Cross-border E-commerce Case
Cross-Border E-commerce FBA First-Leg Logistics to Europe
2026-07-15
2000+/mo
Parcels Handled
25 days
Average Transit Time
99.2%
Warehouse Receipt Rate
€0
Extra Duties
Client Background
A Hangzhou-based cross-border e-commerce company specializing in home goods, kitchen gadgets and pet supplies, with annual sales exceeding EUR 20 million across Amazon Germany, UK and France. It previously used DHL Express to ship directly to FBA at an average freight cost as high as CNY 28 per kg, which severely eroded its margins.
Client Requirements
- 2,000+ FBA shipments per month on average, roughly 15–25 m³ per month.
- Main destinations: Germany DTM2 warehouse (70%), UK BHX4 warehouse (20%), France LIL1 warehouse (10%).
- LCL ocean freight needed to lower logistics costs.
- Proper payment of EU import VAT to ensure compliant tax rebates later.
- Final-mile delivery directly to FBA warehouses (with truck delivery appointments).
Our Solution
Duty & VAT Planning
We assisted the client in registering a German VAT number and EORI number, and adopted the IOSS (Import One Stop Shop) declaration model — B2C orders valued at EUR 150 or below are declared and VAT-paid through IOSS, reducing clearance steps. At the same time, we prepared complete commercial invoices and packing lists for every FBA shipment to ensure smooth release by German Customs.
LCL Consolidation + Final-mile Delivery
| Stage | Plan | Transit Time |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Consolidation | Door pickup twice a week (Hangzhou warehouse) | 1 day |
| LCL Stuffing + Customs Declaration | Consolidated at Shanghai Port with multiple clients into one 40HQ | 3 days |
| Ocean Freight | Shanghai → Hamburg, weekly CMA/ONE direct sailings | 30 days |
| German Customs Clearance | Clearance at Hamburg, IOSS + VAT deferral declaration | 2 days |
| Final-mile Delivery | DHL Freight/DSV truck delivery to FBA warehouses | 2–3 days |
Results
- Logistics cost dropped from CNY 28/kg by express to CNY 8/kg by LCL ocean freight, a 71% reduction.
- Average monthly shipments grew from 800 to 2,000+ items (higher investment in promotion after margins were freed up).
- FBA warehouse receipt rate of 99.2% (occasional rejections due to damaged carton labels, under continuous improvement).
- VAT declarations are compliant, and the client's tax rebate applications in Germany have never been rejected.