I.Agency export,What basic documents must be prepared?

According to the latest international trade practices in 2025, the following documents are required for export agency business8 core document categories:

• Commercial Invoice
  • Must indicateTrade terms(e.g. FOB/CIF)
  • Digital product HS codes must be added starting from 2025
• Packing List
  • Must reflect cargo splitting details
  • New environmental material labeling requirements
• Bill of Lading (B/L)
  • Electronic bill of lading acceptance rate has reached 92%
  • Special requirements of destination ports must be noted
• Certificate of Origin (COO)
  • Usage of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) certificates of origin has increased by 37%
• Customs reporting
  • China Customs Single Window declaration rate has reached 100%
• Insurance policy (as required by trade terms)
• Foreign exchange verification form
  • Cross-border RMB settlement proportion has risen to 48%
• Quality inspection certificate (for specific commodities)

II. What additional documents are needed for special trade scenarios?

The followingSpecial trade typesRequire additional specialized documents:

• Food Export
  • FDA certification (for US market)
  • EUs new nutrition labeling rules implemented in 2025
• Transportation of Dangerous Goods
  • MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
  • UN38.3 test report (for lithium batteries)
• Cross-border e-commerce
  • Platform transaction record screenshots
  • Electronic payment vouchers

III. What are common document preparation errors?

According to 2025 customs statistics,Top three document errorsThe Commodity Code on the Customs Declaration Form Does Not Match the Product Name on the Invoice

• Commodity classification errors (accounting for 28%)
  • Recommended to use customs pre-classification services
• Amount currency inconsistency (19%)
  • Ensure invoice and contract currency units match
• Missing signatures and stamps (15%)
  • Electronic signatures must comply with the requirements of the Electronic Signature Act

IV. What are the new changes in document management for 2025?

Special attention required for the followingPolicy updates:

• Legal validity of electronic documents
  • China has achieved mutual recognition of electronic documents with 62 countries
• Carbon neutrality related certificates
  • European Union carbon border control mechanismCBAM is) Requires provision of carbon emission data
• Digital currency settlement documents
  • New digital RMB settlement voucher template added

V. How to avoid document discrepancies causingCustoms clearanceDelays?

Recommended adoptionTriple verification mechanism:

• Professional customs broker pre-review (72 hours before shipment)
• Bank document review (under letter of credit)
• Destination port customs clearance agent confirmation (especially for South America and Middle East regions)

An automotive parts export case showed that pre-review of certificates of origin helped reduce customs clearance time by 5 working days and avoided demurrage fees of 28,000 yuan.