China
Germany trade laneGermany buys more and more of its furniture abroad. By the German furniture industry association's count, about 60% of the furniture sold in Germany in the first half of 2026 was imported, and China and Poland together supplied about 60% of those imports. Much of the Chinese share is made in Foshan: Shunde district, with the Lecong furniture market and the factories around it, supplies upholstered seating, dining, bedroom and office furniture, and contract furniture for hotels and projects.
The freight is the easy part; the German end is where shipments go wrong. Since 6 August 2026 an EU formaldehyde limit has replaced Germany's own rule for wood-based panels. Wooden furniture needs EU Deforestation Regulation due diligence from 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized companies. Cartons and foam need a LUCID packaging registration under the new packaging law, and furniture with a motor or built-in lighting can count as electrical equipment under the ElektroG. Import VAT is charged at 19%, and plywood shipped as panels carries EU anti-dumping duty.
AGF's own office in Foshan sits inside the furniture cluster. Our team checks samples and production against your specification and the documents German law asks for, consolidates several factories into one container and supervises loading with photographs. In Germany we work through a WCA partner agent whose customs representative clears the goods and arranges delivery — AGF has no office in Germany.
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Shipping Furniture from China to Germany
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 assembled sofas. Flat-pack and knock-down designs — what German retail calls Mitnahmemöbel — multiply what fits, so settle the packing with the factory before production. Consolidating several Foshan suppliers into one container is usually cheaper than separate LCL shipments, each with its own handling charges at both ends.
Routing sets the timing. Via Suez, South China to Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Rotterdam usually takes roughly four to five weeks port to port; a sailing that still goes around the Cape of Good Hope adds roughly 10–15 days. Carriers are moving Asia–Europe services back to Suez one by one, so we confirm the routing of your actual sailing at booking. For the Rhine–Ruhr area and southern Germany, Rotterdam or Antwerp-Bruges with an onward barge, rail or truck leg can beat a German port. Middle Corridor rail, never across Russia or Belarus, suits urgent loads but rarely pays for bulky furniture.
- 40ft High Cube for full loads; several Foshan factories consolidated into one container
- Flat-pack and knock-down designs to raise the number of pieces per container
- Moisture protection for upholstery and solid wood on a voyage of five weeks or more
- Pallets, crates and dunnage heat-treated and stamped to ISPM 15
- Loading supervised and photographed by our Foshan team
- Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Wilhelmshaven — or Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges with barge or rail into Germany
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
- EU duty on the CN code, plus 19% import VAT that VAT-registered buyers deduct
- Anti-dumping duty on plywood panels or aluminium profiles shipped as parts rather than finished furniture
- Compliance work: formaldehyde chamber tests, EUDR geolocation data, LUCID and dual-system licensing, stiftung ear registration for electrics
- Delivery by truck, rail or barge to a warehouse, store or project site
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 armchairs, dining, office and contract seating, recliners | Seats with wooden frames or parts are in EUDR scope. A motorised recliner is also electrical equipment under the ElektroG. Duty depends on the 8-digit CN code; confirmed at quoting. |
| 9403.30 – 9403.60 | Wooden furniture — office, kitchen, bedroom and other | In EUDR scope, with geolocation needed for every wood component, and subject to the REACH formaldehyde limit for furniture and wood-based articles. |
| 9403.91 | Parts of wooden furniture — fronts, frames, panels | Also in EUDR scope. Cut plywood panels and blanks shipped for assembly in Germany can fall under the plywood anti-dumping duty — classification decides. |
| 9403.10 / 9403.20 | Metal furniture — office, outdoor, shelving | Outside EUDR unless it has wooden parts. Aluminium profiles shipped loose can be caught by the EU anti-dumping duty on Chinese aluminium extrusions. |
| 4412 | Plywood panels — not finished furniture | Definitive EU anti-dumping duty on Chinese hardwood plywood since November 2025, and an anti-circumvention investigation since July 2026. It applies to panels, not to finished furniture. |
Regulations and Compliance
EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
From 30 December 2026, a large or medium-sized company that places wooden furniture on the EU market — usually the importer — must file a due-diligence statement in the EU information system, with the geolocation of the plots where the timber was harvested, for every wood component; micro and small companies follow from 30 June 2027. China is classed as low risk, which spares the risk assessment, but the class follows the country where the timber grew, and Russia and Belarus are classed high risk. In Germany the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) is the designated enforcement authority. Packaging that only protects the goods is outside them. The data has to come from the Chinese factory and its timber suppliers, so start collecting it now.
