Trade guide

Buying branded drinks through parallel import: what to check before you order

Published 9 October 2026  ·  8 min read  ·  Buying

The same can of a well-known soft drink, energy drink or beer can cost noticeably different amounts in different countries. Parallel trade — buying genuine branded goods in one market and reselling them in another, outside the brand owner’s own distribution — exists because of those gaps. Within the EU it is a normal, legal part of the wholesale trade. But it comes with checks that buying from an official distributor does not: where the goods were first sold, whose language is on the label, which deposit scheme the can belongs to, and whether the product is really what the brand sells in your market.

Why parallel import is legal inside the EU — and where it stops

EU trade mark law follows the principle of exhaustion: once goods have been put on the market in the European Economic Area (the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) by the brand owner or with its consent, the brand owner generally cannot use its trade mark to stop those same goods being resold elsewhere in the EEA. That is what makes buying a pallet of a branded drink in one member state and selling it in another possible.

The principle is regional, not worldwide. Goods first sold outside the EEA — for example stock intended for a market in Asia, Africa or the Middle East — can usually only be imported into the EEA with the brand owner’s consent. The EU Court of Justice has confirmed this in several judgments. For a buyer, the most important question about any parallel stock is therefore simple: where was it first placed on the market?

Origin: what evidence to expect

A reliable seller should be able to tell you which market the stock was produced for and give you documents that support it. In practice, buyers look at:

• The label itself. Language, importer or distributor address, deposit marks and the barcode prefix all hint at the market the goods were packed for. (A barcode prefix shows where the code was issued, not where the product was made or sold, so treat it as a clue rather than proof.)
• Batch codes. They should be intact, readable and consistent across the cartons. Scratched-off or over-labelled codes are a warning sign: brand owners use them to trace distribution, and removing them can itself be a legal problem.
• Commercial documents. The proforma invoice, the final invoice and, for alcohol, the excise movement documents tell you who is selling and from where. See the EU export documents checklist for the full set.

Labelling: the pack must suit your market

Under EU food information rules, mandatory label information must appear in a language easily understood by consumers in the country where the product is sold, and each member state can require its own official language or languages. A drink packed for one country therefore often needs an additional label before it can be sold in another. Over-stickering is common, but the sticker must carry all the mandatory information, must not hide anything that has to stay visible, and becomes the responsibility of whoever applies it.

Watch out for differences that a sticker cannot fix. The same brand is sometimes sold with a different recipe, sweetener, alcohol strength, pack size or ingredients list in different countries. If your customers expect the local version, compare the two packs before you order a truck.

Excise, deposits and other drinks-specific checks

• Alcohol is an excise product. Beer, wine and spirits moving between EU countries travel either under duty suspension or with duty paid in the destination, and the destination country’s tax marks may be required for spirits. Our guide to excise duty suspension explains the basics.
• Deposit return schemes. Several EU countries charge a deposit on cans and bottles, each with its own markings and registration rules. A can marked for one country’s scheme may not be accepted in another’s, and the destination may require its own marking. Check this early — it can decide whether a deal works at all.
• Sugar and other levies. Some countries charge a levy on sweetened drinks or impose their own rules on energy drinks and caffeine labelling. Factor any such costs into the landed price.
• Remaining shelf life. Parallel stock has often already passed through one distributor. Agree a minimum remaining shelf life at delivery; see our guide to best-before dates and remaining shelf life.

Counterfeit and quality risk

Price gaps attract fraud as well as honest trade. Prices far below the market, sellers who will not say where the goods came from, unfamiliar fonts or colours on the pack, and inconsistent batch codes are all reasons to stop and ask questions. For a first order with a new supplier, many buyers ask for photos of the actual pallets and batch codes, start with a smaller quantity, and arrange an independent inspection before the balance is paid. Our guide to paying a new supplier covers how to structure payment.

What parallel stock does not come with

Buying outside the official channel usually means no listing support, promotional funding or marketing from the brand owner, and no guarantee of continuous supply: availability depends on price gaps that can close quickly when exchange rates or local prices change. Plan for it as opportunistic stock rather than a permanent range, unless you have a reliable, repeat source.

What to tell us

Francoalva trades branded FMCG, including drinks. If you are looking for particular brands, tell us the products, pack sizes, the destination country and the labelling your market requires. We will tell you honestly what we can and cannot supply, and confirm any offer in writing — including what you can expect on labels and documents.

Related reading: excise duty suspension, Incoterms for FMCG buyers, and pallet and truckload maths.