Start with who the importer is
An import into the EU needs a legal importer of record established in the Union, with a customs registration number. That importer files, or appoints a broker to file, the customs declaration and carries responsibility for the goods as sold, including compliance with product rules. If a seller outside the EU sells directly to consumers, the arrangements for customs, VAT and product responsibility become more complex, and some product rules require an economic operator inside the Union. Decide this structure first, because everything else follows from it. Typical sea transit times to Europe are 30 to 45 days and air 5 to 10 days, listed on logistics and shipping.
The checklist
| Item | What to settle | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Importer of record | Registered importer, customs number, broker appointed | Buyer |
| Classification | HS code agreed with the broker; reference codes are 3307.41, 4420, 7117 | Broker, with the desk |
| CITES (agarwood) | Export permit per lot; check whether an import permit or notification applies | Exporter, importer |
| Sandalwood origin | Species and origin statement per lot | Workshop, desk |
| Metal findings | Material declaration; nickel and other jewelry metal rules; test report where needed | Desk, importer |
| Ingredient declaration | Botanical list; no added fragrance compound in standard spec | Workshop, desk |
| Labeling | Language of destination, importer details, product name | Buyer |
| Claims review | Sensory wording; no health claims | Buyer |
| Duty and VAT | Current rates for the code; import VAT; landed cost | Broker |
| Commercial documents | Invoice, packing list, transport document, origin statement if used | Desk, forwarder |
Step by step
- Brief the broker before the first order. Describe the product: botanical beads on cord, with metal findings, sold as a bracelet. Ask which classification they would use and which documents they expect.
- Confirm the CITES position for agarwood lines. The export permit comes from the exporting side; the EU applies its own wildlife trade rules on top, and an import permit or notification may be required. Ask your broker and the competent authority in your member state. Details are in CITES and agarwood.
- Collect the metal documents. Request material declarations for every finding and, where your adviser says so, test reports against REACH nickel and other jewelry metal rules. See metal findings compliance.
- Prepare labeling and product information. Product name, ingredients where used, importer details and any care text should be in the language of the sales market. Product safety rules may also require traceability information and, for sellers outside the Union, a named responsible person; ask your adviser which apply.
- Review claims. Check box text and listings against the guidance in health claims on incense products.
- Run a pilot lot. A modest first shipment tests the document set, the classification and the duty calculation before volume.
- Record everything. Keep the permit, declarations, test reports, invoice and classification note together for each lot.
Where shipments get stuck
- No match between permit and invoice. Agarwood goods described differently on each document.
- Missing importer details. Labels without a Union importer or contact address.
- Unlabeled findings. Metal items with no material declaration and no report.
- Different codes. The forwarder uses one HS code and the importer another.
- Express shipping of controlled goods. Couriers can be stricter than freight forwarders; use a documented freight route when the lot contains agarwood.
Duty, VAT and cost
Customs duty depends on the classification and on any preferential arrangement that applies; import VAT is charged at the rate of the member state of entry. The desk does not give rates, because they differ by code, country and date. Ask the broker for a landed cost calculation using the agreed code and the declared value, and compare supplier quotes on that basis. Remember that the declared value must reflect the real transaction value, and that undervaluing goods is an offense in itself.
Timeline for a first import
A first import takes longer than a repeat order, mostly because of the preparation around it. A realistic plan allows time for the broker conversation, the classification decision, sample approval with the ingredient declaration, any laboratory testing on findings, the agarwood permit if the lot contains Aquilaria, production, freight and clearance. Typical reference production windows are listed on the MOQ and lead time page, and the documents above run in parallel with production rather than after it. The common error is to start the document work when the beads are already finished. Begin it at sample approval, so that the permit validity, the test report and the labels are ready when the goods leave the workshop, and so that any gap is found while there is still time to close it.
Products with sachets, boxes and extras
A gift set is more than the bracelet. A sachet contains powder inside cloth, a gift box has printed text and perhaps a ribbon, and a card may carry care instructions and claims. Each element can carry a declaration, a language requirement or a claims question. List every component of the set on the packing list, make sure the product information is on the outer packaging in the market language, and keep the ingredient declaration for the sachet powder separate from that of the beads. Sets are often classified by the component that gives them their essential character, but that is a matter for the broker to decide; do not assume. Packaging options are described on packaging and gift boxes.
Small parcels and online sellers
Sellers shipping individual parcels to European consumers should check the current rules for low-value consignments, VAT collection and customs data requirements, all of which have changed repeatedly in recent years. Agarwood parcels raise the CITES question for every destination country. Many sellers choose to import bulk lots to a European warehouse, where one entry covers many sales, and to sell agarwood lines only in markets whose rules they have confirmed.
Next step
Share your member state, importer arrangement and product lines through the quote form. The desk will list the documents for each line and prepare the set for your broker, with timings confirmed in writing; reference timelines are on MOQ and lead time.