What isExport agentExport Agency Certificate?

Export agentThe Export Agency Certificate is a core document in international trade to prove the export qualification of an agent. According to the latest revision of the Foreign Trade Law of the Peoples Republic of China in 2025, this document must include three core parts: the qualification information of the agent enterprise, the rights and responsibilities relationship between the principal and the agent, and the compliance statement of the export commodities.The following three types of enterprises need to pay special attention:

What are the new changes in the handling procedures in 2025?

Production enterprises without self - import and export rights

• New enterprises that export through a third - party agent for the first time
• Exporters involved in special - regulated commodities (such as medical devices, chemical products)
• According to the announcement issued by the Ministry of Commerce in January 2025, the latest application process includes:

What are the new changes in the 2025 procedures?

The online pre - review system is fully operational

• The China International Trade Single Window has added an intelligent verification module
  • The scope of electronic seal certification has been expanded to all free trade pilot zones
  • The review time limit has been shortened to 5 working days
• Associated filing function
• Added newExport tax refundVerified by actual cases in 2025, the following materials are indispensable:

What key materials are needed for the application?

Original agency agreement (must be certified by a notary public)

• Duplicate of the business license of the principal enterprise (attached with the latest annual inspection record)
• Opinion on pre - classification of commodity HS codes
• Access qualification certificate of the export destination country (such as CE certification)
• According to the data statistics of the General Administration of Customs in the first quarter of 2025:

What are the common reasons for rejection? How to avoid them?

Unclear division of rights and responsibilities

• Terms such as customs declaration, tax refund, and claim must be clearly defined in the agency agreement(38% occurrence rate)
  • Unprofessional commodity description
• (Accounting for 25%)The standard commodity names and material descriptions of the customs must be used
  • Expired qualification documents
• (Accounting for 17%)(17%)

How to verify the authenticity of the Export Agency Certificate?

Recommend three officially verified methods:

• Log in to the Record-filing System for Foreign Trade Operators of the Ministry of Commerce for inquiry
• Scan the anti - counterfeiting QR code in the upper right corner of the document (a new function added in April 2025)
• Call the 12360 Customs Service Hotline for manual verification

How long is the validity period of the Export Agency Certificate? What should be done when it expires?

According to the current regulations:

• Standard validity period: 12 months from the date of issue
• An extension can be applied for under special circumstances:
  • The project - type export is extended to 18 months
  • The government - aided project can be extended to 24 months

What risks should be considered when selecting agency service providers?

It is recommended to focus on verifying the following qualifications:

• Customs AEO certification level (The new certification standard has been implemented since 2025)
• Whether it has the ability to clear customs in the target market
• Query of historical violation records (verifiable through the official website of Credit China)