China to
Germany

Five modes, three gateways

Germany is the easiest destination on the China–Europe lane for one structural reason: it has both a top-tier seaport and a principal rail terminus. Both main hauls arrive directly, with no need to route through a neighbouring country and tranship.

The two gateways are not alternatives

Clients often ask whether to route via Hamburg or Duisburg. The question inverts the causality — the two gateways belong to two different transport modes, not to two options within one mode:

• Hamburg (with Bremerhaven) — Germany's principal seaport, where ocean freight enters. Short onward haul for destinations in northern or central Germany and towards the Benelux countries.
• Duisburg — one of the main European termini for China–Europe rail, where rail freight enters. It sits in the Rhine-Ruhr industrial region, closer than Hamburg to southern Germany, eastern France, Switzerland and Austria.

So the sequence is: choose the mode first, and the gateway follows. And the basis for choosing the mode comes back to the delivery postcode — for southern Germany or neighbouring inland countries, rail into Duisburg with onward delivery usually beats ocean into Hamburg with onward delivery. The full framework is in which mode to Europe, and the rail-against-ocean trade-off in rail versus ocean freight.

Three ways Germany differs from the UK

Applying UK experience directly to Germany is where most problems start. Three differences to establish first:

• 1. Customs territory. Germany is inside the EU customs territory: once goods are cleared into any member state they circulate freely within the EU. The UK since Brexit is a separate territory requiring its own clearance. Practically, this means consignments for Germany and for the UK cannot be processed as a single shipment.
• 2. EORI. An EU EORI number is valid EU-wide and can be obtained in any member state — no per-country registration. The UK requires a separate GB EORI.
• 3. VAT rate. The German standard rate is 19% against 20% in the UK. The import VAT and recovery logic is similar, but rates and reporting follow each country's own rules.

Official German information, including EORI and import procedures in English, is on the German Customs (Zoll) website. The UK requirements are set out in the UK customs documents guide.

The one most sellers miss: LUCID

This is the most valuable section of this guide, because it falls outside logistics yet stops your sales — and most forwarders will not raise it.

The German Packaging Act requires anyone placing packaged goods on the German market to register with the LUCID Packaging Register, administered by the Central Agency Packaging Register (ZSVR). Its own wording is that if you are distributing packaged goods in Germany, you have to be registered with the LUCID Packaging Register — see the official ZSVR / LUCID register.

Three points about what it is:

• It is not a customs document. Goods clear into Germany normally; customs will not hold a shipment for want of registration.
• But it governs whether you can lawfully sell. It is a market-access and producer responsibility requirement, and marketplaces such as Amazon generally require the registration number.
• It must be in place before selling starts. This is not a formality that can be added later — we have seen sellers with stock already in the warehouse unable to list because registration was outstanding.

"Logistics is finished when the goods reach the warehouse. Whether they can be sold depends on things that have nothing to do with transport. Nobody does the packaging registration for you — the forwarder won't, and the marketplace will only stop you once you're missing it."

Beyond packaging, electrical and electronic products in Germany carry registration obligations relating to waste electrical equipment, and products containing batteries are subject to separate battery rules. These are likewise product compliance rather than customs — confirm the scope that applies to you with a German compliance adviser or local accountant.

Import VAT: 19%, recovery follows the importer

The German standard VAT rate is 19%. The import VAT logic matches the UK: the right to recover follows whoever is named as importer on the declaration, not whoever paid.

• Your own German or EU entity as importer, holding a valid VAT registration → import VAT handled under the normal rules.
• A forwarder's or third party's entity as importer, typical of all-in arrangements → that VAT is generally not recoverable by you.

The difference is invisible on the quotation but amounts to an extra 19% for a VAT-registered buyer. The full treatment of delivery terms and VAT recovery is in DDP or DAP for UK imports (written around the UK; the German logic is the same at 19%). Discuss reporting and recovery with your German tax adviser.

Three things to confirm before delivery

• Site conditions — loading dock, forklift, and access for a full-size trailer. Without a dock you need a tail-lift vehicle or manual handling, both chargeable and both requiring notice at booking.
• Booking slot — most German warehouses and Amazon centres require a booked slot, and slots stretch noticeably in peak season. To confirm the destination address and postcode, use our FBA warehouse lookup.
• Holidays and driving bans — Germany and neighbouring countries restrict truck movements on Sundays and public holidays. Containers arriving around a holiday need that dead time built into the delivery plan.

What this guide does not cover

This guide reflects the day-to-day operational experience of the HSIEHSHUN China–Europe desk and is not customs, tax or legal advice. Four points specifically: the figures are experience ranges, measured port-to-port or terminal-to-terminal and excluding booking waits and destination clearance and delivery; German VAT reporting and the recovery or postponement of import VAT depend on your own tax position and should be discussed with your German tax adviser; the scope, procedure and fees for packaging, electrical equipment and battery compliance are set by the responsible German authorities, and this guide only explains that they exist and what kind of requirement they are — it does not replace official guidance or professional compliance advice, so treat the current rules published by ZSVR and German Customs as authoritative; and the plan and timing for any shipment are governed by the sailing or departure confirmed at booking and by the written quotation.

Written by Alex · Operations, Shenzhen Xieshun Logistics Co., Ltd. · 5 years in international freight forwarding, handling China–Europe and China–UK bookings, export declarations and destination clearance and delivery coordination.
Published 13 August 2026 · Last updated 13 August 2026 · Reviewed by the HSIEHSHUN commercial team

Where to go from here

• UK and Germany FBA first-leg guide — why the two must be run separately after Brexit, and what each requires
• Rail versus ocean freight to Europe — when the rail premium is worth paying
• Which mode to Europe — the full framework across all five modes
• China–Europe freight services — the actual routes, ports and scope of carriage
• Back to the guides — other practical articles on UK and European logistics