International numeric goods code (6 digits, extended to 8–10 digits in the EU TARIC). Determines the duty rate and obligations.

Economic Operators Registration and Identification number for EU customs. Without it you cannot import; issued free by the customs or tax authority.

The EU's integrated online tariff: duty rates, anti-dumping duties, prohibitions and licences by HS code and country of origin.

Import One-Stop Shop: VAT scheme for e‑shops selling consignments up to €150 to EU consumers; VAT is collected at sale, not at customs.

Full Container Load for a single customer. Worthwhile from about 15 m³; 20', 40' or 40' High Cube.

Less than Container Load: your goods share a container with others; charged per cubic metre, transit is 1–2 weeks longer.

Cubic metre; unit of shipment volume (length × width × height in metres). Basis for LCL pricing and air volumetric weight.

Bill of Lading: the sea transport document and the title to the goods; without the original or a telex release the port will not release the container.

Electronic release of the bill of lading: the carrier releases the container without the original B/L; saves courier and days but requires the goods to be paid.

Marking by which the manufacturer or importer declares conformity with EU law. An importer from China takes on the manufacturer's responsibilities and needs the technical file and declaration of conformity.

General Product Safety Regulation (since 13. 12. 2024): every consumer product needs an EU responsible person, a risk assessment and traceability.

EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen buy certificates from 2027 according to production emissions.

Additional duty on goods sold below cost (e.g. some Chinese bicycles, ceramics, steel). Can be tens of percent; check TARIC by manufacturer.

Colná hodnota · Customs value?

Basis for calculating duty: goods price plus transport and insurance to the EU border (CIF value). VAT is calculated on the customs value plus duty.

Pre-Shipment Inspection: independent check of finished goods at the factory by an AQL sampling plan, usually when 80–100 % is produced.

Minimum Order Quantity the supplier will produce; often negotiable for a higher unit price.

Import calculators and guide

Calculators 01

Landed cost calculator

What goods from China cost once in your EU warehouse: freight, duty, VAT and the new low-value fees. Enter the figures from the supplier's quote.

What a container from China costs delivered to a warehouse in Slovakia

Choose the port of loading in China and the port of arrival in Europe. Ocean freight comes from the current Drewry WCI index; we add the typical fixed costs to the warehouse: port charges, haulage to Bratislava and customs clearance.

Reading from Thu 8 October 2026

From (port in China) To (port in Europe) Port to warehouse Costs in China USD → EUR rate

Item	Amount per 40' container	What it covers
Ocean freightShanghai → Koper (Slovenia)	3 179 €	3 696 USD · Index: Shanghai → Genoa (Mediterranean, Koper/Trieste) · Thu 8 October 2026Spot rate from the Drewry WCI index. Chinese base ports (Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen) share the same carrier tariff.
Costs in China before loading	0 €	560 USDTerminal handling (THC), export customs declaration, documents and trucking from the factory to the port. Under FOB the supplier pays them.
Charges at the port of arrivalKoper (Slovenia)	€	THC handling 200 € · documents and B/L 60 € · ISPS security fee 20 €
Haulage from the port to BratislavaTruck · 2 days	€	Per 40' container including return of the empty container to the port or terminal. Adjust the amount for a different warehouse.
Customs clearance in Slovakia	€	customs declaration 90 € · T1 transit document 50 €
Total per container to the warehouse, excluding duty and VAT	4 419 €	Duty and VAT depend on the goods and their value. The landed cost calculator above works them out.
Estimated transit time	30–36 days	Port to port by lane plus haulage to the warehouse. Add 7–10 days when ships sail around Africa (Red Sea diversion).

A 20' container usually costs 55–65 % of the 40' price. Port charges and customs clearance are similar. You can overwrite the fixed-cost amounts with your forwarder's quote; the total is recalculated.

Comparison of European ports

Same container, same exchange rate: which port is cheapest to the warehouse and which is fastest.

