How long does an import from China take?

There is no universal lead time. An import chains together stages — negotiation and samples, production, quality control, transit and clearance — and each depends on the product, the factory, the route and space availability at the time of shipment. The calendar is confirmed with the supplier and the forwarder once product and samples are defined; plan with margin and avoid deadlines close to Chinese holidays.

What is the difference between private label, OEM and ODM?

They are different ways of splitting design and customisation. With private label you buy a manufacturer's catalogue product under your brand; with manufacturing to specification (commonly called OEM) the factory produces what you define; with adaptation of a manufacturer's platform (commonly ODM) you start from their design and adjust it. Commercial terminology is not uniform, so what matters is fixing in writing who provides the design, who owns tooling and documentation, and what the price includes.

What minimum order quantity (MOQ) is usual?

It varies widely by product, materials and factory, and it is part of the negotiation. It usually depends on component purchase lots and line capacity, so for a first operation it can sometimes be adjusted in exchange for other terms (price, lead time, reorder forecast).

Do I need a company in China to import?

No. You can import with your Spanish or European company. What you do need is management capacity at origin — in-house or through a partner like EC HolaHome — to validate factories, control quality and coordinate the operation.

Is import VAT a cost?

It is a cash outlay at the time of clearance, but for a company entitled to deduct it, it is not a definitive cost: it is recovered through the VAT return under the applicable rules. Reflect it in cash-flow planning rather than adding it to the product cost as if it were a duty.

How do I avoid quality problems?

With three tools: a detailed technical specification, a sample approved in writing and controls during and at the end of production proportionate to the product's risk, before paying the balance and loading the container. No system removes defects entirely, but it lets you detect them in time and decide with information.

Pillar guide

Importing from China: the complete guide for companies

How to define the product, find and validate suppliers, control quality, understand duties, VAT and documentation, and calculate the real cost of importing from China.

Updated: September 11, 2026

Content prepared by the EC HolaHome team, based on our experience coordinating imports between China and Europe.

1. What importing from China means today

Importing from China is no longer just about finding the lowest price: it means managing a complete supply chain. Companies that do it well treat every import as a project, with clear specifications, milestones and owners.

China maintains a very broad industrial base, with capacity across most consumer and industrial product categories.
The real advantage is not the unit price, but a well-calculated total cost and a reliable supply.
The usual risks — inconsistent quality, delays, specification misunderstandings — are reduced with process, not luck.
A partner with experience working directly with manufacturers in China shortens the learning curve and prevents the most expensive mistakes of first-time imports.

Related on this site:How we workChina sourcing and purchasing agent

2. Defining the product and specifications

Everything starts with a clear technical brief. The more precise the specification sheet, the more comparable supplier quotes will be and the fewer surprises there will be in production.

Document materials, dimensions, tolerances, finishes, colours, packaging and marking before asking for prices.
Identify from the start the EU legislation that applies to your product type: CE marking only applies where harmonised legislation requires it, and category-specific requirements exist (REACH, food contact, cosmetics, general product safety, etc.).
A reference sample or technical dossier prevents every factory from interpreting the product its own way.
Clarify the manufacturing model: a manufacturer's catalogue product under your brand (private label), manufacturing to your specification (commonly called OEM) or adapting the manufacturer's own design or platform (commonly ODM). Terminology varies between factories; what matters is putting in writing who provides the design, who owns tooling and documentation, and how much customisation the price includes.

3. Finding and validating suppliers

Choosing the supplier is the most important decision in the project. A good price from the wrong factory ends up expensive; a validated supplier is a long-term asset.

Compare several candidates per category and weigh capacity, export experience and references, not just price.
Establish whether you are dealing with the factory or a trading company: both can be valid, but they change your control over production, traceability and margin.
Match the level of verification to the risk of the operation: document and licence review, video call or plant visit, product inspection and, where volume or criticality justify it, a formal audit. No verification removes risk entirely; it reduces it and makes it manageable.
Be wary of prices well below market: they usually hide material substitutions or later surcharges.

4. Negotiation, samples and Incoterms

Negotiation does not end with the price: it includes minimum quantities, lead times, payment terms and logistics responsibilities. Everything must be in writing.

Always request pre-production samples and approve them in writing before launching the full order.
Incoterms (EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP…) allocate the obligations, costs and risks of delivery between seller and buyer. They do not govern ownership of the goods or payment terms, which must be agreed separately in the contract.
Payment terms are negotiated case by case. The sensible approach is to tie payments to verifiable milestones (sample approval, passed inspection, shipping documents) and to avoid paying the full amount up front.
A bilingual contract with specifications, penalties and clear jurisdiction protects the operation.

