A six-gate buying file for Dutch businesses sourcing on 1688: importer and EORI roles, supplier verification, EU product compliance, sample approval and landed cost.
A Dutch business should not place a large 1688 order until it knows who will act as importer, which EORI number will be used, what product rules apply, and whether the supplier can provide the evidence needed for the EU market. Supplier verification, product compliance and landed-cost approval are three separate gates. Passing one does not automatically pass the others.
This article is for a Netherlands-based small business preparing to import goods from China for resale or business use. It is a decision file, not a promise that a product will be approved. Product-specific rules and customs classification should be confirmed with the relevant authority or customs professional before the commercial order.
Gate 1: Define the Dutch import role
Start by naming the legal and operational parties:
- Buyer: the entity paying the 1688 supplier.
- Export-side coordinator: the party arranging purchase, China warehousing or export documents.
- Importer: the party responsible for bringing the goods into the EU market.
- Declarant or customs representative: the party filing or supporting the customs declaration.
- EU economic operator or responsible person: the party required under the product's applicable rules.
These roles are not interchangeable. A China purchasing agent can coordinate ordering and warehouse work without becoming the Dutch importer or assuming product-compliance responsibility.
The Netherlands' official checklist for importing products from a non-EU country states that non-EU goods must be declared to Dutch Customs and that an EORI number is required. Decide whose EORI will appear before asking for a final shipping quotation. A shipment should not be arranged around an undefined importer.
Stop at this gate when
- No party has accepted the importer role.
- The company has no usable EORI arrangement.
- The intended customs representative has not confirmed the required documents.
- The goods are for resale but the order is being treated like a private parcel.
Gate 2: Verify the supplier separately from the product
A supplier profile, transaction history or factory claim is not enough. Create a supplier file containing:
- Chinese legal company name and unified social credit code where available.
- Business licence details that match the payment recipient.
- Factory, trading company or mixed-role explanation.
- Quotation with model, material, quantity, unit price and Incoterm or delivery scope.
- Sample terms and defect-handling process.
- Production lead-time estimate stated as an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Packaging specification and carton-marking plan.
Use the 1688 supplier verification checklist for the payment-risk checks. This Netherlands article does not repeat that full process; it uses the supplier file as an input to the import and compliance decision.
Warning signals
- The company name on the licence does not match the payment beneficiary.
- The supplier avoids model-level specifications.
- A certificate is offered without a report number, issuing body or product link.
- The quotation omits packaging, tolerances or replacement terms.
- The supplier promises “EU compliant” but cannot identify the applicable rule.
Gate 3: Build a product-compliance matrix
Do not ask only, “Does it have CE?” CE marking applies only to product categories covered by relevant EU harmonisation rules. Other goods may fall under the General Product Safety Regulation, chemicals, packaging, food-contact, textile-labelling or other requirements.
For each SKU, record:
| Field | What to confirm before bulk order |
|---|---|
| Intended user and use | Consumer or professional use; normal and foreseeable use |
| Product identity | Model, material, components and variants |
| Applicable EU rules | Product-specific legislation plus general safety duties |
| Required markings | CE only where legally applicable; other labels as required |
| Technical evidence | Test report, declaration, risk assessment or technical file as applicable |
| Traceability | Manufacturer, importer/responsible person, model or batch information |
| Instructions and warnings | Required language and product-specific content |
| Online listing data | Safety and economic-operator information needed before sale |
The EU's general product-compliance guidance explains that an importer must ensure imported products comply with EU law and must check items such as technical documentation, markings, traceability and language requirements. The General Product Safety Regulation also places responsibilities on economic operators for consumer products.
Do not accept a supplier's HS code, CE logo or generic PDF as the final answer. Match every document to the exact manufacturer, product, model and version being ordered.
Stop at this gate when
- The supplier cannot link evidence to the exact SKU.
- The required EU economic operator is missing.
- Labels or instructions cannot be corrected before shipment.
- The product requires testing or approval that is not complete.
- A restricted substance, radio function, battery or food-contact use has not been assessed.
Gate 4: Use a sample as an approval tool
A sample is useful only when the acceptance criteria are written first. Decide what the sample must prove:
- Dimensions, weight and material.
- Colour or finish tolerance.
- Function within the agreed scope.
- Label content and placement.
- Packaging protection.
- Barcode, batch or model traceability.
- Compatibility with the intended Dutch or EU use.
Warehouse photos can document visible condition, quantity, labels and measurements when requested. They do not replace a laboratory test, engineering review or legal compliance assessment. If the product is regulated, send the sample and documents to the appropriate independent specialist before approving production.
Keep one approved reference sample or a signed specification. Otherwise, the bulk shipment may be compared only with informal messages.
Gate 5: Calculate landed cost by SKU and shipment
Use two levels of cost control.
SKU-level cost
Product price + Chinese domestic freight + tooling or packaging allocation + testing and document cost + expected defect allowance
Shipment-level cost
Purchasing or payment assistance + warehouse services + export handling + international freight + insurance + customs representation + customs duty + import VAT + local delivery
Import VAT and customs duty use different bases and treatments. The correct customs value, tariff classification and origin evidence can change the result. A Dutch business may be able to deduct import VAT subject to its tax position and records, but that is not the same as the VAT being absent. Confirm the accounting treatment with a qualified adviser.
Do not spread freight equally across units when products have very different weights or carton volumes. Allocate costs using a documented method so that the business can compare real margins by SKU.
Reject the order when
- Margin works only if duty, VAT or clearance fees are ignored.
- The supplier's carton size is only an estimate and the product is volumetric.
- Compliance work has no budget owner.
- The minimum order quantity creates more inventory risk than the margin can absorb.
- A cheaper quotation removes required testing, packaging or traceability.
Gate 6: Approve the commercial file before dispatch
The shipment file should contain, as applicable:
- Purchase order and commercial invoice.
- Packing list linked to carton numbers.
- Accurate product descriptions and quantities.
- HS classification working notes and origin information.
- Freight and insurance values.
- Importer and EORI details.
- Supplier identity and payment record.
- Product compliance documents.
- Required labels, instructions and warnings.
- Customs representative instructions.
Ask the customs representative whether any licences, controls or supporting documents are required for the specific product. Do not deliberately understate value or describe commercial goods as gifts.
What YDA Express can support
YDA Express may assist with 1688 purchasing, Chinese supplier communication, China warehouse receiving, requested visible checks, eligible storage, consolidation, repacking and international shipping comparisons. Suitable ordinary goods may qualify for up to 180 days of free storage, subject to current conditions and product eligibility.
YDA Express does not certify the product, determine the final customs classification, act automatically as the EU responsible person, guarantee the supplier, obtain an import licence, guarantee tax treatment, or guarantee customs release. The Dutch business and its appointed professionals retain the final import and market-compliance decisions.
Before requesting a bulk quotation, prepare the supplier link, product specification, sample requirement, estimated quantity, intended use, Dutch delivery address and known compliance questions. That file allows purchasing, warehouse and freight work to start from the same approved facts.
Official import and product-compliance information in this article was checked on 27 September 2026. Rules can change and product-specific requirements may apply.
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