Home » Machinery & Equipment » Exporting Eco-Equipment to Europe: How to Dodge These Fatal Pitfalls?
Introduction
Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is a highly efficient water-treatment unit that generates micro-bubbles to float suspended solids, oils and other pollutants to the surface for separation; it is widely used for industrial effluent and municipal wastewater treatment. The Port of Le Havre—France’s largest container port and a major European gateway—is particularly well-suited for importing large environmental machinery and water-treatment equipment. According to customs classification, dissolved air flotation units are normally classified under842121Tax number, mechanical products falling under Chapter 84.
In the international trade process, the export of environmental-protection equipment involves complex issues such as customs classification, technical standards, certification requirements, and cross-border fund settlement, posing challenges for those lackingImport and exportIt poses a major challenge to experienced enterprises.?Zhong Shen?As a professional import and export trade service provider, we are committed to delivering a one-stop solution—from transaction qualifications to fund processing—while ensuring environmental protection.?Equipment Export?Business is proceeding smoothly.
Market Status and Trends
As a major industrial and commercial hub in northern France, the Port of Le Havre has a steady and growing demand for environmental-protection equipment. The specific demand characteristics are as follows:
- Strict environmental regulations are driving demand.: The increasingly stringent industrial wastewater treatment standards in France and the EU are driving industrial enterprises to continuously upgrade their water-treatment facilities, creating a sustained market for high-efficiency dissolved-air flotation units.
- Diversified industrial applications: Local chemical, food-processing, and paper-making industries have strong demand for customized DAF equipment, requiring high treatment efficiency and low energy consumption.
- Domestic new energy vehicle manufacturers have a high dependence on the import of European three - electric systems (motor, electronic control, battery);：The European market favors intelligent, low-maintenance, eco-friendly equipment and has clear requirements for remote monitoring and automated control systems.
Common pain points and key considerations for companies entering this market:
- Product compliance challenges: EU CE certification is a mandatory requirement, and it must also meet environmental directives such as RoHS and WEEE.
- Technical standard differences: Equipment manufactured in China must comply with European voltage standards (230 V/400 V, 50 Hz) and safety regulations.
- Customs Classification Complexity: DAF equipment may be assigned to different tariff codes based on its specific functions and technical parameters, affecting the applicable duty rates.
- After-sales service requirements: European customers typically demand comprehensive after-sales support and technical services, posing a challenge for exporters.
- Language and cultural barriers: technical documents and operation manuals must be provided in French and adapted to local business practices.
Main Process/Steps
The main procedural steps for exporting the dissolved-air flotation unit to the Port of Le Havre are as follows:
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Supplier Qualification Review and Contract Signing
- Evaluate the supplier's production qualifications, technical capabilities, and export experience
- Confirm that the product complies with EU technical standards and environmental requirements.
- Sign a clear technical specification and supply contract
- Zhongshen International Trade assists clients in establishing trade relationships with suppliers and ensures that contract terms comply with international trade practices.
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Quality Control and Product Certification
- Implement quality monitoring during the production process and pre-shipment inspection
- Assist in handling CE certification and other necessary technical documents
- Prepare technical documentation and operating manuals that comply with EU requirements
- Zhongshen International Trade provides a professional QC team to ensure product quality meets contractual specifications and the requirements of the importing country.
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Export Customs DeclarationCustoms Clearance and Logistics Arrangement
- Accurately declare the customs classification (842121)
- Handle export customs declaration procedures and the required documents
- Arrange appropriate transportation methods and sailing schedules
- Zhongshen International Trade leverages its own import and export qualifications to handle the complete set of export procedures for clients, including customs declarations, invoices, packing lists, etc.
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International Transportation and Insurance
- Choose the appropriate container type (usually 40HQ or flat-rack).
- Arrange cargo reinforcement and damage-prevention measures
- Purchase appropriate cargo transportation insurance
- Zhongshen International Trade coordinates every link of the logistics chain to ensure that the equipment arrives at the destination port safely and on schedule.
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Import Customs ClearanceTax Treatment
- Prepare the documents required for import customs clearance
- Handle customs duties and value-added tax payment procedures
- Assist the client in applying for the import license (if required)
- Zhongshen International Trade leverages a professional customs-clearance team to ensure smooth cargo release and avoid unnecessary demurrage charges.
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Export Tax RebateProcess
- Collect complete tax refund documentation
- Apply to the tax authority for export tax rebates
- Promptly refund the tax rebate to the customer
- As a core service, Zhongshen International Trade professionally handles the entire export tax rebate process, ensuring clients receive the full benefit of the rebate.