Incoterms® rules — ICC

5. Quality control and compliance

Quality is controlled at the factory, not at destination. By the time the container arrives in Europe, fixing a defect is already too late and very expensive.

First define what counts as conforming (approved sample, specifications, packaging, relevant defects), then plan the controls: during production and/or before shipment, according to the product's risk.
Laboratory tests and certificates must match the European legislation for the product, not only the Chinese one.
A control plan does not guarantee the absence of defects, but it allows you to detect them where they can still be corrected and to decide with information before shipping.
Document everything: inspection reports, photos, test results and sample approvals.

6. Shipping, customs and real costs

The final leg concentrates much of the cost and the lead time. Planning transport and customs in advance prevents surcharges and blockages.

Sea freight is the usual option for volume; air freight is reserved for samples, urgencies or goods with a high value per kilo.
On import you settle the duty (based on the TARIC classification) and import VAT, plus clearance and handling costs.
Distinguish cost from cash outlay: duty, freight, insurance and handling are costs; import VAT is an outlay the company can recover where it is entitled to deduct it, so it affects cash flow but should not be treated as a definitive cost.
Plan by stages — production, quality control, transit and clearance — and confirm the calendar with the supplier and the forwarder according to product, samples, route and space availability. Build in margin instead of setting tight deadlines.

7. Import duties and VAT when bringing Chinese goods into the EU

Duty is set by the goods' classification, not by the wording of the supplier's invoice. Every product entering the EU is classified under the Combined Nomenclature and checked against TARIC, the EU's integrated tariff database, which shows the third-country duty rate and any additional measures that may apply to China.

Classify first: the code determines the duty and the associated requirements, and a wrong classification is one of the most common causes of customs corrections and penalties.
The only reliable rate is the one TARIC returns for your code and origin; do not work with 'typical' sector percentages.
Check in TARIC whether trade defence measures (anti-dumping or countervailing duties) apply to your Chinese-origin product: where they do, they can far exceed the ordinary tariff.
Customs value starts from the transaction value and is adjusted under the Union Customs Code: it may require adding items such as freight and insurance to the EU border, tooling or moulds supplied to the factory, or royalties and licence fees, where applicable.
The import VAT base is the customs value plus the duties and taxes due on importation (except VAT itself) plus incidental expenses — commission, packing, transport and insurance — up to the first place of destination in the Member State of importation and, where known at the chargeable event, up to another place of destination in the EU, where not already included in the customs value (which already covers freight and insurance to the EU point of entry). The rate is the one that applies to the product in the country of clearance (in Spain, the standard rate is 21%, or a reduced rate where the law provides for it).
There is no EU–China free trade agreement: Chinese-origin goods pay the third-country rate. Non-preferential origin still has to be documented correctly.

8. Documents and requirements at origin and destination

Most goods do not need an import licence, but almost nothing moves without the right paperwork. Chinese export formalities and EU import requirements are two separate blocks, and both have to be resolved before the goods ship.

Your company needs an EORI number to file customs declarations in the EU; it is obtained from your national customs authority. The remaining requirements depend on the product and the operation — there is no universal list.
Product compliance is the importer's responsibility: depending on the category it may require a declaration of conformity and technical file, testing, safety data sheets, specific labelling or sector registrations. Identify the legislation that applies to your product from official sources before producing.
For certain categories, EU legislation requires an economic operator established in the EU with defined responsibilities (for example, for many CE-marked products or for consumer products under the general product safety regulation). Check whether this applies to your case and who takes on that role.
At origin, the export declaration with Chinese customs is handled by the supplier or its agent. Confirm that the factory can export directly or works through an export agent, and that the documents it issues match those you will use at destination.
Standard shipment documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill and, where relevant, a treatment certificate for wooden packaging (ISPM 15), safety data sheets and dangerous-goods paperwork for batteries and chemicals.
Certain goods (dual-use items, some chemicals, materials of animal or plant origin, products under surveillance or safeguard measures) require licences or additional documents that must be arranged well in advance.

Customs clearance documents and procedures — Access2Markets (EU)

9. Transport modes and calendar planning

The choice of transport mode depends on volume, value per kilo, urgency and where the factory is located. Each option has cost, lead-time and risk implications that should be decided together with the Incoterm.

