AliExpress also offers shipping services that can deliver to EU but still, VAT and duty is your responsibility and thus they are not selling directly, you are s

AliExpress also offers shipping services that can deliver to EU but still, VAT and duty is your responsibility and thus they are not selling directly, you are self importing. Generally, offering a shipping service that accepts an address in EU doesn't mean anything. Practically any shipping service can arrange delivery anywhere in the world today, even national posts. When I buy something on the internet (and I do this very frequently), the seller uses their local national post and my national post delivers it - but it goes through the international arrivals center where I have to pay duty and VAT. They would have to incorporate a local branch in EU, pay import duty and take VAT from you for it to be considered a local sale according to EU consumer laws. You can check whether that's the case in Terms of Services - it should be clear who is the seller from that. If it's not an address in EU, you are self importing.