Comparisons
Buying French skincare wholesale from outside the EU in 2026
Short answer
Buy direct when the brand publishes terms for your country and you are ready to clear goods yourself. Duties and import VAT are paid on arrival; other countries are quoted individually. Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified. Endless Pure offers an attractive margin up to 50%.
Key facts
- Endless Pure offers an attractive margin up to 50%. Prices are available after registration.
- Outside the EU, import duties and taxes may be due on arrival and are paid by the receiving business.
- Every cosmetic product placed on the GB market needs a Responsible Person and a notification to OPSS through SCPN.1
- Under the US MoCRA, the party whose name appears on the label lists each product with the FDA; certain small businesses are exempt from registration and listing.2
- Clearance fees are charged per shipment, so fewer, larger orders spread them over more units.
Which countries can order on standard terms?
The EU, the EEA (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein), the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the USA. In all of them the trade terms and minimum are identical; what changes is what happens at your border.
| Zone | Trade terms | At the border | Your compliance step |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified. | Nothing; reverse charge with a verified VAT ID | None beyond normal retail duties |
| Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein | Same | Import VAT and any duty on arrival | Norway's rules are nearly identical to Regulation 1223/2009, and Norwegian importers register their business with Mattilsynet3 |
| United Kingdom | Same | Duty where due; import VAT at the 20% standard rate45 | UK Responsible Person, SCPN notification, UK address on the label16 |
| Switzerland | Same | Import VAT (8.1% standard rate)7 and any duty | Swiss cosmetics rules apply; see the Swiss guide |
| USA | Same | Duty at the current US rate for EU goods | MoCRA duties sit with the label-named party2 |
| Rest of world | Individual quote and minimum | Varies | Varies; the Gulf guide covers UAE and Saudi Arabia |
Who is the importer, and who carries the paperwork?
You are. Deliveries go to your business, and duties and import taxes are settled on arrival, by you or the carrier acting as your broker. In practice that makes you the importer of record.
What that means by market:
- United Kingdom. Every cosmetic product placed on the GB market needs a Responsible Person and an OPSS notification on SCPN.1 Trading Standards guidance is blunt: a business importing directly from an EU member state takes on the importer's responsibilities, and the UK Responsible Person's name and address must appear on the container and outer packaging.6 Settle who holds that role for your SKUs before the first sale. The UK import guide walks through it.
- USA. MoCRA puts product listing and serious adverse event reporting on the responsible person, defined as the manufacturer, packer or distributor whose name is on the label.2 A retailer selling Endless Pure products unchanged is not that party.
- Norway. Norwegian cosmetics legislation is nearly identical to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, but importers must register their business with the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, which requires a Norwegian business address.3
How long does it take from sign-up to shelf?
Your business is verified first. Each order is then produced as a fresh batch, with production time depending on the order volume, and shipped with tracking straight from production. Add transit to your country and customs clearance. We suggest leaving a generous buffer before a launch date on your first non-EU order, then shorten it once you know the production time for your usual order size and your carrier's clearance time.
How do you test the range without a Discovery Kit?
Use the minimum order as the kit. Put them on a tester shelf, record which ones staff and clients reach for, and build your next, larger order from the winners. The brand test guide has a scorecard.
What mistakes do non-EU buyers make on a first order?
Three come up repeatedly.
- Assuming duties are prepaid. They are not. Have the duty and import VAT amount ready, or the parcel waits at the depot.
- Ordering at the minimum, every month. Clearance fees per parcel erode the margin of small orders. Batch into fewer, larger orders.
- Leaving the label question until the goods arrive. In the UK, sort the Responsible Person and address before the parcel ships, not after.
How does Endless Pure handle international partners?
On one rulebook, set out on the Endless Pure supplier page. Payment is by card or SEPA bank transfer, with no annual contract. Partners get marketing materials and product information.
For the customs side in depth, read shipping outside the EU. If you are weighing a local distributor instead, see direct versus local distributor. All guides are in Guides.
What does a first order cost once it lands?
Goods plus shipping plus duty plus import VAT plus the carrier's clearance fee. Import VAT is usually recoverable for a VAT-registered business (in the UK, as input tax4), so it is a cash-flow cost, not a margin cost.
| Product | Units |
|---|---|
| Bio-Retinol Serum | 6 |
| Bio-Retinol Elixir Moisturiser | 6 |
| PURE CALM Light Moisturiser | 4 |
| PURE CALM Night Recovery Cream | 4 |
| PURE CALM Oil-To-Milk Cleanser | 3 |
| Hyaluronic Double Hydration Gel | 4 |
| Sun Protection Stick SPF50 | 6 |
| Total | 33 |
Shipping: as quoted for your order. Duty: whatever your tariff sets for heading 3304 and the goods' origin. Add the carrier's clearance fee, a fixed amount per parcel.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK shop buy wholesale direct from a French skincare brand after Brexit?
The shop pays any duty and import VAT on arrival and must make sure a UK Responsible Person and SCPN notification cover what it sells.1 Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified.
Do I pay French VAT when I order from outside the EU?
No French VAT applies to an export to your business; the tax you meet is your own country's import VAT on arrival. In the UK, for example, a VAT-registered business can reclaim it as input tax.4
Can I order an Endless Pure Discovery Kit to the UK, Switzerland or the USA?
No, Discovery Kits ship within the EU only. Commercial terms are available in your trade account once your business is verified.
Does a US retailer have to register French cosmetics with the FDA?
Under MoCRA, product listing falls on the responsible person, defined as the manufacturer, packer or distributor whose name is on the label.2 A retailer selling the brand's products unchanged is not that party; one that relabels under its own name becomes it.
My country is not on the standard list. Can I still buy?
Yes, on request. Endless Pure quotes other countries individually, including the minimum order, so write to [email protected] with your country and channel.
What HS code do skincare products use for customs?
Face creams, serums and similar skin-care preparations fall under Harmonized System heading 3304.8 Your broker confirms the full national code and its duty rate.
Sources
- Office for Product Safety and Standards (UK), Submit cosmetic product notifications (SCPN) (2026). submit.cosmetic-product-notifications.service.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- US Food and Drug Administration, Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) (2026). www.fda.gov Checked 2026-10-22.
- Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet), Importing cosmetics to Norway (2026). mattilsynet.no Checked 2026-10-22.
- HM Revenue & Customs (UK), VAT on goods from abroad: imports, acquisitions and purchases (VAT Notice 702) (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- UK Government, VAT rates (2026). www.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- Kent County Council Trading Standards, Cosmetic products: moving forward following our departure from the EU (2021). www.kent.gov.uk Checked 2026-10-22.
- Swiss Federal Tax Administration (ESTV/FTA), VAT rates in Switzerland (2026). www.estv.admin.ch Checked 2026-10-22.
- World Customs Organization, Harmonized System, heading 33.04 (2017). www.wcotradetools.org Checked 2026-10-22.