Find Dropshipping Suppliers: Reliable, EU Instead of China

You want to start dropshipping but don’t have a supplier yet, or don’t know whether your AliExpress seller is any good? This article shows you where to find dropshipping suppliers, how to vet them systematically and which obligations stay with you in Germany, no matter who packs the parcel. It is part of our overview of Shopify dropshipping in Germany.

What a dropshipping supplier does (and doesn’t do)

A dropshipping supplier stores the goods, packs them and ships them directly to your customer. You sell in your own store, collect the sale price and then buy the goods from the supplier at the purchase price. The delivery address is your customer’s.

What many beginners ask in the comments under tutorial videos: do I have to inform the supplier beforehand? With platforms like AliExpress or CJdropshipping, no. You import the product via an app, and when an order comes in, you order there as normal with your customer’s address. The seller sees an ordinary order. With classic wholesalers and manufacturers it’s different: there you need a reseller account or an agreement before you can sell their products via drop shipment.

What the supplier does not take over: your responsibility toward the customer. Legally, you are the seller. Legal guarantee (Gewährleistung), withdrawal, product safety and customer service run through you, even if the fault lies with the supplier. How the process works technically after the purchase is explained step by step in the article What happens after your first dropshipping order.

Where to find dropshipping suppliers

There are four ways. They mainly differ in how much vetting work you have to do yourself.

A clarification on Alibaba, because it keeps coming up in the comments: Alibaba is a wholesale platform. Many sellers require minimum quantities (MOQ), which is why items often can’t simply be added to the cart. For real single-item dropshipping, AliExpress (same group) or an agent is the intended route. Alibaba becomes interesting once you have found a product that sells and want to switch to your own brand. What that step looks like is covered in the article from dropshipping to your own brand.

We compare the apps you use to connect these sources to Shopify, with current prices, in the dropshipping app comparison (AutoDS, DSers, CJ, Zendrop, Syncee, Spocket).

EU or China: the honest comparison

For customers in Germany, almost everything speaks for suppliers with a warehouse in the EU in 2026. Direct shipping from China still works, but the numbers have become significantly worse.

In the comments under big dropshipping videos, many merchants report that their customers complain about delivery times. That’s not an advertising problem, it’s a supplier problem. A higher purchase price from an EU warehouse is often cheaper than refunds, chargebacks and bad reviews.

Vetting suppliers: the checklist

A supplier is reliable if they verifiably meet these points. Go through the list before your first product import.

1. Shipping location and delivery time: Where is it shipped from? What delivery time to Germany, with which parcel service, with tracking?
2. Stock information: Is the inventory synchronized via the app? Otherwise you sell goods that no longer exist.
3. Returns and complaints: Is there a return address in the EU? How are defective goods and transport damage refunded (photo is enough, or return required)?
4. Product safety: Who is the manufacturer, who is the responsible person in the EU? Are there warnings and safety information in German? For products requiring CE marking: is there a declaration of conformity?
5. Packaging: Is the supplier registered in the LUCID packaging register and participating in a dual system (duales System)? Ask to see proof.
6. Electrical devices: Is there a WEEE registration number from stiftung ear (German)?
7. Neutral shipping: Do parcels arrive without supplier advertising and without a price slip? More on this in the article on branding, packaging and invoices in dropshipping.
8. Image rights: Are you allowed to use the product images? That isn’t a given with marketplace images, see Product images and trademarks in your store.
9. Responsiveness: Does the supplier reply within one to two business days? Test this with a concrete question before you spend money.
10. Test order: Order the product to your own address. Measure the real delivery time, check quality, packaging, inserts and labeling.

Does the supplier even deliver to your target country?

Before importing, check which countries the supplier ships the specific product to. In apps like DSers or CJdropshipping, you see the shipping options per destination country; if there’s no shipping to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, don’t import the product. In Shopify, only enable countries your supplier delivers to. If an order still comes in from a country they don’t deliver to, find another provider for the same product, or cancel and refund immediately instead of making the customer wait.

Your product isn’t in any supplier’s catalog

Some platforms source products on request, CJdropshipping for example via a sourcing request. Otherwise, the direct route remains: find manufacturers via Alibaba or trade fairs and ask whether they offer single-item shipping. If they require a minimum quantity, you can store a small stock yourself or with a fulfillment service provider. Then it’s no longer pure dropshipping, but often the realistic intermediate step.

Do you need a separate supplier for every product? No. Fewer suppliers mean less coordination and fewer split shipments. If a customer buys two products from two suppliers, they get two parcels at different times. You should make that transparent in your store.