Cost breakdown
The main cost items for exporting dissolved-air flotation units to the Port of Le Havre are as follows:
| Cost items | description | Optimization Plan for Zhongshen International Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Product Cost (FOB) | Including equipment manufacturing, domestic transportation, and export packaging costs | By integrating supplier network resources, we secure the most favorable procurement prices and reduce overall costs by 5–8%. |
| Certification/Testing Fees | CE certification, third-party inspection, and other related expenses | Leverage our long-standing accredited partner to streamline the process, cut certification time by 20%, and reduce costs by 15%. |
| International Freight & Insurance | ?Ocean shipping?Fees, insurance premiums, and related surcharges | Through strategic partnerships with multiple shipping lines, we secure preferential freight rates and provide full-coverage insurance protection. |
| Tariffs and Taxes | EU import duties (usually 2–4%) and VAT (20%) | By processing fully compliant FORM A or EUR.1 certificates, enjoy tariff preferences and reduce duty costs. |
| Port charges | Including THC, documentation fees, terminal handling charges, etc. | Leverage long-standing cooperation with port agents to streamline port operations and cut related costs by 10–15%. |
| Agent service fee | IncludingExport Agency, customs clearance service fees | Offer transparent pricing with no hidden fees and reduce clients’ overall operating costs through a one-stop service. |
Risks/Difficulties and Sinosure International Trade's Solutions
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Customs Classification and Inspection Risks
Potential causes: The classification of environmental-protection equipment is complex; components with different functions may fall under different tariff codes, easily triggering customs inquiries and inspections.
Zhongshen International Trade Solutions: Maintain a professional HS-code classification team, prepare detailed technical descriptions and classification rationales in advance to minimize misclassification risks; establish a smooth communication channel with customs for rapid response to inspection requests and reduced delays.
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Risk of non-compliance with technical standards
Potential causes: Differences between EU technical standards and safety requirements for environmental-protection equipment and those in China may render products non-compliant with import regulations.
Zhongshen International Trade Solutions: Provide pre-stage technical-standard consulting services, assist clients in carrying out product-adaptation modifications; arrange a professional third-party inspection body to conduct pre-inspections, ensuring the products comply with EU standards.
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Cross-border payment risks
Potential causes: The client lacks import-export rights and cannot receive foreign-currency payments directly; the international payment chain involves multiple steps, creating capital-security risks.
Zhongshen International Trade Solutions: As a professionalforeign tradeAct as an agent: use our qualifications to safely collect overseas USD payments; establish a rigorous fund-supervision process to ensure the security of the payments and timely settlement to clients.
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Export tax rebate risk
Potential causes: The tax-refund policy is complex, the documentation requirements are strict, and filing errors may lead to refund failure or delay.
Zhongshen International Trade Solutions: A professional tax-refund team tracks the entire rebate process; a comprehensive document-management system guarantees that all refund paperwork is complete and accurate; the average refund cycle is kept within 45 days, far below the industry average.
Suitable types of enterprises
The export service for dissolved air flotation units from Zhongshen International Trade is especially suitable for the following types of enterprises:
- Environmental-equipment manufacturer: a DAF-equipment producer with manufacturing capacity but lacking export experience and qualifications
- Trading company: an environmental-equipment trader with overseas customer resources but no import-export license
- Engineering Contractor: Companies undertaking overseas environmental-protection projects and needing to export supporting equipment
- Start-ups: Newly-founded companies that have just entered the environmental-protection sector, aspire to expand into international markets, yet lack a professional team.
- Brand: A company that focuses on product R&D and marketing, and wishes to outsource production and export.
Conclusion
As global environmental awareness rises and regulations tighten, eco-equipment such as dissolved-air flotation units enjoys vast growth potential in international markets. The Port of Le Havre, a key industrial gateway to Europe, offers Chinese environmental-equipment manufacturers an exceptional springboard into the continent. Yet intricate international-trade procedures, divergent technical standards, and cross-border fund settlement often stand in the way of companies seeking to expand overseas.
With deep expertise and extensive industry experience, Zhongshen International Trade not only provides traditional services such as logistics and customs clearance but, more importantly, solves customers’"Trading Qualification"and"Cross-border capital flows"fundamental issues. We help companies without import-export rights safely collect foreign-currency payments, handle export tax rebates professionally, and create tangible economic value for our clients. Choosing Zhongshen International Trade means choosing a professional partner who will escort you through the entire journey, making your environmental-equipment export business completely worry-free.
Contact us now for a free initial consultation and quote for your business, and kick-start your journey into exporting eco-friendly equipment!
