How to Sell in Europe from China: A Logistics Checklist for DTC Brands

Europe is the second-largest e-commerce market in the world, and for Chinese DTC brands that have found product-market fit at home or on platforms like Amazon US, the next logical step is often a European expansion. The market is there: over 350 million online shoppers across 27 EU member states, with Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy leading in spending volume.

But selling into Europe from China is not simply a matter of listing your products on a new marketplace and shipping parcels from Shenzhen. Cross-border parcel shipping is slow, expensive per unit, and increasingly unreliable as customs enforcement tightens. The brands that succeed in Europe are the ones that pre-position inventory inside the EU and fulfil locally — the same way European brands do.

This guide walks through the practical logistics of making that transition. Think of it as a checklist: everything you need to line up before your first container arrives at a European warehouse.

Step 1: Choose your European entry point

You need to decide where in Europe to store your inventory. This decision affects your shipping costs, delivery times, customs process, and VAT obligations.

The Netherlands is the most common entry point for non-EU brands, and for good reason:

• Rotterdam is Europe's largest seaport, handling over 14 million TEU annually. Direct sailings from Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Ningbo arrive in 28-32 days.
• Schiphol Airport is a major cargo hub for air freight.
• Article 23 allows you to defer import VAT entirely — you never actually pay it at the border. This is a significant cash-flow advantage that most other EU countries do not offer in the same way.
• Central location: from a Dutch warehouse, you reach Germany in 1-2 days, Belgium the same day, France in 2-3 days, and most of Western Europe within 3-4 days.

Germany is the largest single market, but importing through Germany means paying import VAT upfront (19%) and reclaiming it later. For a brand shipping a container worth €150,000, that is nearly €30,000 tied up in VAT reclaim for weeks or months. The Netherlands avoids this entirely through Article 23.

Step 2: Understand your freight options — sea vs air

Most Chinese brands shipping inventory to Europe will use sea freight as their primary channel. Here is how the two options compare in practice:

Sea freight (FCL — Full Container Load)

• Transit time: 28-35 days from major Chinese ports to Rotterdam
• Cost: roughly $2,000-$4,500 per 20ft container (2026 rates, excluding duties and handling), though rates fluctuate with demand
• Best for: regular replenishment, bulky goods, price-sensitive products
• Minimum practical volume: one 20ft container or LCL (Less than Container Load) if you have fewer than 15 CBM

Air freight

• Transit time: 5-7 days to Schiphol
• Cost: roughly $3-6 per kilogram, depending on volume and route
• Best for: initial test shipments, high-value lightweight items (electronics, cosmetics), urgent restocks

Rail freight is a middle option that some brands overlook. The China-Europe rail routes (through Kazakhstan and Poland) take 16-20 days and sit between sea and air on cost. Rail works well for brands in central and western China and for products that are moderately time-sensitive.

Our recommendation: ship your first batch by air to get live quickly and test the market, then transition to sea freight for ongoing replenishment. Keep a small air freight budget for restocking fast-selling SKUs.

Step 3: Get your EORI number

An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is required for any business importing goods into the EU. It is a unique identifier used across all EU customs declarations.

As a Chinese company, you apply for your EORI in the EU member state where you first carry out customs activity — in most cases, the Netherlands. The application is straightforward and typically processed within 1-2 weeks. Your customs broker or fiscal representative can usually handle this on your behalf.

One EORI number covers all EU member states. You do not need separate registrations for Germany, France, or any other country.

Step 4: Register for Dutch VAT and appoint a fiscal representative

The moment you hold inventory in the Netherlands and sell from it, you are making taxable supplies from the Netherlands. This means you need a Dutch VAT registration.

As a non-EU company, you will also need a fiscal representative — a licensed Dutch entity that acts as your VAT agent. The fiscal representative:

• Applies for your Dutch VAT number
• Extends the Article 23 import VAT deferment licence to your shipments
• Files your periodic Dutch VAT returns
• Acts as your point of contact with Dutch tax authorities

The fiscal representative does carry liability, so they will typically review your business model and may require a bank guarantee or deposit. Costs vary but expect €2,000-5,000 per year for the representative's fees, plus per-filing charges.

VAT registration for a non-EU company takes 4-8 weeks. Do not underestimate this timeline — start it well before your first shipment is on the water. For a deeper explanation of how the importer role, VAT, and Article 23 fit together, see our guide on importer responsibilities and Dutch VAT registration.

Step 5: Confirm EU product compliance — GPSR, CE marking, and more

This is the step that catches many Chinese brands off guard. The EU has strict product safety regulations, and enforcement is getting tighter, not looser. Two requirements stand out:

GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation), which took full effect in December 2024, requires that every consumer product sold in the EU has an EU-based responsible person listed on the product or its packaging. This applies to all non-EU manufacturers. The responsible person must have a physical EU address and be contactable by market surveillance authorities.

CE marking is required for many product categories including electronics, toys, machinery, medical devices, personal protective equipment, and construction products. CE marking is not a quality mark — it is a legal declaration that your product meets all applicable EU directives. You need the correct testing, documentation (Declaration of Conformity), and technical file.

Other requirements to check depending on your product category:

• REACH — chemical substances regulation, relevant for cosmetics, textiles, and products with chemical components
• RoHS — restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
• WEEE — waste electrical and electronic equipment registration (required in each country where you sell electronics)
• EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) — packaging waste registration, increasingly enforced across EU countries

We have written a detailed guide on EU product compliance, GPSR, and CE marking that covers what you need for each category.

