Question 1

How long does shipping from China to Germany take?

Accepted Answer

By sea it depends first on the routing. 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. Through 2026 carriers have been moving Asia–Europe services back to Suez one by one, but on the Asia–North Europe trade most capacity still sailed via the Cape in September, and a security incident in the Red Sea can reverse a routing at short notice. We confirm the routing and transit of your actual sailing at booking rather than quote an average. Middle Corridor rail sits between sea and air on cost and time and is quoted per booking; air freight to Frankfurt or Leipzig takes 3–5 days via the main hubs.

Question 2

How much does a container from China to Germany cost?

Accepted Answer

There is no fixed price, and a rate quoted without a date is already out of date. The ocean rate moves with the season, the run-up to Lunar New Year and the routing — a Cape routing uses more fuel and vessel time than Suez — and Asia–Europe rates have been easing as Suez sailings return. On top come the carriers' surcharges, including the EU emissions-trading surcharge on European calls, terminal handling in Hamburg, Bremerhaven or Rotterdam, the customs representative's fee, EU duty and any anti-dumping duty, 19% import VAT, and delivery by truck, rail or barge. We quote from the factory in China to your door in Germany, with the routing named and the exclusions listed up front.

Question 3

What import duty and VAT do I pay on goods from China in Germany?

Accepted Answer

Germany applies the EU Common Customs Tariff: duty is set by the goods' TARIC code and charged on the customs value, which includes freight and insurance to the EU border. Import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) is then charged at 19%, or 7% for goods on the reduced-rate list, on the customs value plus duty and the transport costs to the first destination. VAT-registered businesses deduct it as input tax and can defer payment through a customs deferment account (Aufschubkonto); settling it purely through the VAT return is planned for 2030 but is not yet law. Many Chinese goods also carry EU anti-dumping or countervailing duties set per manufacturer — e-bikes, hardwood plywood, tinplate, aluminium extrusions and mobile access platforms among them. Since 1 July 2026 steel products are also subject to an EU quota system with a much higher duty once a quota is used up, and from 1 October 2026 the declaration must state where the steel was melted and poured. We confirm the total for each line at quoting.

Question 4

Is there a freight train from China to Germany that avoids Russia?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Middle Corridor, the only China–Europe rail routing we book. Containers run by rail to the Kazakh border at Khorgos or Dostyk, across Kazakhstan to the Caspian ports of Aktau or Kuryk, by ferry to Azerbaijan and on through Georgia, then by Black Sea feeder to ports such as Constanța or by rail through Türkiye, with the last leg to Germany by rail or truck. Most scheduled China–Germany trains, including services to Duisburg and Hamburg, run across Russia and Belarus into Poland; we do not book them. The Middle Corridor has more handoffs and limited ferry capacity on the Caspian, so we plan buffer time, book the ferry leg early and quote the transit per booking.

Question 5

Which EU and German rules apply to products imported from China?

Accepted Answer

Clearance is not the same as being allowed to sell. Consumer products need an economic operator in the EU under the General Product Safety Regulation, with its name and contact details on the product or packaging; machinery, electrical goods and toys need CE marking backed by a technical file and a declaration of conformity. Germany adds registrations that bind the importer: packaging in the LUCID packaging register before it is placed on the market, and electrical and electronic equipment and batteries with stiftung ear. Iron, steel and aluminium goods fall under CBAM: since 1 January 2026 an importer bringing in more than 50 tonnes a year must be an authorised CBAM declarant, approved in Germany through the DEHSt. Wood products, including wooden furniture, fall under the EU Deforestation Regulation from 30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized companies. We check these points with you before the goods ship.

Question 6

Who clears customs in Germany — do you have an office there?

Accepted Answer

No. AGF's offices are in Glendale, California and Foshan, China. In Germany we work through a WCA partner agent, whose customs representative files the import declaration in ATLAS in your company's name. Your company is the importer and needs an EORI number, which German customs issues free of charge; since 1 October 2026 applications go through the Zoll-Portal. We do not offer DDP: you import in your own name at the true value, so the declaration, the duty and the import VAT you deduct stay under your control. From Foshan we send the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and the supplier's conformity documents before the ship arrives.

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