Importing from China
China makes practically every tool on the market, from the most basic spanner and pliers to the cordless driver or rotary hammer. It is a very profitable product to import, but it has two specifics that shape the shipment: power tools carry CE marking (and if cordless, they contain lithium, which is dangerous goods), and cheap hand tools are heavy and compact, so cost is driven by weight. Here is how it ships, what happens at customs and the critical points.
The usual route is sea freight: a full container (FCL) when the order fills or nearly fills one, and groupage (LCL) for smaller quantities. Hand tools (spanners, pliers, socket sets) are dense and heavy: cost is driven by weight, not volume, and you often pay by weight even by sea. Mind the packing: metal with anti-corrosion protection and strong boxes, as it travels tightly packed.
Cordless power tools are a different matter: lithium batteries are dangerous goods (UN3480 loose, UN3481 with or inside the equipment) and travel with approved packaging, labelling and, by air, heavy restrictions. That is why they almost always go by sea. If the order includes cordless tools, tell us so we can declare them and prepare the dangerous-goods paperwork.
The heading depends on the type: motor-driven power tools (drills, grinders, drivers) fall under HS 8467; interchangeable and general hand tools under 8205; pliers, pincers and shears under 8203; wrenches at 8204. Import duty into the EU is usually low (roughly 0 % to ~2.7 % depending on the heading — confirm it). Import VAT is recoverable if you import as a business with your EORI.
Power tools need CE marking (Machinery and Low-Voltage Directives, electromagnetic compatibility) and, if cordless, must meet the battery rules. It is not a customs paper, but without CE and its Declaration of Conformity you cannot market them in the EU. Require it from the manufacturer by contract, with the manual in the language of the country.
A cordless tool contains lithium: UN3480 (loose batteries) or UN3481 (with or inside the equipment). It is dangerous goods: approved packaging, labelling and restrictions (especially by air). That is why it almost always travels by sea. Tell us if your order includes them.
Any power tool you sell in the EU needs CE marking and its Declaration of Conformity, plus the manual in the country’s language. Without it you cannot market it. Ask the manufacturer before you pay and check the marking is genuine, not a sticker.
For hand tools (spanners, sockets, pliers), dense and compact, cost is driven by weight. Consolidate the order well, spread the weight in the container and ask for a packing list with per-carton weights so we can quote without surprises.
Cheap tools vary a lot in quality. Ask for samples, check materials (chrome-vanadium steel in spanners, insulation in power tools) and, for safety tools, the applicable EN standard. A tool that breaks is a hazard, not just a return.
Tools almost always move by sea freight (FCL or groupage) and we handle customs clearance. If your order includes cordless tools, we treat them as dangerous goods.
Note: duties, CE marking and dangerous-goods rules (lithium batteries) can change and depend on the exact tool 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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If you prefer, just email us four basics —what you're moving, how much, from where and to where— and we'll quote you as soon as possible. info [at] easychinashipping.com