Step 6: Choose your fulfillment partner

Once your compliance and VAT registrations are underway, it is time to select a European 3PL (third-party logistics) partner. Here is what to look for:

• Experience with non-EU brands — the onboarding process is different when your client is in a different time zone and does not have a European entity. Not every warehouse is set up for this.
• Location near a major port or airport — reduces domestic transport costs for inbound shipments.
• WMS (Warehouse Management System) integration — you need real-time stock visibility and ideally a direct integration with your e-commerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, or marketplace APIs).
• Multi-carrier shipping — a 3PL with contracts across multiple carriers (PostNL, DHL, DPD, etc.) can optimise delivery cost and speed per destination country.
• Returns handling — European consumers expect easy returns. Your 3PL should be able to receive, inspect, and restock returned items.

Onboarding with a good 3PL typically takes two weeks from contract signature to being live: system integration, SKU setup, receiving your first inbound shipment, and shipping a test order.

Step 7: Set up OSS for cross-border B2C sales

Once your inventory is inside the EU and you are selling to consumers in multiple countries, you need to charge the correct VAT rate for each destination country. Germany is 19%, France 20%, Spain 21%, Italy 22%, and so on.

The OSS (One Stop Shop) scheme lets you report and pay all this destination-country VAT through a single quarterly return filed in the Netherlands. Without OSS, you would need a separate VAT registration in every country where you sell — which is not practical for most brands.

Your fiscal representative can register you for OSS alongside your Dutch VAT number. Most e-commerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce) can be configured to charge the correct destination VAT rate automatically at checkout.

Step 8: Consider marketplace channels

Many Chinese brands enter Europe through Amazon EU first, then expand to their own DTC channel. The marketplace route has advantages: built-in traffic, trust, and a payments infrastructure that European consumers already use.

Amazon operates marketplaces in Germany (amazon.de), France (amazon.fr), Italy (amazon.it), Spain (amazon.es), the Netherlands (amazon.nl), Poland (amazon.pl), Sweden (amazon.se), and Belgium (amazon.com.be). You can sell across all of them from a single seller account.

The decision between FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and an independent 3PL depends on your strategy. FBA gives you Prime badges and Buy Box advantages but locks your inventory into Amazon's ecosystem. A 3PL gives you the flexibility to fulfil marketplace orders, your own website orders, and B2B orders from the same stock pool. Many brands use both — FBA for Amazon-specific inventory and a 3PL for everything else.

Other marketplaces worth considering for the European market: Bol.com (dominant in the Netherlands and Belgium), Zalando (fashion), Otto (Germany), Cdiscount (France), and Allegro (Poland).

A practical timeline: from decision to first European order

Here is a realistic timeline for a Chinese DTC brand going from zero to live in Europe:

1. Weeks 1-2: Research and planning. Choose your entry country, identify a fiscal representative and fulfillment partner, review product compliance requirements.
2. Weeks 2-4: Engage fiscal representative. Start VAT registration and EORI application. Begin product compliance review (GPSR responsible person, CE marking if applicable).
3. Weeks 4-6: Sign fulfillment agreement. Start WMS integration with your e-commerce platform. Book your first sea freight shipment (or air freight for a faster test).
4. Weeks 6-8: VAT registration completes. OSS registration filed. Product labelling updated for EU market (responsible person, CE mark, EU address).
5. Weeks 8-10: First shipment arrives at Rotterdam or Schiphol. Customs clearance using Article 23 deferment. Goods received at warehouse, quality check, shelved.
6. Weeks 10-12: Test orders processed. Carrier routing confirmed. Go live on your webshop and/or marketplace.

Total: 8-12 weeks is realistic if you work in parallel. If you wait for each step to complete before starting the next, add another month.

Common mistakes Chinese brands make entering Europe

After working with dozens of brands making this transition, we see the same mistakes repeatedly:

• Starting VAT registration too late. It takes longer than you expect, especially for non-EU companies. Start it the day you decide to enter Europe.
• Ignoring GPSR. Listing products on Amazon or your own shop without an EU-based responsible person is a compliance risk that can lead to delisting or seizure.
• Underestimating return rates. European return rates for fashion are 30-40%, for electronics 8-15%. Build this into your margin calculations before launch.
• Shipping too many SKUs initially. Start with your top 20-30 SKUs in Europe. Test demand before committing warehouse space and customs work to your full catalogue.
• Not planning for customer service. European consumers expect responses in their language. At minimum, offer English and German support. Consider a European CS partner.

Why the Netherlands works for Chinese brands

To summarise the structural advantages: Article 23 eliminates import VAT cash-flow impact. Rotterdam and Schiphol provide direct freight connections from China. The Dutch logistics sector speaks English as standard. OSS simplifies cross-border VAT reporting. And the central location means fast delivery to Europe's biggest markets.

It is not the only option — Germany, Belgium, and Poland all have fulfillment infrastructure — but for a non-EU brand's first European footprint, the Netherlands offers the most forgiving combination of logistics, tax, and regulatory environment.

If you are a Chinese brand planning a European launch, we would be glad to walk through the logistics with you. Euroship Fulfillment operates from facilities near Schiphol and works with brands from China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East entering the European market. We handle inbound receiving, storage, pick and pack, multi-carrier shipping across Europe, and returns. Onboarding takes two weeks once your paperwork is in order. Get in touch to discuss your European launch.