Buyer Guide
Importing Custom Inflatables into Italy: EORI, Tariff and 22% IVA
An importer established in the EU, with an EORI number, is responsible for the customs declaration, and the goods are classified under a commodity code in the EU tariff. Import VAT is charged at the Italian standard rate of 22% in addition to any duty. The rate is the highest of the EU markets covered here, so the gap between a goods price and a landed cost is correspondingly wider. On freight, express or air usually 4–15 working days, and sea, rail or truck usually 20–45 days, after dispatch and subject to route and customs.
By InflatCraft Product Team • Last updated
Who can act as importer
An importer established in the EU, with an EORI number, is responsible for the customs declaration, and the goods are classified under a commodity code in the EU tariff. Import VAT is charged at the Italian standard rate of 22% in addition to any duty.
For an agency producing a campaign this is the step that sets the schedule: the entity on the paperwork has to be established in the EU. The usual routes are the client's importer or an importer of record service, agreed before the invoice is issued.
22% on top, and what it is charged on
Duty follows the classification and import VAT is charged on top at the Italian standard rate. On a bulky, light shipment the freight element inside the VAT base is a larger share than buyers expect, which is why a goods price is not a landed cost.
Ask for the CIF value and the intended incoterm in writing. DDP is reviewed by quotation rather than offered as standard.
Classification is not one line
The fabric body, the blower, any lighting and the accessories can each sit under a different commodity code, confirmed by the importer or a customs agent from materials, construction, use and photographs.
Freight is charged on volume as much as weight, so ask for packed dimensions, carton count and gross weight in the quotation. The invoice has to match the cartons, accessories included.
August is a real constraint
Trade fairs and the outdoor season drive demand: the Salone del Mobile is held in Milan every April at Rho Fiera, Festa della Repubblica falls on 2 June, and the August holiday period closes much of the country.
The August closure is a logistics fact, not a cultural aside. Approvals, site visits and supplier responses all slow through it, so a September installation is planned with the gap already in the schedule rather than discovered inside it.
Timing it against the calendar
Work back from the installation date. Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval. Working back from Festa della Repubblica on 2 June, that means approving artwork by mid-March for a complex piece shipped by sea, or by mid-April for air freight.
For a project tied to the April trade fair season, the same arithmetic puts approval in January — before the year's production queue fills.
Verified Specifications
Figures this guide is written against.
Lead time
- Typical: Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval
- Can be shorter: Repeat orders on an approved design can run shorter
- Freight and import time come on top. Lead time is confirmed per project once artwork, size, quantity and destination are fixed; treat any figure quoted before that as indicative.
Sourcing and Ordering Guides
More on quoting, terms and shipping.
Italian Trade Fair and Venue Rules
Who sets the rules for an inflatable in Italy, what the Vigili del Fuoco and fair venues ask for, and why the fire class is settled before cutting.
Italian Event Calendar and Ordering Timeline
The April fair season, Festa della Repubblica on 2 June and the August closure, converted into artwork approval dates for an Italian campaign.
What Affects the Cost of a Custom Inflatable?
A practical guide to the main factors that shape a custom inflatable quote, including material, size, complexity, accessories, artwork, quantity, and shipping.
Custom Inflatable MOQ Explained
How minimum order quantity is reviewed for custom advertising inflatables, including one-off production, material, accessories, packing, and quantity planning.
Compare sizes, materials and air systems on the custom advertising inflatable product range page before sending an RFQ.
Relevant Product Pages
Compare specifications before submitting an RFQ.
Buyer FAQ
Additional specification questions.
Where to order
Order direct from the manufacturer.
Published by InflatCraft, operated by Tianjin Mufeng Trading Co., Ltd., a custom inflatable manufacturer founded in 2005 and based in Tianjin, China. We export to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
Request a quote
Send the brief and get a specification-based quotation.
MOQ and lead time
What sets the minimum order and where the time goes.
Sourcing from China
Brief, approval, Incoterms, freight and import, in order.
Verified specifications
Materials, air systems and lead time this site quotes against.
Export planning by country: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy.
