AliExpress vs Alibaba Under GPSR: What You Need

AliExpress and Alibaba are the two main sources of stock for Polish Allegro sellers. You buy cheap, you sell with a margin — until Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR) shows up, in force since 13 December 2024. Then it turns out a product bought with one click generates duties the sellers on these platforms have no idea about, because the platforms themselves don't enforce GPSR. The pressure falls on you — the importer.

This article explains how buying on AliExpress differs from Alibaba in a GPSR context, what you need for each, and how to avoid the "cheap goods with no paperwork" trap.

Key takeaways

• Buying on AliExpress/Alibaba and selling in the EU makes you an importer with all the GPSR duties.

• Alibaba (factories, B2B) gives you a better chance at documentation than AliExpress (retail, middlemen).

• You need technical documentation, a risk assessment, Polish warnings, and an importer label.

• Without a manufacturer/authorised representative in the EU, you take on the manufacturer's duties.

AliExpress vs Alibaba — a difference that matters

These aren't the same platform, and they don't carry the same documentation risk.

Feature	AliExpress	Alibaba
Model	Retail (B2C), single units	Wholesale (B2B), often direct from the factory
Who the seller is	Usually a middleman / shop	Factory or trading company
Access to documentation	Difficult — the middleman has no test data	Better — the factory sometimes has reports
Batch number / traceability	Rarely available	Can be arranged in the order
GPSR risk for the importer	High	Moderate (with a good factory)

Practical conclusion: it's easier to build GPSR compliance buying on Alibaba from a factory that can supply reports and specifications. AliExpress as a source for resale in the EU is riskier from a documentation standpoint.

What you need regardless of the platform

The importer's role is the same whether you bought on AliExpress or Alibaba. The GPSR minimum is:

• Technical documentation — description, specifications, tests, declarations, kept for 10 years.

• Risk assessment — for every product category.

• Polish warnings and instructions — included with the product.

• Importer label — your name and address on the product/packaging.

• Traceability — supplier details, invoice, batch number.

How to extract some of these materials from a Chinese seller is covered in How to get documentation from a Chinese manufacturer.

The "ready EU product" trap on AliExpress

Some AliExpress listings claim shipping from EU warehouses (Poland, Czechia, Spain). Careful: shipping from the EU doesn't automatically mean the product was legally placed on the market by an EU operator with full documentation. If the seller is a Chinese company using an EU warehouse, responsibility for the missing responsible operator can still fall on you when you resell it.

Check who the real importer is. If you can't name one — treat yourself as the importer and assemble the documentation.

Verifying a supplier before ordering

• Ask for a test report from an accredited lab (SGS, TÜV, Intertek) for the specific model.

• Check whether the seller is a factory or a middleman (on Alibaba you can see "Manufacturer" vs "Trading Company").

• Establish the batch numbering system and whether it can be applied to the product.

• Verify certificates — see Chinese supplier certificates and GPSR.

Step by step: from purchase to a compliant listing

To make the process repeatable, it helps to structure it into a fixed sequence. For every new product from AliExpress or Alibaba, you go through the same stages:

• Choosing a supplier — prefer a factory (Manufacturer) with a track record and the ability to supply test reports.

• Gathering materials — specification, composition, photos of markings, test report, batch numbering system.

• Verification — checking the authenticity of certificates and that the model matches the report.

• Risk assessment — analysing foreseeable use, user groups (children, seniors), and hazards.

• Documentation and labels — assembling the technical documentation, preparing Polish warnings and the importer label.

• Publishing — filling in Allegro's GPSR form with consistent data and listing the product.

This routine means that by your tenth product, you'll do it in fifteen minutes rather than starting from scratch. The biggest mistake is reversing the order — listing the product first, then hunting for paperwork after Allegro has already hidden it.

How much this really costs and how long it takes

Sellers often put off GPSR because they fear the cost and time involved. In practice, once you have ready-made templates, the biggest effort is the one-off gathering of materials from your supplier. For a low-risk product (e.g. an organiser, a textile accessory), the whole process takes a matter of hours, because the risk assessment is simple and tests are often not required. For high-risk products (electronics, toys), there's the added cost and time of testing at an accredited laboratory — and this is where choosing a reliable factory on Alibaba really pays off, because it often already has those tests done.

Especially risky categories

Some products from AliExpress/Alibaba require special attention, because they end up in Safety Gate more often:

• toys and products for children (small parts, phthalates),

• electronics and chargers (fire risk, shock risk),

• cosmetics and products in contact with skin,

• products with magnets, lasers, lithium batteries.

For these categories, the supplier's declaration alone isn't enough — you need credible tests and a solid risk assessment.

Frequently asked questions

Am I subject to GPSR if I buy on AliExpress for personal use?

No. GPSR concerns placing products on the market and making them available to consumers as part of a business activity. Buying for personal use doesn't create importer duties. The problem arises when you resell such a product in the EU.

Is Alibaba safer than AliExpress under GPSR?

Usually yes, because on Alibaba it's easier to buy directly from a factory that has test reports and specifications. AliExpress is mostly retail and middlemen without technical documentation. But in both cases, you're responsible as the importer.

Can a Chinese seller be the responsible operator in Allegro's form?

No. The responsible operator must be established in the EU. A Chinese seller from AliExpress or Alibaba doesn't meet this condition, so you take on this role as the importer.

What if the supplier refuses to provide any documentation?

That's a signal to switch suppliers. Without technical documentation and the ability to carry out a risk assessment, you can't build GPSR compliance, and responsibility for the gaps falls on you. A better supplier is an investment in peace of mind during an inspection.