Shipping from China to the EU: real costs, VAT and customs

A ¥30 find is about €4. What it costs by the time it reaches your door in Europe depends on four more numbers: the agent's fees, the shipping line, VAT and duty. None of them are hidden if you know where to look.

The full cost, line by line

1. Item price plus domestic shipping inside China.
2. Agent fees: service fee and payment fee. See shopping agents explained.
3. International shipping, by weight or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
4. Import VAT, at your country's rate.
5. Customs duty, depending on the product and the parcel's value.
6. Carrier handling fee, if VAT and duty are collected at your door rather than paid in advance.

VAT: due on every parcel

Since July 2021 there is no VAT-free allowance for goods imported into the EU. Every parcel pays import VAT, at the rate of the country it is delivered to: for example 19% in Germany, 20% in France, 21% in the Netherlands and Spain.

VAT is calculated on the value of the goods plus the cost of shipping them, not on the goods alone.

An example: items worth €40 and shipping of €25, delivered to Germany. VAT is (€40 + €25) × 19% = €12.35. The parcel costs you €77.35 before any duty or handling fee.

For parcels up to €150, the shipping line can collect VAT when you pay for shipping, through the EU's import one-stop shop. Nothing more is due at the door. Agents often label these lines "tax included".

Customs duty

Duty depends on what is inside, by product category. For the kind of goods on this site, rates range from zero to about 12%, with clothing at the top of that range.

Parcels under €150 used to be exempt from duty. The EU has agreed to end that exemption, with a flat duty per item on low-value parcels from mid-2026. Check the current amount on the European Commission's customs pages or your national customs site before you ship: these rules changed twice in five years.

Avoiding a surprise at delivery

• Choose a tax-included line for parcels under €150. You pay a little more per kilo and nothing at the door.
• Declare the real value. Under-declaring is illegal, and a parcel held for inspection costs more in time than any saving.
• Split heavy orders thoughtfully. Two parcels each under €150 are fine; splitting an order only to dodge a threshold is not.
• Keep the invoice. If customs asks for proof of value, the agent's order page or receipt is it.

How long it takes

• Seller to agent's warehouse: 2 to 5 days.
• Warehouse photos and packing: 1 to 3 days after you confirm.
• Air line to the EU: usually 7 to 20 days. Express is faster, economy and sea slower.

Start from the beginning: how to buy from Taobao & 1688.