MARKET ACCESS

Sell across Europe. Skip the EU entity.

The market-access layer lets a non-EU brand import into the EU and sell across the single market without forming its own European entity. EFC handles this inside one operation through the Importer of Record function, fiscal representation for non-resident businesses, authorised consignee status, and One-Stop-Shop VAT across the 27 member states.

WHAT IT COVERS

Three functions. One market-access layer.

  1. Importer of Record

    A non-EU brand needs an importer of record to bring goods into the EU. EFC can act as Importer of Record inside the operation, so goods can be imported legally without a European entity of your own.

    Importer of Record

  2. Fiscal representation

    A non-resident business can operate legally inside the EU through fiscal representation. EFC provides fiscal representation as a function of the operation, not as tax advisory.

    Fiscal representation

  3. OSS VAT across the 27

    One One-Stop-Shop registration covers VAT obligations across the 27 EU member states. EFC can handle OSS VAT as part of the operation as orders ship.

    OSS VAT across the 27

THE MECHANISM

One gate, cleared once, reaching every member state.

Goods pass a single import event: the Importer of Record makes it lawful, fiscal representation gives the brand its VAT standing, and from there the same cleared stock reaches distributors, retailers, and customers anywhere in the single market.

Goods pass through one gate, clear, and radiate out to warehouses, retail, and customers across Europe
One import event, one legal and VAT standing behind it, and the goods are free to move to any of the 27 member states from there.

ONE OPERATION

The functions are connected. One operation runs them.

The three functions run inside one operation, alongside the bonded warehouse where the goods physically land, while the GPSR Responsible Person for consumer products stays a separate role.

Market access

What brands ask about the market-access layer.

What is the market-access layer?

The market-access layer is the part of the EFC operation that lets a non-EU brand import into the EU and sell across the single market legally, without forming its own European entity. It covers three functions: the Importer of Record so goods can be imported, fiscal representation so a non-resident business can operate, and One-Stop-Shop VAT across the 27 member states. It works alongside the bonded warehouse, where the goods physically land.

Do I need an EU entity to sell across Europe?

No. Through the market-access layer, EFC can act as your Importer of Record and provide fiscal representation, so a non-EU brand can import into the EU and sell across the single market without setting up a European company of its own. You keep the customer and the margin; the operation carries the import and the VAT standing behind your brand.

How does this relate to the bonded warehouse?

The two work together. Goods enter the EU in bulk through the bonded customs warehouse, where duty and import VAT defer until each order ships. The market-access layer is the legal and fiscal side of the same operation: the Importer of Record makes the import lawful, fiscal representation and OSS VAT meet the VAT obligations. The bonded warehouse is where the stock lands; the market-access layer is who imports it and how the VAT is handled.

What does fiscal representation cover?

Fiscal representation lets a non-resident business meet its EU VAT obligations through a representative established inside the EU, so the brand can operate legally without being established there itself. EFC provides this as a function of the operation, alongside the Importer of Record and OSS VAT. It is the standing that lets a non-EU brand be VAT-compliant inside the EU; it is not tax advisory.

Does the market-access layer include the GPSR Responsible Person?

No. The GPSR Responsible Person is a separate credential, for in-scope consumer products only, under Regulation (EU) 2023/988, covered on its own page. The market-access layer is the import-and-VAT standing: Importer of Record, fiscal representation, and OSS VAT. The two can run together for a consumer brand, but they are distinct roles and are kept separate.

EFC

Import into the EU. Sell across the single market.

Tell us where your goods come from and where they sell. We will map the import, the representation, and the VAT.

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