What does an import-export agent do?
Import or export agents are professionals who are required to act as the middle person for purchasing or selling products between both domestic and overseas companies. These agents must possess a variety of export documentation to facilitate domestic and international shipments of products to ensure timely delivery. They should provide shipment status notification to answer inquiries from exporters and consignees. Import or export agents must also prepare documents while informing import agents about the details of shipment arrivals.
Import-export agent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real import-export agent resumes:
- Prepare documentation as master BOL, shippers export declarations, cargo release, pickups, delivery orders and others.
- Maintain AS400 system to include accurate shipment order entry, AES filing and other pertinent information for LCL and FCL shipments.
- Facilitate training for CSR & shippers on export documentation and incoterms.
- Send arrival notices, tracking, arranging inland moves on containers and LCL cargo.
- Quoted ocean FCL & LCL rates to all the customers in order to satisfy their shipping needs.
- Review and analyze standard operating procedures to insure compliance, TSA, ISO, TAPA, IMDG.
- Coordinate international export shipments: booking, documentation handling, and meeting country import regulations to ensure customs clearance.
- Direct all equipment logistics operations from supplier s warehouse to company s warehouse, following currency exchange control and customs regulations.
- Maintain and update CMP, rate sheets, etc.
- Work and disburse Amadeus queues.
- Maintain station reports of KPI performance.
- Send pre-alert and invoices to agents.
- Handle all facets of work associate with incoming customer cargo calls, including booking, tracking and tracing cargo.
- Service reservations and answer questions pertaining to air cost, documentation, flight policies and procedures.
- Answer phones, giving different customers quotes on what there shipment would cost if they move with DHL.
Import-export agent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 34% of Import-Export Agents are proficient in Customer Service, Data Entry, and Booking.
We break down the percentage of Import-Export Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 34%
Maintained timely and accurate movement of freight and information while providing exceptional customer service within the Air Export Department.
- Data Entry, 11%
Coordinated data entry and invoicing.
- Booking, 8%
Handled all facets of work associated with incoming customer cargo calls, including booking, tracking and tracing cargo.
- Export, 3%
Coordinated all aspects of air/ocean freight, abiding by export customs regulations and demonstrating knowledge in a team-oriented, deadline-driven environment.
- Import Export, 3%
Prepared required import export container documentation.
- DHL, 3%
Ensured accuracy of direct mail processing and preparation operations in accordance with DHL requirements, customer requests, and established procedures.
Common skills that an import-export agent uses to do their job include "customer service," "data entry," and "booking." You can find details on the most important import-export agent responsibilities below.
The three companies that hire the most import-export agents are:
- Expeditors39 import-export agents jobs
- Yusen Logistics19 import-export agents jobs
- C.H. Robinson7 import-export agents jobs
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Compare different import-export agents
Import-export agent vs. Freight forwarder
Freight brokers have licensed property brokers who provide assistance to shippers in hauling materials. Their job involves linking carriers and shippers in hauling materials. They take part in the shipping logistics of organizations or companies. Among the matters they negotiate include tracking of shipments, keeping delivery and pickup tracks, and shipping rates. Among the necessary skills for this job include customer service, negotiation, communication, and marketing.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an import-export agent are more likely to require skills like "data entry," "export," "international shipments," and "air freight." On the other hand, a job as a freight forwarder requires skills like "supply chain," "freight carriers," "freight rates," and "pod." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Freight forwarders tend to reach similar levels of education than import-export agents. In fact, freight forwarders are 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Import-export agent vs. Freight broker
Warehouse assistants oversee a warehouse's stocks and products. Their primary responsibilities include receiving and sending products from the warehouse. They move materials and inventory across the facilities. It's their job to sort, organize, and keep stock in the right location. They are also responsible for issuing materials and other supplies for storage in the central warehouse. The skills they must acquire include road transportation, packing, stocking, loading, shipping, and general labor.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that import-export agent responsibilities requires skills like "data entry," "booking," "export," and "import export." But a freight broker might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "tms," "logistics," "ftl," and "shippers."
In general, freight brokers achieve similar levels of education than import-export agents. They're 1.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Import-export agent vs. Warehouse assistant
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, import-export agents are more likely to have skills like "data entry," "booking," "export," and "import export." But a warehouse assistant is more likely to have skills like "customer orders," "pallets," "industrial trucks," and "hand trucks."
Warehouse assistants earn the best pay in the transportation industry, where they command an average salary of $36,486. Import-export agents earn the highest pay from the transportation industry, with an average salary of $43,437.When it comes to education, warehouse assistants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to import-export agents. In fact, they're 3.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Import-export agent vs. Transportation broker
Types of import-export agent
Updated January 8, 2025
