Importing from China
China is a vast factory for auto parts and accessories, from wear items to electronics and bodywork. It is a very profitable product to import, but it has three specifics worth mastering: many safety parts require e-mark/ECE type approval, some carry dangerous components (airbags, pretensioners, batteries), and there is a delicate intellectual-property line between the genuine part and the equivalent. Here is how it ships, what happens at customs and the critical points.
The usual split is sea freight: a full container (FCL) when the order fills or nearly fills one, and groupage (LCL) for smaller quantities, sharing a container. Small, high-value, fast-moving parts (sensors, electronics) sometimes go by air when urgent, but the bulk of parts (engine, suspension, bodywork) travels by sea on cost. Mind the packing: metal parts with anti-corrosion protection, glass and lamps well chocked.
Watch out for parts with dangerous components: airbags and belt pretensioners contain a pyrotechnic charge (dangerous goods, typically UN0503) and cannot move as normal cargo; starter and lithium batteries are also dangerous goods. These items need a declaration and approved packaging; tell us if your order includes them so we can plan the shipment correctly.
Most parts are classified under HS 8708 (parts and accessories of vehicles), but many components have their own heading: tyres at 4011, batteries at 8507, headlamps and bulbs at 8512/8539, filters, bearings and so on. Import duty into the EU is usually low to moderate (roughly 3 %–4.5 % on many 8708 headings — confirm it). Import VAT is recoverable if you import as a business with your EORI.
Mind two fronts. One, certain tyres have been subject to anti-dumping measures depending on origin and type: confirm the exact heading before buying. Two, type approval: safety parts sold as replacements (lamps, brakes, glass, mirrors) usually need e-mark/ECE type approval to be road-legal. It is not a customs paper, but without it you cannot market them.
Replacement safety parts — headlamps and lights, glass, brake pads and discs, mirrors, seatbelts — usually need type approval carrying an “E” (ECE) or “e” (EU) mark. Without it they cannot be legally fitted. Ask the supplier for the approval reference in writing.
Airbags and pretensioners contain a pyrotechnic charge (dangerous goods, e.g. UN0503) and lithium batteries too. They need a declaration, approved packaging and sometimes mode restrictions. They do not move as normal cargo; plan it with us.
An equivalent/aftermarket part is legal; one that copies someone else’s brand or logo (counterfeit) can be seized and destroyed at customs. Buy OEM/OES parts or your own aftermarket brand, not imitations bearing a maker’s logo.
Ask for OE cross-reference numbers, manufacturer certificates and, where relevant, IATF 16949 (automotive quality). A cheap part that does not fit or last gets expensive: check samples before a large order.
Car parts almost always move by sea freight (FCL or groupage) and we handle customs clearance. If your order carries airbags or batteries, tell us and we will treat it as dangerous goods.
Note: duties, anti-dumping (tyres) and rules on type approval (e-mark/ECE) and dangerous goods can change and depend on the exact part and the destination country. This guide describes the general situation at the time of writing; confirm it with your customs broker before deciding.
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