Port in Europe	Ocean freight	Port	To Bratislava	Total to warehouse	Days
Koper (Slovenia) cheapest	3 179 €	280 €	820 €	4 419 €	30–36
Trieste (Italy)	3 179 €	300 €	860 €	4 479 €	31–37
Genoa (Italy)	3 179 €	325 €	1 300 €	4 944 €	31–37
Piraeus (Greece) fastest	3 179 €	280 €	1 700 €	5 299 €	28–34
Constanța (Romania)	3 179 €	280 €	1 100 €	4 699 €	35–43
Hamburg (Germany)	2 870 €	385 €	1 400 €	4 795 €	38–46
Rotterdam (Netherlands)	2 870 €	345 €	1 550 €	4 905 €	36–44
Antwerp (Belgium)	2 870 €	335 €	1 500 €	4 845 €	36–44
Gdańsk (Poland)	2 870 €	300 €	1 150 €	4 460 €	40–48

Index trend over recent weeks

Drewry publishes the index every Thursday. A fall means cheaper freight in the coming weeks; a rise usually comes before peak season.

Week	Shanghai → Rotterdam (Northern Europe)	Shanghai → Genoa (Mediterranean, Koper/Trieste)	Global composite (8 routes)
Thu 8 October 2026	3337 USD -1,8 %	3696 USD -0,2 %	4351 USD -1,9 %
Thu 1 October 2026	3399 USD	3702 USD	4434 USD -0,8 %
Fri 25 September 2026	–	–	4468 USD

Shanghai → Rotterdam (Northern Europe)

Shanghai → Genoa (Mediterranean, Koper/Trieste)

Global composite (8 routes)

Results are indicative and do not replace a customs declaration or advice. Check duty rates in TARIC by the HS code of the goods.

Calculators 02

Container calculator

Enter carton dimensions, weight and quantity to get the volume (CBM), total weight and whether FCL or LCL makes sense.

Total volume

–

Total weight

–

	20'	40'	40'HC
Cartons per container	–	–	–
Containers needed	–	–	–

We assume usable volumes of 28 / 58 / 68 m³ and payloads of 28 / 26.5 / 26.5 t for 20', 40' and 40'HC. Actual loading depends on carton shape and palletisation.

Calculators 03

When to order so the goods arrive on time

Enter when you need the goods in stock. The planner subtracts transit, production and buffer and flags Chinese holidays that fall into the window.

Calculators 04

Incoterms 2020 in practice

Who pays for transport, where risk passes and who handles customs. For imports from China FOB and EXW are most common; DDP only with a verified supplier.

EXW

Ex Works: the buyer collects the goods at the factory and handles everything including export from China. Lowest price, most obligations.

Risk passes: at the factory on handover
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

FCA

Free Carrier: the seller hands the goods to your carrier at the agreed place and clears export. Suitable for container transport.

Risk passes: on handover to the carrier
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

FOB

Free On Board: the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel in the Chinese port and clears export. The most common term for imports from China.

Risk passes: on board the vessel at the port of shipment
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

CFR

Cost and Freight: the seller pays sea freight to the EU port, but risk passes already on loading in China. You arrange insurance yourself.

Risk passes: on handover to the first carrier in China
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

CIF

Cost, Insurance and Freight: like CFR, but the seller also takes out minimum insurance. The EU customs value is based on the CIF price.

Risk passes: on handover to the first carrier in China
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

CPT

Carriage Paid To: like CFR, but for any mode of transport (including rail and air).

Risk passes: on handover to the first carrier in China
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

CIP

Carriage and Insurance Paid To: like CIF for any mode of transport, with broader insurance.

Risk passes: on handover to the first carrier in China
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

DAP

Delivered At Place: the seller delivers to your address (not unloaded). You pay import duty and VAT.

Risk passes: on delivery at the named place
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

DPU

Delivered at Place Unloaded: like DAP, but the seller also unloads.

Risk passes: on delivery at the named place
EU duty and VAT paid by: buyer

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid: the seller bears everything including EU duty and VAT. Works only with a supplier that has an EORI, IOSS or EU representative; otherwise the shipment may get stuck at customs.

