WAREHOUSING
Where does a non-EU brand hold stock inside the EU?
EFC holds bulk inventory for non-EU brands inside the EU customs union, ready to ship to customers on order. Stock enters the single market once as a bulk import, not parcel by parcel. It is usually released for free circulation on arrival, or held in a bonded customs warehouse where the goods suit it. Orders then ship to customers from inside the EU. Warehousing is part of one connected operation, not a standalone storage rental.
THE STANDARD
Goods released for free circulation move freely within the EU
Bulk stock enters the EU once, as a single import, not parcel by parcel. It is usually released for free circulation on arrival, with import VAT accounted for in the VAT return where the importer qualifies. Higher-value goods can instead rest in a bonded customs warehouse until each release. Either way the stock holds the customs status of Union goods once released. Every order then moves within the EU and never re-imports.
In Portugal, inside the EU
Five locations in Portugal, run as one operation.
The stock lives across five sites, each with its own square metres and role, and here is where it sits.
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Vila do Conde (Touguinho)
Norte, near Porto
16,000 m2 indoor, 13,000 m2 outdoor. Import and export areas, a Customs Tax Warehouse, and a DRAP/DGAV free area for goods that need veterinary or agricultural inspection.
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Porto (Leixoes)
Norte, the Leixoes platform
3,000 m2 indoor, 3,000 m2 outdoor. Import and export areas and a DRAP/DGAV free area, on the Leixoes port for goods arriving by sea.
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Arrifana
Norte, added capacity from March 2026
4,500 m2, added capacity from March 2026.
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Alverca
Lisbon area
4,800 m2 indoor, 9,000 m2 outdoor. Import and export areas and a DRAP/DGAV free area, with the outdoor yard for large and non-standard goods.
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Amadora
Lisbon district, the registered base
The registered EFC base.
- 5
- locations in Portugal, one operation
- 28,000 m2
- indoor space, summed across the sites
- 25,000 m2
- outdoor and yard areas alongside them
- 12,000
- pallets of installed capacity
- 21 years
- of logistics operation behind these sites
What these sites do
- A logistics warehouse and a customs tax warehouse, both with pallet racking.
- Temperature-controlled and validated storage, where the product requires it.
- A DRAP/DGAV free area at each bonded site, for goods that need veterinary or agricultural inspection.
- Outdoor yards for large and non-standard goods, with lashing and an issued certificate.
- Project-cargo handling and consolidation, with specialist staff for every type of cargo.
ONE ENTRY
What one bulk entry means for the brand's stock
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The goods cross the border once, as one bulk load, not as repeated cross-border parcels.
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Most stock is released for free circulation on arrival. Higher-value goods can rest under bond, with duty and import VAT suspended until each release.
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The stock feeds fulfillment, compliance and returns under one operator, so the brand holds a managed position rather than space to fill.
BONDED STORAGE
Stock can rest under bond, with the border tax deferred.
Most stock is released for free circulation on arrival, and duty is settled then. Import VAT is accounted for in the VAT return where the importer qualifies. For higher-value goods that move in smaller volumes, or slow-moving and high-duty ranges, stock can rest in a bonded customs warehouse instead. Duty and import VAT stay suspended until each release. That bonded warehouse is run with our logistics partner, Warelog; to you it is one base, one account. The bonded customs warehouse is the deeper story.
- Bonded customs warehouse Stock can be held in a bonded customs warehouse, so duty and import VAT are deferred until the goods are released.
- Duty and import VAT deferred Under bond, duty and import VAT are suspended until each release, so stock not yet released carries no border tax.
- Fiscal and excise warehouse A tax warehouse holds excise goods, such as alcoholic drinks, under a suspended-tax regime, so excise duty is charged only when they are released.
- Temporary deposit Temporary deposit holds goods under customs supervision in the window after they arrive and before they are placed under a customs procedure.
- Authorised consignee Where goods arrive under transit, authorised consignee status held at the warehouse lets the movement end on site instead of at a customs office. The goods are then declared for release, or placed under bond, at the warehouse.
Related operations
What buyers ask
What brands ask about holding stock inside the EU customs union.
EFC holds a non-EU brand's bulk inventory inside the EU customs union. Stock enters the single market once and then ships to customers from inside it.
Can stock be held under bond with the import duty deferred?
Yes, where the goods suit it. Stock can rest in a bonded customs warehouse, with duty and import VAT suspended until each release. That fits higher-value goods that move in smaller volumes and slow-moving or high-duty ranges. Most stock is released for free circulation on arrival. The bonded warehouse is run with our logistics partner, Warelog, so to the brand it is one base and one account. The full mechanism is on the bonded-warehouse page.
Can sensitive goods be stored under controlled or restricted conditions?
Yes, where a product requires it. Goods are stored to the conditions the product needs, and the operation includes an ANPC-licensed facility for dangerous goods (ADR/IMO) handling. Regulated, hazardous, or condition-sensitive stock can therefore be held alongside ordinary inventory rather than routed elsewhere.
How does the brand see and track its stock?
Stock is managed on an IT method (order point, economic order quantity, and safety stock). It stays visible to the brand line by line, in and out, in real time, through the warehouse-management platform. The brand can consult incoming and outgoing movements and live stock without holding the warehouse system itself.
STOCK POSITION
Plan the brand's stock position inside the EU
Send a few details on the goods, their value and how fast they sell. The operations team will reply on where the stock should sit.
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