Your obligations: GPSR, packaging, electronics

The question “May I simply sell a supplier’s products in my own store?” can usually be answered with yes. You don’t need written consent for normal merchandise. Exceptions are branded products with selective distribution, and third-party images and texts. The real hurdles lie elsewhere:

Product safety (GPSR)

Since 13.12.2024, the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 applies. The online offer must state the manufacturer with name and address, for manufacturers outside the EU also the responsible person in the EU, plus a product image and warnings. A product may only be offered in the EU if an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for it. If the China supplier doesn’t have one, the role of importer quickly lands with you. The Händlerbund (German) explicitly sees online merchants importing from third countries in the importer role, unless the manufacturer has named a responsible person in the EU.

Packaging Act (Verpackungsgesetz)

Anyone selling packaged goods to end customers in Germany must be registered in the LUCID packaging register (German) and license the packaging with a dual system. In dropshipping, the supplier is in principle the one obliged. According to IT-Recht Kanzlei (German), however, you may not sell goods in unregistered packaging. Foreign suppliers often don’t comply. Then your only option is to register and license yourself. LUCID registration is free; licensing costs money.

Electrical and special products

For electrical devices, you need a manufacturer registered with stiftung ear; for textiles, correct fiber labeling; for toys and cosmetics, separate rules apply. For jewelry, limits under the EU chemicals regulation REACH apply, for example for nickel, lead and cadmium. Cheap jewelry from the Far East doesn’t always comply; ask for test reports or skip the category. Which products you can’t sell at all, or only with conditions, is covered in Prohibited and regulated products in your Shopify store. If you start in these categories, plan more time for checks or begin with simpler products. Which legal texts and mandatory information your store also needs is covered in the article Protecting your Shopify store against warning letters.

Contacting wholesalers directly

German wholesalers and manufacturers often offer dropshipping but don’t advertise it prominently on their website. Search for terms like “Streckengeschäft”, “Direktversand an Endkunden” (direct shipping to end customers) or “Dropshipping” on the reseller page, or simply ask. A good inquiry includes:

• who you are, your registered business and your store (even if it isn’t live yet),
• which products you want to offer and to which target group,
• the question about direct shipping to end customers in neutral packaging,
• the question about a product data feed (CSV, XML or app integration) and stock sync,
• the question about returns handling, payment terms and minimum sales volumes.

Before you start, clarify in writing: delivery times, quality commitments, handling of defects and transport damage, returns, data protection when passing on customer addresses, and who takes care of packaging licensing. Without a trade registration (Gewerbeanmeldung), most wholesalers won’t give you a reseller account.

Before you contact suppliers, you should know which product you want to sell. How to find out without expensive tools is covered in the article Finding winning products.

FAQ

Why would anyone buy in my store if the supplier is cheaper?

Because most customers don’t know the supplier and don’t look for it. They buy where they discovered the product and where they have trust: with fast delivery, German customer service, clear returns and a good product page. If your store is just a copy of the supplier page with a higher price, it actually works poorly. Your added value has to be visible.

Is customs duty charged on orders via Alibaba or AliExpress?

Yes, customs duty can apply to goods from China, and import VAT applies from the first euro. Since 01.07.2026, there is no longer a customs exemption for shipments under €150. For processing via IOSS and for postal shipments, a flat duty of €3 per item (per tariff line) applies; above that, regular duty is charged according to the customs tariff. For large Alibaba orders, you as the importer are responsible for customs clearance anyway.

What does it mean if a supplier requires a minimum order quantity?

A minimum order quantity (MOQ) means you have to take a certain number of units per order, for example ten. This is typical for manufacturers and wholesalers on Alibaba. It doesn’t fit dropshipping with single-item shipping. Such suppliers only make sense once you want to store goods or build your own brand.

Who is liable if the product is defective or doesn’t arrive?

Toward your customer, you are liable, not the supplier. You are the contracting party and have to handle the legal guarantee, replacement or refund. Whether you can get the money back from the supplier depends on your agreement with them. That’s why the complaints rule should be settled before the first sale.

How long does delivery from China really take?

It varies greatly by shipping method, seller and season. The stated delivery times are estimates, not a commitment. Don’t rely on experiences from comments; measure it yourself with a test order and state an honest range with a buffer in your store. Delivery times stated too short lead to complaints and legal trouble.

Can I dropship products from Temu or Shein?

That’s not advisable. Temu and Shein are stores for end customers, not dropshipping suppliers. There’s no stock sync with your store, no reseller terms and no commitment to neutral shipping. On top of that, you are answerable for product safety, labeling and the legal guarantee, without a contact on the supplier side. Use platforms and wholesalers that explicitly offer dropshipping.

Does importing via AutoDS also work with Alibaba suppliers?

Dropshipping apps like AutoDS focus on platforms with single-item shipping such as AliExpress, CJdropshipping or their own supplier networks. Alibaba sellers with minimum quantities don’t fit that model. If you work with your own supplier outside these platforms, order forwarding usually runs via email, CSV export or a custom interface.

Last updated: October 2026. Provider information can change. This article is not legal or tax advice.