Sea freight in a full container (FCL) is the reference for volume; groupage (LCL) allows part loads but adds handling and destination charges that can cancel out the saving on small shipments.
China–Europe rail is an intermediate alternative in lead time and cost for certain routes and goods; its capacity and routing vary with the context.
Air freight is priced per chargeable weight and makes sense for samples, launch stock and goods with a high value per kilo.
Factor in the Chinese calendar: Chinese New Year (between late January and February) and Golden Week in October halt or slow production and congest transport capacity in the weeks before and after.
Sea freight rates are cyclical and routes can be affected by external factors: request quotes close to the shipping date and confirm transit with your forwarder instead of assuming generic lead times.
Define who contracts transport and insurance according to the chosen Incoterm, and make sure the logistics provider has complete cargo information (dimensions, weight, classification, dangerous goods if applicable).

Related on this site:China import managementImport costs from China

10. Where the suppliers are: China's manufacturing clusters

Chinese manufacturing is organised in specialised regional clusters. Sourcing inside the right cluster lets you compare competing factories and tap into a mature component supply chain; sourcing outside it often means working through a trading company, which is not necessarily a problem but should be known and reflected in the price.

Guangdong (Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou) concentrates electronics and electromechanical assemblies; Foshan and Shunde, furniture and home appliances; Chaozhou and Shantou, ceramics and toys.
Zhejiang: Yiwu for small commodities and promotional goods, Ningbo for tools and hardware, Keqiao (Shaoxing) for textiles and Wenzhou for footwear and electrical fittings.
Jiangsu and Shanghai for higher-end industrial, machinery and technical components; Fujian (Jinjiang, Quanzhou) for footwear and sportswear; Hebei and Shandong for steel, building materials and heavy hardware.
The Canton Fair (Guangzhou) runs twice a year, in spring and autumn, and remains an efficient way to meet many export manufacturers in person.
B2B platforms are a starting point, not a verification: they mix factories and trading companies, and paid membership tiers say nothing about production capability.
Verify before you commit: business licence on China's national enterprise credit system, a registered scope that includes manufacturing, a bank account in the same legal entity's name and, for meaningful orders, a visit or inspection proportionate to the risk.

Duties by product

Import duty by product type

Rates, VAT and compliance requirements for common product categories imported from China.

Checklist

Checklist for your first import

The minimum points you should have closed before placing an order in China.

Technical product brief with specifications and the applicable EU legislation identified
Several suppliers compared and a level of verification proportionate to the risk (documents, visit, inspection or audit)
Manufacturing model agreed in writing (private label, to specification or platform adaptation) and ownership of tooling and documentation
Pre-production sample approved in writing
Incoterm, payment terms and milestones documented in a bilingual contract
Quality control plan suited to the product (during production and/or before shipment)
TARIC classification confirmed, applicable measures checked and duty and VAT calculated
Export and import documents identified (EORI, invoice, packing list, transport document, certificates per product)
Landed-cost budget with a contingency margin, distinguishing cost from cash outlay (VAT)

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about importing from China

How long does an import from China take?: There is no universal lead time. An import chains together stages — negotiation and samples, production, quality control, transit and clearance — and each depends on the product, the factory, the route and space availability at the time of shipment. The calendar is confirmed with the supplier and the forwarder once product and samples are defined; plan with margin and avoid deadlines close to Chinese holidays.
What is the difference between private label, OEM and ODM?: They are different ways of splitting design and customisation. With private label you buy a manufacturer's catalogue product under your brand; with manufacturing to specification (commonly called OEM) the factory produces what you define; with adaptation of a manufacturer's platform (commonly ODM) you start from their design and adjust it. Commercial terminology is not uniform, so what matters is fixing in writing who provides the design, who owns tooling and documentation, and what the price includes.
What minimum order quantity (MOQ) is usual?: It varies widely by product, materials and factory, and it is part of the negotiation. It usually depends on component purchase lots and line capacity, so for a first operation it can sometimes be adjusted in exchange for other terms (price, lead time, reorder forecast).
Do I need a company in China to import?: No. You can import with your Spanish or European company. What you do need is management capacity at origin — in-house or through a partner like EC HolaHome — to validate factories, control quality and coordinate the operation.
Is import VAT a cost?: It is a cash outlay at the time of clearance, but for a company entitled to deduct it, it is not a definitive cost: it is recovered through the VAT return under the applicable rules. Reflect it in cash-flow planning rather than adding it to the product cost as if it were a duty.
How do I avoid quality problems?: With three tools: a detailed technical specification, a sample approved in writing and controls during and at the end of production proportionate to the product's risk, before paying the balance and loading the container. No system removes defects entirely, but it lets you detect them in time and decide with information.

Important note

This guide is general and informative and does not replace technical, legal, tax or customs advice specific to each operation. Legislation, tax rates and trade measures can change; always verify the current situation in official sources before closing a transaction.

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