China
Europe trade laneFoshan is the centre of China's furniture trade: Shunde district, home to the Lecong furniture market and thousands of factories around it, supplies European retailers, hotel groups and project contractors with upholstered seating, dining and office furniture, outdoor sets and contract furniture. The freight is simple. What has changed is the EU rulebook: product-safety duties under the General Product Safety Regulation, a REACH formaldehyde limit for furniture since 6 August 2026, deforestation due diligence for wooden furniture from 30 December 2026, and anti-dumping duty on Chinese hardwood plywood.
Our own office in Foshan sits inside that cluster. Our team visits factories, checks goods against your specification and the EU documents you will need, consolidates several suppliers into one container and supervises loading with photographs. In Europe we work through WCA partner agents in the country of delivery — AGF has no office in Europe — who clear the goods as your customs representative and deliver.
Last reviewed:
Shipping Furniture from China to Europe
Furniture is volume cargo, so the 40ft High Cube is the standard box: as a planning guide it holds roughly 250–300 stacking chairs, and far fewer pieces of assembled upholstered furniture. Knock-down and flat-pack designs multiply what fits, so settle the packing with the factory before production. Consolidating several Foshan suppliers into one container is often cheaper than separate LCL shipments, each with its own handling charges at both ends.
Routing is the main timing variable. Via Suez, South China to the North European ports usually takes roughly four to five weeks port to port; services still sailing around the Cape add roughly 10–15 days, and carriers decide service by service, so we confirm the routing of each sailing. Middle Corridor rail through Kazakhstan, never across Russia or Belarus, is an option for urgent loads, quoted per booking.
- 40ft High Cube for full loads; consolidation across Foshan suppliers
- Knock-down and flat-pack designs to raise the number of pieces per container
- Loading supervised and photographed by our Foshan team
- Ocean via Suez or the Cape, confirmed per sailing; Middle Corridor rail for urgent loads
What Drives the Cost
- Cubic volume, and how well the designs nest or knock down
- Routing — Suez or the Cape — and seasonal space before Lunar New Year and the European spring
- Anti-dumping duty on plywood panels or aluminium profiles shipped loose rather than as finished furniture
- Compliance work: formaldehyde chamber testing, GPSR documentation and EUDR geolocation data
- Import VAT at the destination country's rate; EU customs duty is low or zero on most furniture lines
- Delivery to distribution centres, stores or project sites
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9401 | Seats — upholstered sofas and chairs, dining, office and contract seating | Seating with wooden frames is in the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation from 30 December 2026. Check the CN code in TARIC for the duty. |
| 9403.30 – 9403.60 | Wooden furniture — office, kitchen, bedroom and other | In EUDR scope, with geolocation needed for every wood component. Subject to the REACH formaldehyde limit for furniture. |
| 9403.10 / 9403.20 | Metal furniture | Outside EUDR unless it has wooden parts. Aluminium profiles shipped loose can fall under EU anti-dumping measures on aluminium extrusions. |
| 4412 | Plywood panels — not finished furniture | EU anti-dumping duty on hardwood plywood from China since November 2025. It applies to plywood shipped as panels, not to finished furniture, but cut panels and blanks shipped for assembly in Europe can be caught. |
Regulations and Compliance
General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
Since 13 December 2024, consumer products placed on the EU market — most furniture included — must have an economic operator established in the EU who is responsible for safety, and must carry traceability details: a type or batch number and the manufacturer's and importer's names and contact details. Buyers commonly specify European furniture standards for strength and stability. Settle the responsible person and the product information with the factory before production.
REACH formaldehyde limit
Since 6 August 2026, furniture and wood-based articles placed on the EU market must not release formaldehyde above 0.062 mg/m³ under the prescribed chamber test (REACH Annex XVII, entry 77). Products that exceed it can be withdrawn or recalled. Ask the factory for test reports on the finished product, not only on the board.
EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
From 30 December 2026, wooden furniture placed on the EU market needs a due-diligence statement showing the wood was legally produced and not linked to deforestation after 2020, with geolocation data for the plots of origin — for every wood component. Where the exact species per component is impractical, every species that may have been used must be listed. The data has to come from the Chinese factory and its timber suppliers, so start now.
EU anti-dumping duties
Finished furniture from China is not under an EU anti-dumping order, but parts can be. Hardwood plywood from China has carried a definitive EU anti-dumping duty since November 2025, with an anti-circumvention investigation opened in July 2026, and aluminium extrusions have been under EU measures since 2021. Check the TARIC code for anything shipped as panels, profiles or components.
Packaging and wood packaging
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has applied since 12 August 2026, and importers may be asked for documentation on the cartons, foam and wrap they place on the market. Wooden pallets and crates must meet ISPM-15.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
We start with your order and the EU documents it needs: the GPSR responsible person and labelling, formaldehyde test reports and, for wooden furniture, the EUDR data. Our Foshan team checks samples and production, consolidates suppliers and supervises loading with photographs, and prepares the export declaration and the ICS2 data before the container sails.
The container sails via Suez or the Cape, confirmed per sailing, to the European port that suits your delivery address. Our WCA partner agent in that country clears the goods as your customs representative, accounts for import VAT and delivers to your warehouse, stores or project site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship furniture from China to Europe?
Does the EU formaldehyde limit apply to furniture from China?
Does GPSR apply to furniture imported from China?
Can I ship furniture from China to Europe by train?
Furniture is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
USA Office
DDC — Authorized Representative in Kazakhstan