Germany is the EU's largest market and one of China's biggest trading partners. Importing from Chinese factories can cut your purchase price sharply, but Germany is also where registration rules bite hardest: packaging and electrical goods must be registered before they are sold, and marketplaces check.
This guide covers what a small business importing from China into Germany has to handle in 2026, when air or sea freight makes sense, and how ordering through soorce with delivery duties paid (DDP) takes customs off your plate.
What you can import
Almost any lawful product can be imported into Germany: clothing, shoes, bags, household and kitchen goods, furniture, garden products, tools, car accessories, lighting, sports gear, office supplies and packaging.
The question is not whether customs lets it in but whether you may sell it. Several German and EU rules apply to the product itself.
- CE marking and an EU declaration of conformity are needed for electrical and electronic goods, toys, machinery, radio equipment and personal protective equipment.
- The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) requires a responsible economic operator in the EU for most consumer products, with name and address on the product or packaging.
- Packaging Act (VerpackG): anyone who first puts packaged goods on the German market must register in the LUCID register of the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister and join a dual system before selling.
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG): electrical products need WEEE registration with stiftung ear, and batteries fall under the Battery Act.
- Banned or restricted: counterfeit goods, weapons and some knives, certain chemicals under REACH, and protected plant and animal products. Check with your customs authority for regulated goods.
Customs duty and VAT in Germany in 2026
Germany applies the EU Common Customs Tariff. Duty depends on the HS code and is charged on the customs value, meaning the goods plus freight and insurance to the EU border. Many manufactured goods pay 0% to 12%, with textiles and footwear at the higher end. Some Chinese products, such as certain steel items, e-bikes and ceramic tableware, also carry EU anti-dumping duties.
Import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) is 19% on the customs value plus duty, or 7% for a few categories such as books and some foods. German customs (Zoll) collects it, and a VAT-registered business can usually reclaim it as input tax.
Low-value parcels: the €150 duty exemption ended on 1 July 2026. Parcels worth €150 or less now pay a flat EU duty of €3 per item category, and since 1 November 2026 an EU handling fee of €2 per item applies as well. A wholesale order is normally above €150, so standard tariff rates apply.
- To clear goods in your own name you need an EORI number, which German customs issues free of charge.
- Customs needs a commercial invoice, a packing list and the air waybill or bill of lading, with the right customs tariff number for each item.
- Wrong values or tariff numbers can lead to back payments, fines and held shipments.
How DDP delivery removes the hassle
DDP means delivered duty paid. With soorce, the price at checkout already covers freight from China, German customs clearance, duty and import VAT. Our logistics partner files the declaration and delivers to your door, so there is no customs broker to hire for the shipment and no duty bill when the carton arrives.
Before anything ships, we check the supplier and inspect the goods in China, so the shipment matches your order. DDP takes care of the import. Your duties as the seller in Germany stay with you: CE conformity, an EU responsible person under GPSR, and LUCID and WEEE registration where they apply.
Air or sea freight: which one pays off
Air is billed per kilo with a volumetric rule (length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000), so light but bulky goods pay for their size. It arrives in days rather than weeks and suits samples, quick restocks, fashion and goods with a high value per kilo such as electronics accessories.
Sea costs much less per kilo but takes several weeks door to door, and sea lines usually bill a minimum weight. It pays off for heavy or bulky goods with a low value per kilo: furniture, garden products, kitchenware, packaging and tools. Products containing batteries, magnets or liquids may be restricted to particular lines, and checkout handles that for you.
The box below shows what soorce charges today for door-to-door delivery to Germany, duties and VAT included, for a few sample weights.
Worked example: 200 LED desk lamps to Berlin
Say you order 200 LED desk lamps at $6.50 each, $1,300 of goods. Packed in cartons they weigh roughly 120 kg. The table prices this order with today's door-to-door rates by air and by sea, with German duty and import VAT already included in the shipping line.
Divide the delivered total by 200 to get the landed cost per lamp, then add your WEEE and packaging registration costs before comparing with German wholesale prices. Weight and volume are confirmed once the goods are packed in China, so the final figure may change slightly.
200 LED desk lamps, preço de hoje
| Item | Aéreo | Marítimo |
|---|---|---|
| Mercadoria | $1,300.00 | $1,300.00 |
| Entrega, impostos e taxas (cerca de 120 kg) | $847.62 | $202.80 |
| Total com entrega | $2,147.62 | $1,502.80 |
| Por peça, com entrega | $10.74 | $7.51 |
O frete usa as tarifas ao vivo de hoje para este peso. O valor da mercadoria é um preço de exemplo; seu total real aparece no checkout.
How to order on soorce, step by step
- Search or browse factory products and open a product page: it shows the price per piece, the minimum quantity and the delivered price to Germany.
- 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.
- At checkout, choose air or sea, enter your delivery address in Germany and pay securely online at checkout. Prices are in US dollars.
- We confirm the order with the factory, check the supplier and inspect the goods before they leave China. You get photos if anything looks wrong.
- The shipment is cleared through customs with duties and VAT paid and delivered to your door. You can follow every stage from your account.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Selling packaged goods before registering in LUCID: unregistered packaging can lead to fines and a sales ban.
- Listing electrical products without a WEEE registration number, which German marketplaces now check.
- Comparing the factory price with a German price without adding freight, duty and VAT.
- Paying air rates for bulky, light goods that would cost far less by sea.
- Buying look-alike branded goods: Zoll seizes counterfeits and rights holders can claim damages.
Perguntas frequentes
How much is import duty from China to Germany?
Duty follows the EU Common Customs Tariff and depends on the HS code, often 0% to 12%, plus 19% import VAT. With soorce's DDP delivery both are already included in the checkout price.
Can I reclaim the import VAT in Germany?
A business registered for VAT in Germany can usually deduct import VAT as input tax. Keep the delivery documents and ask your tax adviser how DDP paperwork is handled in your books.
Do I need an EORI number to import into Germany?
You need one to clear goods in your own name. When you order through soorce, our logistics partner clears the shipment, so you do not need one for that delivery.
Do I need to register packaging when importing from China?
Yes. If you are the first to place packaged goods on the German market, register with the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (LUCID) and join a dual system before you sell.
How long does shipping from China to Germany take?
Air usually arrives within one to two weeks of leaving our warehouse in China, sea takes several weeks. The live transit window for each method is shown in the shipping box on this page and at checkout.
What is the minimum order on soorce?
Orders start from 100 pieces or $1,000 of goods. Smaller orders can be sent as a request, and our team will confirm whether they can go ahead.
Fontes
- German customs (Zoll, Generalzolldirektion)
- European Commission, Taxation and Customs Union
- Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (LUCID)
- stiftung ear (WEEE register)
Este guia traz informações gerais, conferidas com os órgãos oficiais acima em novembro de 2026. As regras mudam e alguns produtos são regulamentados: consulte a autoridade aduaneira antes de pedir produtos regulamentados.