How to import from China to Bahrain

What you can import

Most goods can be imported into Bahrain without a special licence: clothing, shoes, bags, home and kitchen goods, furniture, lighting, phone accessories, tools, auto parts, packaging, stationery, gifts and event supplies.

Some products need approval before they can be sold, and a short list is prohibited. Bahrain follows GCC technical regulations, so the same product families are controlled as in neighbouring countries.

• Toys, low-voltage electrical goods and some appliances must meet GCC technical regulations (the GSO G-Mark for toys and low-voltage products), with market surveillance by the Standards and Metrology Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
• Wireless and telecom devices need type approval from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Bahrain.
• Cosmetics, supplements and medical products may need registration with the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA), and food with the health authorities.
• Restricted or banned: weapons and replicas, drones without civil aviation approval, narcotics, counterfeit goods and material contrary to public morals. Check with your customs authority for regulated goods.

Customs duty and VAT in Bahrain in 2026

Bahrain Customs Affairs applies the GCC Common Customs Tariff. Most goods pay 5% duty on their CIF value, which is the price of the goods plus freight and insurance to Bahrain. Basic foods and medicines can be exempt, while tobacco and alcohol carry much higher rates.

VAT on imports is 10%, collected at the border on the CIF value plus duty and administered by the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR). A VAT-registered business can normally reclaim it through its return.

Low-value parcels: in May 2026 Bahrain Customs Affairs announced revised rules for personal shipments and postal parcels, under which goods valued at BHD 100 or more pay customs duty and 10% VAT. Wholesale stock is a commercial import and is normally above that value anyway, so plan on both being paid.

• Commercial imports are cleared by a business with a commercial registration (CR) and an importer number, usually through a licensed clearing agent.
• Customs needs a commercial invoice, a packing list, the air waybill or bill of lading and an HS code for each line.
• Under-valuing goods to reduce duty and VAT is an offence and can lead to penalties and held shipments.

How DDP delivery removes the hassle

DDP means delivered duty paid. On soorce, the price at checkout includes freight from China, clearance in Bahrain, the 5% customs duty and the 10% import VAT. Our logistics partner clears the shipment and delivers to your address, so you do not need a clearing agent or your own importer number for that delivery, and nothing more is asked for when the cartons arrive.

We check the supplier and inspect the goods in China before they ship, so what reaches customs matches your order. DDP covers the import. Approvals for selling a regulated product in Bahrain, such as TRA approval for a wireless device, are still your responsibility.

Air or sea freight: which one pays off

Air freight is charged per kilo using volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000), so a light, bulky carton is billed on its size. It is fast and suits samples, fashion, accessories and high-value goods.

Sea freight is much cheaper per kilo and takes several weeks. Cargo for Bahrain may arrive via a regional hub, such as Dammam or Jebel Ali, with the last leg by road or feeder vessel; that is part of the door-to-door price. Sea pays off for heavy or bulky goods with a low value per kilo, such as furniture, kitchenware, packaging and tools. Sea lines bill from a minimum weight, so small orders are often cheaper by air.

The box below shows today's soorce door-to-door prices to Bahrain, duty and VAT included, for several sample weights.

Worked example: 1,000 gift boxes to Manama

Say you order 1,000 printed gift boxes for a shop or event business at $1.10 each, $1,100 of goods. Flat-packed in cartons they weigh about 90 kg. The table prices this order with today's rates by air and by sea, delivered to your door with Bahraini duty and 10% VAT already inside the shipping line.

Divide the delivered total by 1,000 for the landed cost per box. Final weight and volume are confirmed after packing in China, so the figure can move slightly. Packaging is light and bulky, which is exactly where sea usually wins.

How to order on soorce, step by step

1. Search or browse factory products. Each product page shows the price per piece, the minimum quantity and the delivered price to Bahrain.
2. Add the quantities you need to your cart. Orders start from 100 pieces or $1,000; a smaller order can be sent as a request and our team will tell you if it can go ahead.
3. At checkout choose air or sea, enter your address in Bahrain and pay securely online at checkout. Prices are in US dollars.
4. We confirm the order with the factory, check the supplier and inspect the goods before they leave China, with photos if anything looks wrong.
5. The shipment clears Bahraini customs with duty and VAT paid and is delivered to your door. Track each stage from your account.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the UAE's 5% VAT in your sums. Bahrain charges 10%, which noticeably changes your margin.
• Assuming GCC approval covers everything: some approvals, like TRA type approval for wireless devices, are issued nationally.
• Shipping very small orders by sea and paying the line minimum, or bulky light goods by air and paying for volume.
• Ordering branded or look-alike products. Counterfeits are seized.
• Splitting one order into many small parcels to stay under the BHD 100 parcel rule. That rule is for personal shipments, and commercial goods must be declared as such.

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