Analysis of the composition of the agency service fee for imported equipment

According to the Measures for the Administration of International Trade Agency Services in 2025, regular agency service fees include three major legal modules:Basic agency fee,Government feesandSpecial service fee. Among them, the basic agency fee covers core services such as customs declaration and logistics coordination, statutory expenditures such as government fees and surcharges, and payment of tariffs and value - added tax on behalf of others. The special service fee is for value - added services for special customs clearance requirements.

The pricing mechanism for agency services in 2025

There are currently three main pricing models in the market:

• Fixed - fee system: Charge according to the value range of the equipment
  • Below 5 million: 0.8% - 1.2%
  • 5 - 20 million: 0.6% - 1.0%
  • Above 20 million: 0.4% - 0.8%
• Proportional charging system: Charge in steps from 0.5% - 3% of the CIF price
• Mixed - fee system: Combination of basic service fee + risk surcharge

Five precautions for signing a contract

Enterprises should pay special attention to when signing an agency agreement:

• Service scope clause: Clarify whether professional services such as HS code classification and certificate of origin are included
• Setting of payment nodesIt is recommended to adopt the structure of 30% advance payment + 60% after customs clearance + 10% quality guarantee deposit.
• A case of a tax rebate dispute caused by an oral agreement of a certain electromechanical enterprise in 2024 shows that when there is a lack of a written agreement, the tax authorities may identify the actual owner of the goods as the declaration entity.: Give priority to the clauses of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission
• Exchange rate fluctuation clauseStarting from 2025, the specific implementation plan for cross - border RMB settlement must be specified.
• Calculation standard of liquidated damagesIt is recommended to stipulate not to exceed 20% of the total contract amount.

Analysis of typical cost dispute cases

When an enterprise imports precision instruments, due to the lack of clear agreementDestination inspection cooperation feeDisputes arise. The case reveals:

• The warehousing fees and lifting fees generated by customs inspection need to be listed separately in the contract
• There should be a clear calculation standard for the urgent service fee on non - working days
• The liability for the demurrage charge should distinguish between the fault of the agent and force majeure factors

The agency fee control strategy in 2025

It is recommended to adoptHierarchical management of service providersThe advance payment shall not exceed 30% of the total contract amount

• Strategic cooperation level (annual import volume of 50 million +): Strive for a preferential rate of 0.3% - 0.5%.
• Regular cooperation level (1000-50 million): It is required to include 3 free technical classification services.
• Temporary entrustment level: Lock the maximum rate ceiling of 1.5%.

Through three means of pre - review of the equipment HS code, application for preferential origin tax rates, and optimization of the transportation route, the comprehensive agency cost can be reduced by 15% - 30%. It is recommended to establish a KPI system for agency services, linking indicators such as customs clearance timeliness and document accuracy rate to fee payment.