How to Import from China to Europe: Shipping, Customs & VAT Explained

Step 1: Find and verify a supplier

Start by confirming your supplier is an actual manufacturer, not a trading company adding a margin. Ask for their business license, factory photos or a video call, and always order a sample before committing to a bulk run. If you're sourcing through an agent, this verification is done for you on the ground in China.

Step 2: Quality inspection before shipping

Inspect the goods before they leave China — it is far cheaper to fix a problem in the factory than after a container has crossed the world. A pre-shipment inspection checks quantity, product quality against the approved sample, and packaging. Getting inspection photos before dispatch is the single best way to avoid receiving unsellable stock.

Step 3: Choose your shipping method — sea vs air

Sea freight is the default for most imports: it's far cheaper per kilogram and suits bulk orders, with transit from China to European ports typically taking around 30–40 days. Air freight is faster — roughly 6–10 days — but costs several times more per kilogram, so it's best for urgent, high-value or low-weight goods.

Most European imports arrive through major gateway ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg and Valencia, then travel onward by road. A consolidation service can combine several suppliers' goods into one shipment to reduce cost.

Step 4: Customs clearance, duties and import VAT

When goods enter the EU they are cleared through customs, where two charges usually apply: import duty (set by the EU common tariff, based on the product's commodity code) and import VAT (charged at the destination country's rate). VAT varies widely — for example 21% in Spain, 20% in France and 23% in Portugal — so the same product has a different landed cost depending on where it lands.

To import into the EU you generally need an EORI number for customs. The duty and VAT are calculated on the value of the goods plus shipping, which is why the final landed cost is always higher than the factory invoice alone.

What is DDP, and why it matters

DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. Under DDP, the seller or sourcing agent handles everything — shipping, customs clearance, duties and VAT — and delivers to your door for one all-in price. The opposite is often quoted as EXW or FOB, where a cheap-looking factory price hides shipping, customs and VAT you pay separately later.

For importers who don't want to manage freight forwarders and customs brokers, a DDP landed price is the simplest way to know your real cost before you commit. It's the model SourGlobal uses: one price to your door in Europe, with shipping, customs and VAT already included.

Importing to Morocco vs the EU

Morocco sits outside the EU customs union, so the process differs from importing into Spain or France. Goods clear Moroccan customs with local VAT (20%) plus any applicable duty, usually arriving through the ports of Casablanca or Tanger Med. If you sell in Morocco, work with a partner who quotes the correct Moroccan landed cost rather than an EU estimate.