Spanish and Portuguese buyers have a structural advantage in Asian sourcing that they often underuse: Valencia, Algeciras and Sines are among the first EU calls on the Asia–Europe rotation, which shortens transit by up to a week compared with northern ranges.
The short answer
Import while your annual volume is under roughly 4,000 units, your specification is still moving, or you are testing market fit. Move to a dedicated Thai production programme once volume is stable and the product design is frozen — the tooling normally returns inside two to four order cycles.
Duty and origin for Iberian buyers
Thailand enters the EU at MFN rates: typically 0–6.5% on machinery and metal goods, 4–12% on consumer products and textiles. There is no preferential origin route from Thailand into the EU in 2026, so classification accuracy matters more than origin planning. A misfiled HS code on an assembly is the single most common source of unexpected duty for Iberian importers.
Freight advantage
Laem Chabang to Valencia or Algeciras runs 22–30 days in 2026; Sines is similar. For Spanish and Portuguese destinations this is often 5–8 days faster and EUR 150–300 per container cheaper than routing via Rotterdam and trucking south. Ask your forwarder to quote both — many default to the northern range out of habit.
When manufacturing wins in Iberia
- Volume above roughly 4,000 units a year on a frozen design.
- Products where you need to control material grade for a tender or public-sector contract.
- Private-label programmes where packaging, language and branding must be fixed per batch.
- Any product where you want lot traceability and a stable technical file.
When importing wins
Seasonal ranges, market tests, low-volume spares and anything still in design revision. Paying for tooling before the design freezes is the classic mistake.
Compliance checklist
- CE marking and a declaration of conformity in Spanish or Portuguese.
- REACH and RoHS documentation held on your side.
- Packaging EPR (Ecoembes in Spain, SPV in Portugal) registration for consumer goods.
- Spanish or Portuguese instructions and safety labelling.
- EORI number and correct HS classification, including tooling value in customs valuation if you own the mould.
Worked example
A household product quoted at EUR 5.10 FOB on catalogue supply typically lands at EUR 3.80–4.10 on a dedicated programme with EUR 14,000 in mould cost. Break-even sits near 12,000 units — high for a small distributor, easily reached by a retail programme.
How TUSKO runs it
We shortlist and audit Thai factories, run the quality plan, produce EU-ready documentation and ship on a single purchase order with TUSKO as your counterparty. You never negotiate with the factory, and there is one accountable party if something goes wrong.
FAQ
Is it cheaper to import finished goods or manufacture in Thailand?
Below roughly 3,000–5,000 units a year, importing stock or lightly customised product usually wins because you avoid tooling, first-article inspection and qualification cost. Above that, a dedicated Thai production programme normally beats it on unit cost, and the gap widens as volume grows.
How long does it take to move from importing to a dedicated production programme?
Plan 12–20 weeks: 1–2 weeks for factory shortlist, 3–4 weeks for audits and quotes, 4–8 weeks for tooling and samples, and 4–6 weeks for first article inspection and pilot run before the first commercial container.
Do we need our own entity in Thailand?
No. Most buyers contract with TUSKO and never register locally. You place one purchase order, receive one invoice, and we carry the supplier relationship, quality accountability and export documentation.
What does TUSKO charge for this?
There is no retainer and no separate sourcing fee. Our margin sits inside the quoted price of each order and is disclosed per case, and the percentage falls as your annual volume rises.
What happens if a shipment fails inspection?
You contract with TUSKO, so we are the accountable party. We manage rework, replacement or credit with the factory directly and keep your delivery plan on track without you negotiating across time zones.