Someone new to agency import business is troubled by payment methods, unsure how to protect their own interests while making it acceptable for clients. The best answer points out common payment methods like advance payment, letter of credit, and collection. Advance payment can be agreed upon a certain percentage to reduce risk; letter of credit requires careful review of terms; collection carries greater risk. One should also comprehensively consider factors like client creditworthiness to choose a suitable method. Other answers also provide methods like receiving a deposit and collecting payment based on a detailed expense list.
How should the agency export business process be written? Seeking detailed guidance
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I need to write an agency export business process recently, but I haven't dealt with this area before and have no idea where to start. Can any professionals tell me what steps this process generally includes, what the sequence of each step is, and what specific points need attention? I hope it can be as detailed as possible, thank you all!
Trade Expert Insights Answers
The agency export business process can generally be written as follows: First, pre-transaction preparation, where the principal and the agent sign an agency export contract, clarifying the rights and obligations of both parties. The agent needs to understand the principal's products, markets, and other information.
Second, finding customers and negotiation. The agent uses their channels to find foreign customers, negotiates product specifications, prices, delivery times, etc., with customers, and signs an export contract after reaching a preliminary intention.
Next, goods preparation and inspection. The principal prepares the goods according to the contract. If inspection is required, the agent assists the principal in handling the inspection procedures to obtain an inspection certificate.
Then, customs declaration and shipment. The agent prepares customs declaration documents, declares exports to the customs, and obtains shipping documents such as bills of lading after the goods are loaded and shipped.
Finally, settlement of foreign exchange and tax refund. After the agent receives the payment from the foreign customer, they settle with the principal according to the agency contract and assist the principal in handling export tax refund procedures. Attention should be paid to the time nodes of each step, and documents should be accurate and consistent.
When writing the process, you should first clarify the main parties, which are the principal and the agent. The beginning should clearly state how the two parties reached a cooperation intention and signed a contract. Then, focus on the goods, from preparation to transportation, and clarify the operations and responsible parties involved in each step, such as who is responsible for contacting the freight forwarder for booking space, and finally write about payment settlement and tax refund.
First, write about the contract signing between the two parties, then finding customers and signing export contracts, followed by goods preparation and transportation arrangements. When declaring customs, be sure not to make mistakes with the documents, which is crucial. After the goods are shipped, you just need to wait for the payment. After receiving it, settle with the principal, and clearly write the tax refund process. The entire process should focus on details.
The process should clearly state the pre-export communication and negotiation, such as product information, cost bearing, etc. Mention the handling of goods in the middle, such as packaging and warehousing. Choose the appropriate transportation method, and operate customs declaration according to regulations. Settlement and tax refund should be in accordance with policies. The responsible party for each step should be clearly identified.
Start by introducing the basic concept of agency export and the basis of cooperation between the two parties. The main part starts from cargo solicitation, then booking space, customs declaration, and loading ships step by step, highlighting the person in charge of each step. The conclusion should clearly state the operational points for receiving foreign exchange, verification, and tax refunds.
You can first divide the process into several major stages, such as the signing stage, the execution stage, and the closing stage. The signing stage involves contract terms, the execution stage involves goods operations and transportation, and the closing stage involves payment collection and tax refunds. Each stage can then be further divided into smaller steps for clarity.
When writing the process, you need to focus on key points, such as the qualification review of foreign customers, which should be included in the customer acquisition stage. For goods transportation, choose a good freight forwarder and prepare customs declaration documents in advance. Pay attention to exchange rate risks during settlement, and operate tax refunds in a timely manner according to requirements.
Start with the establishment of cooperation, i.e., signing the agency agreement, and then write about the export link, including goods preparation, customs declaration, transportation, etc. Finally, write about financial matters, including receiving foreign exchange, settlement, and tax refunds. Be sure to clearly write down the materials required for each step.
First, sort out the business sequence: customer development, contract signing, goods preparation, export customs clearance, transportation logistics, payment collection, and tax refund processing. When writing, expand on each step, explaining the specific operations and potential problems and their solutions.