EU Responsible Person for US Sellers: GPSR Service, Two Options

Who can be your EU responsible person

The law gives four options. Each one is a company established in the EU (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Article 4):

The manufacturer, when it is established in the EU.
The importer, when the manufacturer is outside the EU. This is the role of your own Dutch company.
An authorised representative with a written mandate from the manufacturer. This is what a partner service offers.
A fulfilment service provider in the EU, for the products it handles, when the other three are all outside the EU.

A US company takes the role through an EU company. One responsible person covers all 27 EU countries.

Your two options

Question	Option 1: a partner service	Option 2: your own Dutch company
What it is	A specialist company in the EU acts as authorised representative for your products.	Your Dutch limited company (a BV) imports your goods and is the responsible operator as importer.
Name on the label	The name and address of the service company	The name and address of your own company
What else it covers	Product safety for the products in the mandate	Importer at customs, VAT number, Article 23 licence for import VAT, packaging producer in the Netherlands and, from July 2028, importer for distance sales
Price	A price per assignment, which you see first.	Your Dutch company (BV) from €2,950 excl. VAT
A good choice when	You test the EU market with a few products.	You sell in the EU every month, keep stock in Europe or also sell to EU companies.

A company that takes the responsible person role also takes its legal duties. A partner therefore checks the technical file of your product before your Dutch company takes the role. We arrange this check.

What goes on the label and in your listing

The responsible operator: its name, its registered trade name or trade mark, and its contact details, including the postal address. These go on the product, its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020, Article 4(4)).
The manufacturer: its name and its postal and electronic address.
Product identification: a type, batch or serial number.
Warnings and safety information in the language of the country of sale.

Your online listing shows the same details: the manufacturer, the responsible person in the EU, a picture and the type of the product, and the warnings (GPSR, Article 19).

What marketplaces check

Online marketplaces must set up their listing forms so that sellers can give these details (GPSR, Article 22(9)). Amazon asks for your EU responsible person for each product, and listings with missing details can be suppressed. Since 12 August 2026, marketplaces also ask for your packaging registration in each EU country (PPWR).

On 28 May 2026, the European Commission fined Temu €200 million under the Digital Services Act. The reason: Temu failed to assess the risks of illegal and unsafe products on its marketplace.

Selling from the United States

US sellers reach EU buyers in two ways: they ship parcels from the US, or they keep stock in Europe, for example with Amazon FBA. In both cases, you need the EU responsible person.

Parcels from the US. Since 1 July 2026, parcels worth up to €150 pay a customs duty of €3 per item type. See EU parcel rules 2026.
Stock in Europe. Your company needs a VAT number where the stock is and an EORI number for the import. See stock in the Netherlands and services for Amazon sellers in Europe.
From July 2028. For online sales to EU consumers, the seller becomes the importer at customs. That importer is established in the EU, or represented by an EU company with Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.

A US corporation or LLC can be the shareholder of your Dutch company. You sign a power of attorney in the US, and a Dutch notary sets up the company. See EU entity for a US e-commerce company.

How we help

First look. You tell us what you sell, where it is made and where you sell it. You receive advice on the option for your products and a written proposal. Your first advice is free.
Option 1. We choose the partner service with you. You see the price first, and the partner signs the mandate.
Option 2. A Dutch notary sets up your company. A partner checks your technical file. Your company becomes the importer and the responsible operator, with its VAT number, EORI number and Article 23 licence.
Labels and listings. You add the new details to your labels and to your listings on Amazon, eBay, Etsy and your own webshop.

You see every price first and have one contact person on our team. We are an independent Dutch firm. Want our team to have a look?

Sources

Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR), Articles 16, 19 and 22, EUR-Lex (2023).
Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance, Article 4, EUR-Lex (2019).
European Commission, press release IP/26/1178 on the Temu fine (28 May 2026).
European Commission, €3 customs duty on low-value parcels (June 2026).
European Parliament, deal on the Union Customs Code reform (March 2026).
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR), EUR-Lex (2025).

Last reviewed: October 2026.

Company formation

Your company in the Netherlands

One package for the full setup. You sign a power of attorney in your own country. The notary in the Netherlands does the rest.

Swipe to see all four options →

Your Dutch BV

from €2,950

excl. VAT

The notary deed, signed for you with a power of attorney
Registration at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK)
The identity check the law requires
Registration of the owners in the register of ultimate owners (UBO register)
Your tax number and VAT number
The list of documents from your country, and how to legalise them (apostille)
Advice on the setup that keeps your tax low from year one: one company or a holding, your first financial year and your salary
Personal support during the setup and the start of your company

Holding and operating company

from €4,950

excl. VAT

Set up for growth of your company and your wealth.

Two companies, set up together, with everything from the BV package for both
You can pay profit to your holding tax-free (participation exemption)
In your holding, you keep your profit apart from the risks of daily business, and you can invest it
If you sell your operating company later, your holding receives the profit tax-free

What you can add

Made for your company. The price is in your proposal.

Business bank account: the complete file your bank asks for
eHerkenning: your login for the Dutch tax portal
EORI number: your number for import and export
Article 23 licence: you settle import VAT in your VAT return, so you keep that cash in your company
One VAT return for all your online sales in the EU (One Stop Shop, OSS)
Payroll tax number, so your company can pay you a salary
A lower director salary, prepared and submitted to the tax authority
The 30% ruling for you or your staff, when you relocate to the Netherlands
Bookkeeping, VAT returns and annual accounts
Licences and EU rules for your sector

Your first-year plan

Before you start trading, the team looks at everything you plan to do. You get a written plan, and the applications are filed for you. See the first-year plan →

The registrations and licences your company needs
Your salary, dividend and loans from your company in year one
The tax schemes and deductions you are entitled to
Your numbers for the first year: tax, salary and what you keep in your company

Your written proposal shows the exact amount before you decide. Owners from some countries need extra checks.

Want our team to have a look? →Free advice on your next step

Frequently asked questions

Do US sellers need an EU responsible person?

Yes, for consumer products sold to buyers in the EU. The responsible person is a company established in the EU: an EU importer, an authorised representative, or in some cases a fulfilment service provider. Your own Dutch company qualifies as importer.

I am a reseller in the United States, and my suppliers are there too. Do I still need one?

Yes. Each product sold to EU consumers needs a responsible operator in the EU. As a reseller, you arrange an authorised representative with the manufacturer, or you import through your own EU company, such as a Dutch BV. That company is then the importer and the responsible operator.

Does one EU company cover all EU countries?

Yes, for product safety. One responsible person covers all 27 EU countries. Producer responsibility for packaging works per country, with a registration in each country where you sell to end users.

What does an EU responsible person cost?

A partner service has its own price, which you see first. Your own Dutch company (BV) costs from €2,950 excl. VAT. That company also covers your importer role, your VAT number and the Article 23 licence for import VAT.

Can a US LLC own a Dutch company?

Yes. A US corporation or LLC can be the shareholder of a Dutch BV. You sign a power of attorney in the US, and a Dutch notary sets up the company.

What changes for US sellers in July 2028?

For online sales to EU consumers, the seller or the platform becomes the importer at customs. That importer is established in the EU, or represented by an EU company with Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status. Your own Dutch company is established in the EU, so it can be this importer.