Guides for selling in the EU from outside Europe
To sell in the EU from outside Europe, you need to know how your goods clear EU customs, how VAT works once your stock is inside the EU, and which country that stock should sit in. These guides explain each step in plain English for e-commerce brands based outside the EU – in the US, Canada, Australia or the UK.
What do you need to sell in the EU from outside Europe?
If you plan to hold stock inside the EU and ship each order from there, settle these four things before your first bulk shipment leaves.
- 01
Parcels or bulk stock
Since 1 July 2026, low-value parcels sent one by one to EU consumers from outside the EU no longer enter duty-free. Genuine stock, imported in bulk and cleared before it is sold, follows the normal import rules instead: customs duty and import VAT are due when the bulk shipment is cleared, and IOSS does not apply to the orders you ship from it.
IOSS explained - 02
Customs clearance
A business established outside the EU generally can't be the declarant on an EU import declaration. You typically work with an EU-established customs agent who lodges it on your behalf – and who will tell you whether your setup needs your own EORI number.
EORI numbers - 03
VAT where your stock sits
Stock in Sweden normally means a Swedish VAT registration. Brands from the US, Canada, Australia or the UK should also plan for a VAT agent approved by the Swedish Tax Agency, and confirm the requirement with a tax advisor. Sales to consumers in other EU countries can be declared in one place through the One Stop Shop.
EU VAT for non-EU sellers - 04
An EU responsible person
Under the EU's General Product Safety Regulation, a brand based outside the EU needs an EU importer or an authorized representative, appointed in writing, to be responsible for its consumer products before they are shipped to the EU. Their name, postal address and electronic address go on the product, packaging, parcel or an accompanying document – and in your online listings.
Where Primepack fits. We coordinate the customs clearance of your bulk shipment with our customs partners, who can lodge the import declaration on your behalf as your customs agent. We guide you through the VAT setup and can put you in touch with accounting partners. From there, we store, pick, pack and ship every order from our warehouse in Gothenburg, Sweden. See how EU fulfillment works step by step, or ask for a quote for your products.
EU customs and VAT guides for non-EU sellers
What you pay when your goods enter the EU, and how you charge VAT on each sale – written for brands with no company of their own in the EU.
EU VAT for non-EU sellers
Swedish VAT registration, the One-Stop Shop and import VAT – what changes once your stock sits inside the EU.
Read the guideIOSS explained
What the Import One-Stop Shop covers, who needs it – and why it drops out when you ship from EU stock.
Read the guideEORI numbers
What an EORI number is, where a business outside the EU gets one and when you need it.
Read the guideHow to plan fulfillment in Europe
How the route works end to end, which country your stock should sit in, what each cost line looks like and how your store connects to the warehouse.
How EU fulfillment works
The whole route in four steps – from your factory to a customer's door in Europe, and who does what.
Read moreWhere to fulfill in Europe
Sweden, the Netherlands or Germany? How to choose a location for your European stock.
Read moreWhat EU fulfillment costs
Every cost line from bulk import to returns – and the questions to ask when you compare 3PL quotes.
Read moreShopify fulfillment in Europe
How your Shopify store connects to a European warehouse – orders in, stock levels and tracking back.
Read moreWhere are you shipping from?
Duty depends on your product's tariff code and where it was made – not where it ships from – and freight routes and time zones differ by country. Each market page covers what is specific to yours.
From the United States
Stop shipping every European order across the Atlantic. Import once in bulk and deliver to EU customers without customs on every parcel.
For US brandsCanadaFrom Canada
Canadian-made goods can qualify for preferential EU duty under CETA. Stock them in Sweden and sell across the EU from one inventory.
For Canadian brandsAustraliaFrom Australia
The longest route to Europe is where local stock matters most. Ship in bulk by sea and sell across the EU without customs on every parcel.
For Australian brandsUnited KingdomFrom the United Kingdom
Since Brexit every parcel from Great Britain to an EU customer goes through customs. Hold stock inside the EU and ship to EU customers without it.
For UK brandsEU fulfillment for brands outside Europe
Why brands from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK hold stock in Sweden – and what changed for low-value parcels in 2026.
Read moreOur fulfillment services
Warehousing, pick & pack, kitting, returns and quality checks – from one warehouse in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Read moreAbout Primepack
Who we are, where our warehouse is and how we work with e-commerce brands based outside the EU.
Read moreReady to ship to Europe?
Tell us about your products, volumes and target markets. You'll get a clear, itemized quote – no obligation.