Risk passes: on delivery at the named place
EU duty and VAT paid by: seller

Calculators 05

Documents for imports from China

What you need before customs clearance and placing goods on the EU market. A missing document means delays at customs or a sales ban.

1Commercial invoice with HS codes, Incoterms, currency and buyer and seller details
2Packing list with carton count, dimensions and weights
3Transport document: Bill of Lading (sea), CMR (road), AWB (air) or rail consignment note
4Certificate of origin (CO) issued by CCPIT when customs or the customer requires it
5EU declaration of conformity and technical file for CE marking (electronics, toys, PPE, machinery)
6Test reports from an accredited laboratory (EN standards, RoHS, REACH, LVD, EMC as applicable)
7EU responsible person with address on the product or packaging (GPSR regulation since 13. 12. 2024)
8Importer's EORI number and a power of attorney for the customs broker
9Fumigation certificate or ISPM 15 marking for wooden pallets and packaging
10Cargo insurance certificate and proof of payment (for customs value checks)

Calculators 06

How to verify a Chinese supplier

Seven steps before the first deposit. Most quality and payment problems can be spotted before you order.

1Ask for the business licence and check the 18-digit USCC in the registry (gsxt.gov.cn); the company name must match the bank account you pay to.
2Tell a manufacturer from a trader: a manufacturer has a production scope in the licence, its own factory address and can send a video from the line.
3Ask for EU references and certificates (ISO 9001, BSCI, test reports) and verify them with the issuer, not just from a PDF.
4Order samples and approve a golden sample before production; put the exact specification, packaging and labelling into the contract.
5Pay a deposit of at most 30 % to the company account (never a private one), the rest after a pre-shipment quality inspection.
6Book an independent pre-shipment inspection (PSI) to AQL; it costs a fraction of the container's value.
7Agree Incoterms, deadlines and penalties in writing in English and Chinese; use a letter of credit or escrow for larger volumes.

Import from China

Calculators 07

Glossary

The most common abbreviations from customs, logistics and trade documents, briefly.

HS kód: International numeric goods code (6 digits, extended to 8–10 digits in the EU TARIC). Determines the duty rate and obligations.
EORI: Economic Operators Registration and Identification number for EU customs. Without it you cannot import; issued free by the customs or tax authority.
TARIC: The EU's integrated online tariff: duty rates, anti-dumping duties, prohibitions and licences by HS code and country of origin.
IOSS: Import One-Stop Shop: VAT scheme for e‑shops selling consignments up to €150 to EU consumers; VAT is collected at sale, not at customs.
FCL: Full Container Load for a single customer. Worthwhile from about 15 m³; 20', 40' or 40' High Cube.
LCL: Less than Container Load: your goods share a container with others; charged per cubic metre, transit is 1–2 weeks longer.
CBM: Cubic metre; unit of shipment volume (length × width × height in metres). Basis for LCL pricing and air volumetric weight.
B/L: Bill of Lading: the sea transport document and the title to the goods; without the original or a telex release the port will not release the container.
Telex release: Electronic release of the bill of lading: the carrier releases the container without the original B/L; saves courier and days but requires the goods to be paid.
CE: Marking by which the manufacturer or importer declares conformity with EU law. An importer from China takes on the manufacturer's responsibilities and needs the technical file and declaration of conformity.
GPSR: General Product Safety Regulation (since 13. 12. 2024): every consumer product needs an EU responsible person, a risk assessment and traceability.
CBAM: EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: importers of steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen buy certificates from 2027 according to production emissions.
Antidumping: Additional duty on goods sold below cost (e.g. some Chinese bicycles, ceramics, steel). Can be tens of percent; check TARIC by manufacturer.
Colná hodnota · Customs value: Basis for calculating duty: goods price plus transport and insurance to the EU border (CIF value). VAT is calculated on the customs value plus duty.
PSI: Pre-Shipment Inspection: independent check of finished goods at the factory by an AQL sampling plan, usually when 80–100 % is produced.
MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity the supplier will produce; often negotiable for a higher unit price.