How to Import Custom Clothing to Germany: Compliance Checklist

How to import custom clothing to Germany: get an EORI number, classify each garment under the EU tariff, budget for EU duty of roughly 8–12% on most garments plus 19% import VAT, and prepare German fibre labels, GPSR operator details and packaging registration. Ocean freight from China usually takes 30–45 days to Hamburg.

Germany is the largest apparel market in the EU, and the rules that apply there are mostly EU-wide, with a few German additions such as packaging registration. Brands that already sell in the US often underestimate how much of the EU checklist sits on the label and in the product file rather than at the border. This checklist is grouped by the stage at which each item needs to be done. It is general guidance, not legal or customs advice; confirm details with a customs agent (Zollagent) and current EU and German sources.

Checklist A: What should be in place before you place the order?

• [ ] EORI number. Every business importing into the EU needs an Economic Operators Registration and Identification number. In Germany it is issued through German customs (Zoll).
• [ ] Importer of record decided. If you are a non-EU brand, decide who imports: you through an indirect representative, your German distributor, or the factory under a delivered term.
• [ ] VAT registration. German VAT registration lets you deduct import VAT and sell domestically.
• [ ] EU responsible economic operator. Under the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), consumer products sold in the EU need an EU-based economic operator whose details appear on the product, packaging or accompanying document.
• [ ] Packaging registration. Under the German Packaging Act (VerpackG), register in the LUCID database of the Central Agency Packaging Register and join a dual system before selling packaged goods to consumers.

Checklist B: How do you classify and cost each garment?

• [ ] Look up each style in the EU TARIC database using the knit or woven construction, garment type and dominant fibre.
• [ ] Budget for duty. Most finished garments from non-preferential origins such as China carry about 12% third-country duty; some lines are lower.
• [ ] Add 19% import VAT, charged on the customs value plus duty and some freight elements.
• [ ] Check preferences. Some origins, such as countries with EU trade agreements or GSP status, may qualify for reduced duty if the goods meet origin rules and you hold valid proof.

Illustrative only: on a customs value of EUR 8.00 per T-shirt, 12% duty is EUR 0.96, and import VAT at 19% is then charged on EUR 8.96. Our cotton tee landed cost RFQ for Europe shows how to request quotes that make this calculation easy.

Checklist C: What must the label say in Germany?

• [ ] Fibre composition under EU Regulation 1007/2011, using the regulation's fibre names and percentages, in German for products sold in Germany.
• [ ] Composition is durable, legible and accessible; multi-component garments state each component where required.
• [ ] Care symbols: not legally mandatory in the EU, but expected by retailers. Most brands use the GINETEX system.
• [ ] Traceability: GPSR requires a type, batch or serial number and manufacturer details, plus the EU operator.
• [ ] Origin marking is not generally mandatory in the EU, but any "Made in" claim must be accurate and not misleading.

Our care symbol selection guide for NA vs EU helps if you sell in both markets from one label.

Checklist D: Which chemical and safety rules apply?

• [ ] REACH Annex XVII restrictions, including certain azo dyes, nickel release on metal trims, and other restricted substances. Ask for supplier declarations and run tests where risk is high.
• [ ] SVHC communication if an article contains a Candidate List substance above 0.1% by weight. Our REACH SVHC inquiry template gives a ready-made supplier request.
• [ ] Children's clothing: cords and drawstrings should follow EN 14682.
• [ ] Supply chain due diligence: large companies are covered by Germany's Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), and many retailers pass similar requests to smaller suppliers.

Want a price for your own version? Weavnora quotes imported tees and hoodies from a short brief: style, fabric, decoration and destination. Start your RFQ here or review the specs on our apparel importer programs page first.

Checklist E: What should travel with the shipment?

• [ ] Commercial invoice with full fibre composition, unit values, Incoterm and origin.
• [ ] Packing list that matches carton marks.
• [ ] Bill of lading, rail consignment note or air waybill.
• [ ] Proof of origin if you claim a preference.
• [ ] Your EORI on all customs documents.

Ocean vs rail freight to Germany: which option fits?

Germany is one of the few markets where rail from China is a realistic middle option. The trade-offs are time against cost and capacity.

Most importers use ocean freight into Hamburg or Bremerhaven for main deliveries and keep air for urgent reorders. Rail availability depends on current routes, so ask your forwarder.

What about samples and direct-to-consumer parcels?

Low-value parcel rules in the EU are changing. VAT has applied to all imports since 2021 (with IOSS for consignments up to EUR 150), and the EU has moved to remove the customs duty exemption for low-value parcels. Check the current position with your forwarder before you plan sample or DTC shipments. Our de minimis rule changes guide covers the US side.

What is coming next for EU apparel importers?

• Digital product passports for textiles under the EU ecodesign framework, expected in the coming years.
• Textile extended producer responsibility under the revised Waste Framework Directive, with national schemes to follow.
• The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which applies from August 2026 and will tighten packaging rules over time.

Read our EU digital product passport guide to start collecting the data now.

Who should be the importer of record for a non-EU brand?

Non-EU brands have three common routes. You can import in your own name with an EORI and an indirect customs representative, which keeps control of stock and pricing but requires EU VAT registration. You can sell to a German distributor who imports, which is simpler but gives up margin and control. Or you can buy on delivered terms, where the seller handles import formalities, which is convenient but makes costs less transparent. Many growing brands start with a representative and move to their own EU entity as volumes increase.

How to import custom clothing to Germany: typical specs and key numbers

These are typical industry estimate ranges, not quotes; confirm actual figures with your supplier for your fabric, quantity and destination.

Key takeaways

• Get an EORI and decide who is the importer of record before ordering.
• Budget for about 12% duty on most garments from China and 19% import VAT.
• Print German fibre composition and GPSR traceability details on every style.
• Register packaging in LUCID before selling to consumers.
• Keep REACH declarations and test reports in your product file.

Prepare your German import file

Weavnora can supply fibre composition data, label artwork in German, invoice details and REACH declarations for EU importers. See our cost and pricing hub, our apparel importer services, or contact us with your styles and delivery address.

Have a tech pack ready? Upload it through our quote request form for a costed reply on imported tees and hoodies. Our apparel importer programs page shows what we make.