Germany is Europe's largest economy and its biggest market for home textiles, served by a deep tier of importers and distributors who add substantial margin between the factory and the shelf. For German retailers, online sellers, and interior trade buyers — and for importers across the wider EU — sourcing carpets directly from Chinese factories is a compelling proposition: 45-65% cost savings versus buying from European distributors, with equivalent or better quality and full customisation.
Our Tianjin Wuqing factory has been exporting carpets to German and European buyers for over 15 years. Here is the complete 2026 guide to wholesale carpet importing for Germany and the EU — including the Common Customs Tariff duty, German import VAT, and REACH compliance rules that trip up many first-time importers. Buying for other markets? See our guides to wholesale carpet for the UK and wholesale carpet for the USA.
The case for direct import is primarily economic, with quality, compliance, and customisation adding further value:
The landed cost is what your carpet actually costs delivered to your German warehouse. Here is how to calculate it. Note that import VAT is shown separately because, for VAT-registered businesses, it is reclaimable and therefore a cash-flow item rather than a true cost.
Example: Printed carpet 80×150cm (0.6 sqm per rug)
German distributor equivalent: €11-19/pc
Savings vs distributor: roughly 50-70%
Example: Shaggy rug 120×180cm
German distributor equivalent: €38-58/pc
Savings: substantial — typically 55-70% before VAT recovery
EU imports are governed by the Common Customs Tariff (CCT), which is harmonised across all member states, plus the national VAT of the country of import. For carpets the position is straightforward:
| Cost component | Rate / basis | Recoverable? |
|---|---|---|
| HS / TARIC code | 5703 (tufted floor coverings) | — |
| EU customs duty | ~8% of CIF customs value | No |
| German import VAT | 19% of (goods + duty + freight) | Yes, if VAT-registered |
| EORI number | Required, free from Zoll | — |
| Anti-dumping duty | None on carpets from China | — |
Your customs agent files the declaration and calculates duty and VAT. Duty is based on the customs value shown on the commercial invoice — not your German selling price — so the calculation is transparent and predictable.
EU tip: The most common mistake first-time EU importers make is forgetting that import VAT (19% in Germany) must be accounted for even though it is reclaimable. Register for VAT and use deferred import-VAT accounting so you never tie up cash paying VAT at the border. Your duty (8%) is the only non-recoverable government cost on a typical carpet import. VAT rates differ by country — 19% in Germany, 21% in the Netherlands and Belgium, 20% in France — but the 8% duty is identical EU-wide.
Selling carpets in the EU means meeting two key compliance regimes. Neither is onerous when your supplier provides the right documentation up front:
Our factory supplies OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, REACH material declarations, and EN 13501-1 fire test reports as part of standard export documentation for EU buyers. For more detail see our guides to OEKO-TEX carpet importing and our factory certifications.
Hamburg (Germany): Germany's largest port and the principal gateway for Asian container trade into Central Europe. Direct services from Tianjin/Xingang, excellent rail and road links into Germany, Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Transit time from Tianjin is approximately 35-45 days. Best for: nationwide German distribution and Central/Eastern Europe.
Rotterdam (Netherlands): Europe's largest port, with the highest sailing frequency from Asia and very competitive freight. Strong onward links into western Germany via the Rhine corridor and inland barge. Often the lowest-cost entry point even for German-bound cargo.
Antwerp (Belgium): Major deep-sea port serving Benelux and western Germany, with extensive warehousing and a strong customs-broker network. A common alternative to Rotterdam.
Bremerhaven (Germany): Germany's second major container port, well-suited to northern Germany and a useful alternative when Hamburg is congested.
For Amazon DE / EU e-commerce sellers: German online sellers using Amazon FBA or their own 3PL should factor in prep for inbound requirements. Our factory can apply FNSKU labels and packaging to Amazon specifications as part of the OEM custom packaging process. Carpets for FBA should be compactly rolled and polybagged for efficient inbound shipping. Contact us for FBA-specific pricing on label application and polybag packaging.
Yes. The EU is a single customs union, so once goods are cleared into free circulation at any EU port — Rotterdam, Antwerp, or Hamburg — duty and import VAT are settled and the goods move freely throughout the EU with no further customs barriers. Many German importers clear via Rotterdam because of its sailing frequency and freight rates, then truck the cargo inland. Note that import VAT is paid in the country of clearance, so coordinate with your customs agent on where it is most efficient to clear.
Your customs agent or freight forwarder handles all interaction with customs (Zoll in Germany). The process: we provide the commercial invoice, packing list, and REACH declaration before shipment; your agent files the import declaration with the correct TARIC code; customs may examine shipments selectively (most carpet imports pass without examination); duty and import VAT are calculated; on release, your agent arranges inland delivery. For most first-time importers the agent's fee (€50-150 per entry) is minor relative to the savings.
Ocean freight from Tianjin/Xingang to Hamburg or Rotterdam has ranged from roughly $0.45-0.85/pc for rolled carpets (or $0.75-1.20/sqm) depending on season, carrier, and fuel surcharges. Always ask for an all-in quote covering origin handling, ocean freight, and EU destination charges, as some quotes exclude one or more components. Consolidating a full 20ft container gives the lowest per-unit freight cost.
No. CE marking does not apply to textile floor coverings. The relevant EU requirements for carpets are REACH chemical compliance, the EU Textile Labelling Regulation for fibre content, and — for contract/commercial use — EN 13501-1 reaction-to-fire classification. Residential rugs do not require a CE mark or a single mandatory flammability certificate, but they must meet REACH and be correctly labelled. We provide the supporting documentation for all of these.
Sea freight from Tianjin/Xingang to Hamburg or Rotterdam is approximately 35-45 days in normal conditions. Total door-to-door time from deposit payment to arrival at your German warehouse is roughly 65-80 days, including production. These timelines should be factored into inventory planning — most importers hold 8-12 weeks of forward stock to cover the longer Asia-to-Europe lead time.