REACH formaldehyde limit — replacing Germany's own rule
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 chamber test of REACH Annex XVII, entry 77. The limit replaces the formaldehyde rule for wood-based panels in Germany's Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance (ChemVerbotsV), which the Federal Environment Agency now treats as obsolete. The new limit is about half the old E1 emission class, so a factory's E1 certificate for the board does not prove compliance. Ask for chamber-test reports on the finished product.
General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)
Consumer furniture placed on the EU market must have an economic operator established in the EU — the manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider — whose name and contact details appear on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document, together with a type, batch or serial number. German retail buyers commonly also specify the EN strength and stability standards, such as EN 12520 for domestic seating and EN 1335 for office chairs. Settle the responsible person and the labelling with the factory before production.
Packaging: LUCID registration under the VerpackDG
Since 12 August 2026 the EU Packaging Regulation and Germany's Packaging Law Implementation Act (VerpackDG) have replaced the old Packaging Act. Whoever first makes the packaged furniture available in Germany — usually the importer — must be registered in the LUCID packaging register, and cartons, foam and film that end up with households must be licensed through a dual system. A seller without a German establishment needs an authorised representative. Companies registered under the old law should check whether their role and details still fit the new rules.
Furniture with electrics: ElektroG and stiftung ear
A motorised recliner, an adjustable bed or a cabinet with built-in lighting can count as electrical and electronic equipment under Germany's ElektroG. Where the electrics are built in and cannot reasonably be removed, the whole piece is the appliance; a detachable LED strip counts on its own. The producer — usually the importer — must register the equipment with stiftung ear before offering it, and show the registration number on invoices; batteries are registered separately. The electrical parts also need CE marking under the EU low-voltage, EMC and RoHS rules.
EU anti-dumping duty on plywood and aluminium parts
Finished furniture from China is not under an EU anti-dumping measure, but some materials are. Hardwood plywood from China has carried a definitive anti-dumping duty since November 2025, and in July 2026 the Commission opened an anti-circumvention investigation into plywood with thin softwood, bamboo or engineered-veneer faces and made those imports subject to registration, which allows duty to be collected retroactively. Aluminium extrusions stay under measures while their expiry review runs. These goods are heavily tariffed, not banned; we check the TARIC code for anything shipped as panels, profiles or components.
Customs representation, EORI and import VAT
Your company is the importer and needs an EORI number, applied for through the Zoll-Portal since 1 October 2026. An EU-established buyer usually clears with our partner's customs representative acting in its name; a company with no EU establishment needs an indirect customs representative, who lodges the declaration in its own name and shares liability for the duty. Import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) is 19% of the customs value plus duty and transport to the first destination; VAT-registered businesses deduct it, and a deferment account (Aufschubkonto) delays payment. We do not offer DDP.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
We start with the product list: CN codes, any anti-dumping exposure on panels or profiles, the EUDR data from the factory and its timber suppliers, formaldehyde test reports, the GPSR responsible person and labelling, and whether any piece counts as electrical equipment.
Our Foshan team checks samples and production, consolidates several factories, checks packing, ISPM 15 stamps and product labels, and supervises loading with photographs.
We prepare the Chinese export declaration and the data for the EU's ICS2 entry summary and book the sailing via Suez or the Cape, confirmed per sailing — or Middle Corridor rail for urgent loads, screened before booking.
Before arrival, you file the EUDR due-diligence statement for wooden furniture and pass its reference to the customs representative; we send the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading.
At Hamburg, Bremerhaven or a Rotterdam or Antwerp-Bruges gateway, our WCA partner's customs representative lodges the declaration in ATLAS, accounts for duty and import VAT and releases the container.
Our partner delivers by truck, rail or barge to your warehouse, stores or project site. LUCID and stiftung ear registrations stay with you as the importer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship furniture from China to Germany?
What import duty and VAT do I pay on furniture from China in Germany?
Does the EUDR apply to furniture imported from China?
Do I need a LUCID registration to import furniture into Germany?
Is Germany's own formaldehyde rule for furniture still in force?
Can furniture be shipped from China to Germany 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.
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