The EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), Regulation (EU) 2023/988, has applied since 13 December 2024 to almost every non-food consumer product sold to EU customers, whether in a shop, on Amazon or from your own website. For brands making products in China, the core GPSR requirements are three: a responsible economic operator based in the EU, product and packaging labels that identify the product, the manufacturer and that EU contact, and online listings that show the same information before a customer buys. Products without them can be delisted by marketplaces or stopped by customs.
This guide sets out each requirement, where it goes and who provides it. If you sell to the EU from a China warehouse, our guide to UK and EU fulfillment from China covers VAT and duty alongside it, and our logistics services handle duty-paid delivery to EU customers.
Fulfillmen labels and ships products from China to EU customers, so we sell part of what this guide describes. We are not an EU responsible person and do not give legal advice. Requirements are summarised from the GPSR text and EU guidance, checked in October 2026. Products covered by their own EU rules, such as toys, cosmetics and electronics, have extra obligations, so confirm your category with a compliance specialist.
What is GPSR?
GPSR replaced the EU’s General Product Safety Directive. It requires every consumer product placed on the EU market to be safe, and it makes clear that this covers online sales and products shipped directly to EU consumers from outside the EU. It applies across all EU member states and, under the Windsor Framework, in Northern Ireland. Great Britain has its own rules.
In practice, GPSR asks three questions of every product you sell: is there someone in the EU who answers for it, can it be traced, and can a customer see who is responsible before and after they buy?
Do I need an EU responsible person if I ship from China?
Yes, if the manufacturer is outside the EU. GPSR requires a responsible economic operator established in the EU for products sold there. It can be one of four types.
Who can be your EU responsible economic operator
| Type | When it fits |
|---|---|
| EU-based manufacturer | Your company is the manufacturer and is established in the EU |
| Importer | An EU company imports your goods and places them on the market |
| Authorised representative | A contracted EU company appointed in writing, the usual choice for non-EU brands selling direct |
| Fulfilment service provider in the EU | Only when none of the above exists, and the role should be agreed explicitly |
Marketplaces themselves do not act as your responsible person. A China-based warehouse, including Fulfillmen, cannot take the role, because it must be established in the EU.
The responsible person keeps your technical documentation, cooperates with market surveillance authorities, and acts if a product turns out to be unsafe, including recalls.
What must be on the product and packaging
GPSR information checklist and where each item goes
| Information | On the product or packaging | In the online listing |
|---|---|---|
| Product identifier: type, batch or serial number | Yes, on the product, or on the packaging if the product is too small | Yes, with a picture and the product type |
| Manufacturer name, postal and electronic address | Yes | Yes |
| EU responsible person name, postal and electronic address | Yes, when the manufacturer is outside the EU | Yes |
| Warnings and safety information | Yes, in a language customers in that country understand | Yes, the same warnings shown before purchase |
| Instructions for safe use | Yes, where needed for the product | Recommended |
Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/988, especially the economic operator duties and Article 19 on online sales. Language rules are set by each member state, so a product sold in Germany and France needs warnings in both German and French.
A simple GPSR label template
For many small products, one label on the retail box covers the traceability and contact details. Warnings specific to the product are added alongside it.
Example label content for a China-made product sold in the EU
| Product | Silicone baking mat, model BM-40 |
| Batch | 2610-B |
| Manufacturer | [Company name], [full postal address, China], [email] |
| EU responsible person | [EU company name], [full postal address, EU], [email] |
| Warnings | [Product warnings in each target language] |
Use a durable label that will not peel or smudge, and keep the batch number consistent with your production records so a recall can target the right units.
Need GPSR labels applied before your stock leaves China? Send us your label artwork and we will print, apply and check it on every unit as the goods arrive from your factory.
Does GPSR apply to marketplaces and my own store?
Both. Marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy must make sure sellers provide the required information, and they ask for the manufacturer and responsible person details in compliance fields on each listing. Listings without them can be suppressed. Your own Shopify or WooCommerce store has the same duty under Article 19: the information has to be on the product page before the customer buys, typically in a product safety section.
Can a fulfillment center add GPSR labels?
Yes, and doing it in China is usually simpler than fixing goods after import. When stock arrives from the factory, the warehouse can check whether each unit already carries the right information, apply labels where it does not, and photograph the result for your records. Relabelling at origin avoids the cost of opening cartons in an EU warehouse, and it means goods are compliant before they reach EU customs. It is the same process as labelling for retailers or Amazon, covered in our guide to 3PL value-added services.
The warehouse can apply your labels, but it cannot decide what the labels should say or check whether the product is safe. That is your job and your responsible person’s.
What happens if my products are not GPSR compliant?
- Marketplaces can suppress or remove listings until the information is supplied.
- Customs and market surveillance authorities can hold, reject or order the withdrawal of goods.
- Member states set their own penalties, which can include fines.
- If a product causes harm, a missing responsible person leaves no one in the EU to manage the recall.
Step-by-step GPSR checklist for China-made products
- Confirm which EU rules apply to your product, including any specific rules beyond GPSR.
- Appoint an EU responsible person in writing and get their full contact details.
- Prepare the technical documentation and a product risk assessment, and share it with your responsible person.
- Design labels with the identifier, manufacturer, responsible person and translated warnings.
- Have labels applied at the factory or at your China warehouse, and check a sample before export.
- Add the same information to every marketplace listing and your own product pages.
- Set up a process for complaints, accidents and recalls with your responsible person.
Do this next
List the products you sell to EU customers and check each one against the table above: identifier, manufacturer, EU responsible person, warnings and listing details. If labels are missing, send us the artwork and we will apply them in China before your next shipment.
Get Labels Applied →Frequently asked questions
What is GPSR?
GPSR is the EU General Product Safety Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, which has applied since 13 December 2024. It requires consumer products sold in the EU, including online and from outside the EU, to be safe, traceable and backed by a responsible operator in the EU.
Do I need an EU responsible person if I ship from China?
Yes. If the manufacturer is outside the EU, products sold to EU consumers need a responsible economic operator established in the EU, usually an importer or an authorised representative appointed in writing.
What must be on the product label under GPSR?
The label needs a product identifier such as a type and batch number, the manufacturer’s name and postal and electronic address, the EU responsible person’s details when the manufacturer is outside the EU, and any warnings in the language of each country where it is sold.
Does GPSR apply to marketplaces and my own store?
Yes. Marketplaces must collect GPSR information from sellers, and any online store selling to EU customers must show the manufacturer, responsible person, product identification and warnings on the product page before purchase.
Can a fulfillment center add GPSR labels?
Yes. A warehouse can check incoming stock and apply your GPSR labels before export, which avoids relabelling in the EU. It applies the labels you provide but does not act as your responsible person or assess product safety.
