Overseas Warehouse
An overseas warehouse is a facility a Chinese exporter sets up or rents in the destination market to pre-stock inventory locally and ship to buyers from there, cutting delivery time.
An overseas warehouse is a storage facility a Chinese exporter (or its logistics provider/platform) sets up or rents in the destination market. Goods are shipped in bulk via the first leg, pre-stocked locally, and dispatched to buyers from the local warehouse after they order — sharply cutting delivery time and after-sales cost. China officially treats overseas warehousing as 'new-type foreign trade infrastructure.'
For customs, China applies a dedicated supervision mode, 9810 (cross-border e-commerce export to overseas warehouse), characterized by 'export and stock first, transact later': exporters send goods to the overseas warehouse, sell them via a platform, then fulfil from the warehouse, transmitting electronic data to customs. This differs from 9610 (B2C direct mail) and 9710 (B2B direct export).
Practical notes: local fulfilment is far faster than China-origin direct mail and supports local returns, but it ties up capital in pre-stocked inventory and carries warehousing, slow-moving, and turnover risk. In markets like the EU you typically need an importer of record, a local VAT number, and an EORI number — goods entering the warehouse count as imported and must be duty-paid. Cost the full landed price (first leg, duties/taxes, in/out and storage handling, last-mile), not just the first-leg rate.
FAQ
- Do I need a local VAT number and EORI to use an overseas warehouse?
- In the EU, UK, and similar markets, import clearance and local sales generally require an importer identity and a local VAT number, while import/export declarations need an EORI number; requirements vary by country. Confirm the destination's tax and clearance rules before pre-stocking and arrange them through a licensed tax agent to avoid goods being stuck at the border or back-taxed later.
- How does an overseas warehouse differ from a dedicated line or direct mail?
- Direct mail / dedicated-line ships each order from China after the buyer orders; an overseas warehouse pre-stocks locally and ships domestically after ordering. The warehouse is faster with cheaper last-mile but ties up inventory capital and carries storage and slow-moving risk — best for stable, high-repeat products. Test new or uncertain SKUs via a dedicated line first.
Related terms
Sources: http://www.jiangmen.gov.cn/gzhd/zhzw/content/post_3129728.html · http://swj.wuhai.gov.cn/swj/843439/843564/843569/843637/1430328/index.html