Trade insights
Wholesale Guide · Import & customs
Notes on sourcing, assortment and margin for European retailers stocking K-beauty.
All posts
EORI, VAT and the Registrations You Need Before a First Import
EORI number, VAT registration, CPNP account, packaging register. Four registrations before a first import, all free or nearly, in the order that av...
Read more →Do You Need a Customs Broker to Import Cosmetics into the EU?
A customs broker files the declaration and codes the goods, but liability for what the declaration says stays with the importer, so brief them like...
Read more →Air Freight from Korea to Europe: Chargeable Weight Decides the Bill
Korea to Europe air freight ran US$4.42 to 5.26 per kilo spot in summer 2026, billed on volume at 6,000 cm³ per kilo, plus a fuel surcharge and fix...
Read more →Under-Declared Invoices: Why 'We Can Lower the Customs Value' Is Your Risk, Not Theirs
When a Korean supplier offers to under-declare your shipment, the saving is theirs and the crime is yours. Customs audits reach back three years.
Read more →Packaging EPR for Cosmetics Importers: LUCID, ARA and the Fees Nobody Budgets
Whoever first places packaged goods on an EU market owes packaging EPR. LUCID, ARA and their siblings cost little per kilo and years of trouble whe...
Read more →EXW, FOB, CIF or DDP: Which Incoterm to Use When Buying Korean Cosmetics
EXW, FOB, CIF or DDP decides who pays which leg and who stands at customs, but no Incoterm moves the cosmetics Responsible Person off the EU importer.
Read more →The 150 Euro Duty Exemption Is Gone: What Small Cosmetics Imports Cost Now (2026)
The 150 euro duty exemption ended on 1 July 2026. Small parcels now pay 3 euros per item; commercial imports pay the ordinary tariff, which is most...
Read more →HS Codes for Korean Cosmetics: Classifying Skincare, Sunscreen, Masks and Makeup
Korean serums, creams and sunscreen are CN 3304 99 00 at 0 percent EU duty; nonwoven sheet masks are safest declared with wipes under 3307 90 00, 6...
Read more →Import VAT on Korean Cosmetics: How It Works and How to Stop It Eating Your Cash
Import VAT is charged at the standard rate on goods, freight and duty, recovered on your VAT return and deferrable in Austria, Germany and the Neth...
Read more →The EU-Korea FTA and Cosmetics: When Origin Paperwork Is Worth Doing
Korean skincare and makeup already enter the EU at 0 % duty, FTA or not. An origin declaration only pays on HS 3307 lines at 6.5 % and HS 3401 30 a...
Read more →Sea or Air for Korean Cosmetics? Transit Time, Cost and the LCL Trap
Sea from Busan costs about a tenth of air per cubic metre, but LCL fixed charges, transhipment and shelf life burn erase it below a few cubic metres.
Read more →Customs Is Holding Your Cosmetics Shipment: What Happens Next
Customs holding a cosmetics shipment usually means a document problem, not a seizure. The response decides between a week of delay and a total loss.
Read more →