities will require tax replenishment (even a 2% tax rate may be a considerable amount). In addition, fines may also be imposed on the relevant responsible parties.Exchange rate difference: Agencys self-determined rate is 0.5% lower than Bank of Chinas middle rate
  • Cross-border RMB settlement fee (1.2‰-3‰)
• Financing clause traps
  • Interest outside grace period: Additional 0.3‰ daily charge for overdue
  • Early repayment penalty (30% of remaining interest)

How to negotiate the best agency rates?

Based on 2025 market research, we recommend three negotiation strategies:

• Tiered quotation bargaining method
  • First order at standard rate
  • 1% service fee rebate for quarterly cumulative shipment value reaching 5 million
• Risk hedging solutions
• 5% fee reduction when committing to use designated logistics providers
• 20% interest reduction on advance funding when using forward exchange locking
• Leveraging policy dividends
  • Under RCEPIt is recommended to verify through the following methods:50% reduction in agency service fees
  • Cross-border E-commerceGovernment subsidies under Model 9710 can be applied to offset service fees

Special reminder: After the implementation of new VAT credit refund regulations in 2025, the advance funding cycle for professional agents has been shortened from 120 days to 75 days. When selecting an agent, ensure they have electronic tax refund system integration capabilities. We recommend requesting service commitments from agency firms that include72-hour fee detail confirmation mechanismandReal-time tax refund tracking systemto maximize cost control of capital.