Customs on every shipment
Goods from Great Britain are no longer intra-EU trade. Each shipment needs an EU import declaration, and import VAT is due at import (21% general rate in Spain), unless it was charged at sale through IOSS.
Since 1 January 2021, goods sent from Great Britain to customers in the EU go through customs. With stock held inside the EU, you clear each bulk shipment once, and your orders then ship from inside the EU. ax Prep Center keeps that stock in Preixens (Lleida), Spain, an hour and a half from Barcelona, and ships it to Amazon fulfilment centres and end customers across Europe.
Goods from Great Britain are no longer intra-EU trade. Each shipment needs an EU import declaration, and import VAT is due at import (21% general rate in Spain), unless it was charged at sale through IOSS.
A GB EORI is not enough for EU customs. A non-EU business gets its EU EORI in the country of its first customs operation.
Zero tariffs under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement apply only to goods that meet the rules of origin. Goods made elsewhere, for example in China, usually pay the standard EU duty.
The UK has not been part of Pan-European FBA since 1 January 2021. Amazon’s Remote Fulfilment ships from the UK to some EU stores only, for items up to €135. To use Pan-European FBA, your stock has to be in the EU.
Amazon asks for a VAT number in every country where your goods are stored. With stock in Spain, you need a Spanish VAT number.
Since 13 December 2024, the GPSR requires an economic operator established in the EU for products sold in the EU, named on the listing and on the product. Where a marking is required, the EU needs CE; UKCA is not recognised.
This page is general information, not tax, customs or legal advice. Rules change: check your own case with a customs broker or a tax adviser.
Since 1 July 2026 the EU has applied a €3 customs duty per item on parcels worth €150 or less sold at a distance (goods with UK–EU preferential origin can be exempt if they are not sold through IOSS). The European Commission also expects a €2 handling fee per item, whatever the value, to apply from 1 November 2026.
In our reading of the Commission’s guidance, both charges apply to goods sold while they are still outside the EU. Stock imported in bulk is declared once, at import, and pays normal duty and import VAT. Orders shipped from a warehouse in the EU are then domestic or intra-EU sales.
Once it is cleared into the EU, it is delivered to our warehouse in Preixens. Tell us what is coming and when, and we plan the inbound.
We count and check every carton, with one location per SKU and real-time inventory.
FBA prep and shipments to Amazon fulfilment centres in Europe, plus FBM and Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop and TikTok Shop orders to customers in the EU.
We sort, refurbish and relabel returns, and you follow everything in the warehouse software, which is in English.
| Location | Preixens (Lleida), Spain, an hour and a half from Barcelona |
|---|---|
| Warehouse | More than 1,500 m², capacity for 1,750 pallets, 100% our own |
| Operating since | 2021 |
| Active clients | More than 20 |
| Units prepped | Over 1,000,000 in the last financial year |
| FBA inbound | Processed in 48 hours |
| Ships to | Amazon fulfilment centres and end customers in Spain and other European countries |
| Channels | Amazon FBA, FBM and Vendor Central · Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, TikTok Shop |
| Languages | English, Spanish and German · warehouse software in English |
| Terms | No volume commitment, no lock-in |
The EU is the UK’s largest export market, and most internet users in the EU shop online.
To use Pan-European FBA on Amazon.de, .fr, .it, .es and the other EU stores, yes: your stock has to be in Amazon’s EU fulfilment centres. The UK has not been part of Pan-European FBA since 1 January 2021. Amazon’s Remote Fulfilment from the UK covers only some EU stores and items up to €135.
If your stock is stored in Spain, yes. Amazon asks for a VAT number in every country where your goods are stored. Check the rest of your VAT set-up with a tax adviser.
EU customs law requires the declarant to be established in the EU, so UK businesses typically work with a customs representative or a freight forwarder. You also need an EU EORI number.
It depends on where they were made. Goods that meet the UK–EU rules of origin can enter duty-free with a statement on origin from the exporter. Goods made elsewhere, for example in China, usually pay the standard EU duty. Import VAT is due either way.
In our reading of the European Commission’s guidance, no. They apply to goods sold at a distance to EU customers while the goods are still outside the EU: the €3 duty to parcels up to €150, the €2 fee at any value. Stock imported in bulk is declared once, at import, and pays normal duty and import VAT.
Yes. Under the General Product Safety Regulation, a product can’t be placed on the EU market without an economic operator established in the EU. Their name, postal and electronic address must appear on the listing and on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document.
Yes. We work in English, Spanish and German, and the warehouse software is in English.
Last updated: October 2026