What is dropshipping from China
In dropshipping, you sell a product in your online store, but you don't keep it in stock. When you receive an order, you pass it on to the Chinese supplier, who ships the product directly to the end customer in Spain.
Your margin is the difference between the selling price and the total cost: product, shipping, payment gateway, returns and advertising.
Key idea: classic AliExpress dropshipping with 30-day shipping is working less and less well. The most professional model in 2026 is to work with a supplier or agent in China, control quality, improve timescales and build your own brand.
Best dropshipping platforms from China
| Platform | Type | Shipping to Spain | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| AliExpress | Marketplace | 15-45 days | Testing products |
| CJ Dropshipping | Agent / warehouse | 7-15 days | Medium scale |
| Zendrop | Agent | 5-12 days | Shopify stores |
| Spocket | EU + China supplier | 3-10 days | Fast shipping |
| Private agent in China | Personalised management | 7-12 days | Own brand and volume |
If what you are looking for is precisely that last option — real control over product and supplier, without depending on generic intermediaries —, it is the supplier search service I offer for dropshipping businesses that want to take the step up to something more serious.
How much do you really earn with dropshipping from China
The great myth of dropshipping is thinking that everything is margin. In reality, after product, shipping, commissions, returns and advertising, the net margin is usually much lower.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Selling price | 19,99€ | Price to customer |
| Product cost | 3,00€ | Chinese supplier |
| Shipping | 2,50€ | Economy shipping |
| Payment gateway | 0,70€ | Stripe / PayPal |
| Estimated returns | 1,00€ | Approximate provision |
| Advertising | 6,00€ | Meta Ads / Google Ads |
| Estimated net margin | 6,79€ | Before taxes and tools |
Real problem: when you increase advertising spend, the cost per sale tends to rise. What works with €30 a day does not always work with €300 a day.
Problems with classic dropshipping
- Slow shipping: many Spanish customers will not accept waiting 20 or 30 days.
- Little quality control: you don't see the product before it reaches the customer.
- Extreme competition: if a product works, many people copy it quickly.
- Complicated returns: returning to China tends to be expensive.
- No brand: you sell the same as hundreds of other stores.
The model that does have a future
The dropshipping model that can work best in 2026 is not selling generic AliExpress products without control. It is working with a supplier or agent in China who can check the product, prepare orders, improve packaging and ship faster.
The key is to move from "selling loose products" to building a brand: better presentation, validated product, reliable supplier and a more professional experience for the customer. This is exactly what I work on in the personalised sourcing service: finding a manufacturer, making samples and launching your own product under a white label.
How to start correctly
- Validate the product first before buying a lot of stock.
- Find a reliable supplier or agent in China.
- Request samples before selling.
- Calculate real margins including advertising and returns.
- Improve packaging and presentation if the product works.
- Create a clear shipping and returns policy.
Conclusion
Dropshipping from China can work, but not in the way it was sold years ago. Today it is not enough to copy products from AliExpress and upload them to a store. You need control, speed, differentiation and serious suppliers.
If you want to do it professionally, the ideal approach is to validate products, work with someone in China who can check and manage orders, and gradually turn the business into a real brand.
If at any point you invoice this business as a self-employed person in Spain, here is how import VAT and the EORI number for the self-employed works.
