Recently started finance work and have doubts about the accounting treatment of the company's export freight forwarding business's accounting accounts, such as booking fees and customs declaration fees paid to freight forwarding companies, and the issue of freight forwarding companies recording freight collected from customers. The best answer points out that booking fees, etc., are generally recorded under "Sales Expenses," and freight collected by freight forwarders is recorded under "Main Business Revenue." Detailed sub-accounts can also be set up. Accurate accounting requires combining the company's actual situation and accounting standards.
Who Bears the Fees for Export Agency Services?
Resolved
I have some export business recently and plan to find an agent to help handle it. But I'm not clear about who bears the fees for export agency services. Is it borne by the client, meaning me, or are there other situations, such as bearing part of the cost based on negotiations with foreign clients? Are there any industry practices or distinctions for different situations? I hope to get a detailed explanation from a professional so I can have a clear understanding and avoid future disputes.
Trade Expert Insights Answers
In export agency services, the fee bearing party is usually the client, meaning you, who will pay. This is because the export agent is commissioned by you to provide a series of services such as customs declaration, booking space, logistics arrangements, remittance collection, and tax refund. You are the direct beneficiary.
However, there are special circumstances. For example, if you and the foreign client reach a mutual agreement, and the foreign client is willing to share some of the fees, then the fee bearing party changes. Or, in some complex trade models, such as tripartite trade, fee bearing may be allocated based on the responsibilities and obligations agreed upon by the three parties in advance. But the industry practice is mostly for the client to bear the main costs, as the agency services revolve around the client's export needs. It is recommended that before you cooperate with an agent, you clarify the details of each fee and the responsible party, and confirm it in a contract to avoid disputes.
Generally, the client pays, because the agent serves the client's export affairs, just like hiring someone to help with a task, naturally the hirer pays the person.
Occasionally, there are situations where foreign clients bear customs clearance agency fees, but this needs to be agreed upon in advance, otherwise, the client still pays.
If it's a long-term cooperation with a foreign client with whom you have a good relationship, they might be willing to share some freight forwarding fees, but this situation is not common, and most of the fees are still borne by the client.
Actually, it depends on the trade terms. Under terms like DDP, the exporter bears more costs, and agency fees may be included, essentially borne indirectly by the exporter.
Some agents, to attract clients, say they can help negotiate with foreign clients to share fees, but not many are successfully implemented, and basically, the client still pays.
In some emerging markets, to open up sales channels, exporters may let foreign clients bear a small portion of the agency fees as a concession, but the proportion is very small.
If the client signs a risk-based agency agreement with the agent, where the agency fee is linked to export revenue, the fee bearing is essentially still by the client.
Sometimes, when peers consolidate shipments for export and use an agent, the fees are jointly negotiated and shared, but this is also a negotiation among the clients, with the client being the primary party.