Drop Shipping From China — How To Deal With Import Duties And Taxes | TBS #311

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Every country has different rules when it comes to importing products. In Germany, for example, there usually won’t be any additional import duties or taxes if your Aliexpress order value is under 22 Euros.

However, if you’re planning to sell items that cost more than that, import duties and taxes will probably have to be paid to customs.

Now how is responsible for the import duties?

Different companies have different policies and agreements. Some companies like DJI will shoulder the import duties for you. But usually, it’s the customer’s responsibility to pay any import duties or taxes that might arise from international shipments. That’s what most companies will tell you if you reach out to them and ask about import duties.

However, out of fairness to customers be transparent about that your packages will be shipped from abroad. You don’t have to tell the customer where the shipments are coming from.

But you have to make the customer aware of the fact that the package will come from outside the country he or she lives.

If you’re selling high-ticket products that surpass the taxation free import value, I recommend adding some information to your product page. Just mention that orders will be shipped from your fulfillment centre abroad. This can also help justify longer shipping times.

Then you should also have a dedicated page on your store with information about shipping and handling. In there you should mention the average shipping time (but also mention it on the actual product page). And additionally, you should mention that additional import duties, fees and taxes might have to be paid to the customs.

Make it clear that it’s the customer’s responsibility to shoulder any import duties, fees or taxes. That’s totally okay, since it’s the usual way this is handled for international shipments.

You just want to make sure you have everything black on white on your store. Because if a customer starts arguing with you after a purchase regarding long shipping times or because he or she got mail from customs asking for additional fees, you have leverage and are in a position of power since you didn’t hide any facts. If a customer complains, you can simply refer them to the product page and the shipping page on your store where everything is clearly stated.

Essentially it’s the customer’s responsibility to read the product page description and the shipping page. As long as this information is clearly visible. Not hidden on your site. Again, this isn’t unique to drop shipping. This is the case for any store that ships internationally.

Doing this will solve a lot of headaches you might encounter with customs. And it will also prepare your customers upfront for any import duties or fees that might have to be paid when the package arrives.