Importing from China
China is the great factory of sports and fitness gear, from dumbbells, mats and balls to full gym machines. It’s a very broad category: it holds small, cheap items and also bulky, heavy machines that fill a container on their own. More and more items also carry a lithium battery (electric treadmills, scooters, wearables), which makes them dangerous goods. Here’s which shipping mode fits by type, which taxes and certificates apply, and the critical points that keep your shipment surprise-free.
The usual route is sea freight, but the mode depends heavily on the item. Gym machines (treadmills, ellipticals, multi-gyms) are bulky and heavy: they usually go by full container (FCL), because a single machine already takes up a lot and groupage gets expensive. For light, assorted goods (mats, bands, balls, accessories), groupage (LCL) makes sense until you build enough volume to fill a container.
Air freight only pays off for samples or urgent parts, never for machines. Mind the packaging: machines travel for weeks and take knocks; brace them and protect consoles and screens. And if your order includes lithium-battery items (motorised treadmills, scooters, heart-rate monitors, watches), tell us from the start: they are dangerous goods (DG) and change the paperwork and stowage.
Most sports goods classify under HS 9506 (gymnastics, athletics and other sports articles), but there are exceptions: sports footwear goes to chapter 64 and technical clothing to 61/62 (careful—textiles and footwear have a history of anti-dumping; confirm the heading). The EU import duty is moderate and varies by type, so confirm the exact code with your broker before you buy.
Import VAT is recoverable if you import as a business with your EORI and the customs entry is in your name. Electrical and electronic equipment (motorised treadmills, consoles, wearables) needs CE marking and RoHS; radio-emitting ones (heart-rate monitors, connected scales) add the RED directive. Without these you can’t place the product on the EU market, even after customs clearance.
Treadmills, ellipticals and multi-gyms are heavy and bulky: usually a full container. Watch the weight (it affects inland haulage and unloading at destination) and plan means to unload heavy cargo.
Electric treadmills, scooters, wearables and heart-rate monitors carry a lithium battery = dangerous goods (UN 3480/3481, data sheet, sometimes UN 38.3). It changes the paperwork and some lines stow them separately. Tell us before booking the freight.
If your order includes technical clothing or sports footwear, they don’t sit in 9506 but in the textile (61/62) and footwear (64) chapters, with possible anti-dumping duties depending on origin. Confirm the exact heading to avoid a surcharge.
Electrical equipment needs CE marking, RoHS and, if it emits radio, RED. Some gear (hoops, goals, children’s equipment) may also have use-safety standards. Ask the supplier for the conformity documentation.
For sports equipment, the usual choice is sea freight (FCL for machines, groupage for light goods), and we handle customs clearance. If your order includes lithium batteries, see also dangerous goods. Tell us what you’re bringing and we’ll advise you.
Note: duties, thresholds and rules (CE, RoHS, RED, textile/footwear anti-dumping, battery transport) can change and depend on the specific item and destination country. This guide describes the general situation at the time of writing; confirm with your customs broker before deciding.
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