Exporting tractors to France

[elslarsen]

It's possible I will be moving to France next fall. Has anyone shipped tractors from US to the EU? Mine are a Kubota LX 3310 (recent model year, I think 2020), the other a Case 648 (from the 80's, I think). Aside from the cost of shipping, could either of these tractors be used over there? The concern would be meeting emissions requirements and also being able to get parts and repairs. I contacted Kubota EU a while back and just received a reply stating that parts would not be available for the Kubota and "it would not obtain approval". No further explanation. I could understand if it didn't have emissions control but this model does have the newer DST system so I thought it might pass muster.

Just checking to see whether anyone has any additional information or experience moving tractors over there. Looks like there are businesses that buy tractors from e.g. Pakistan and other countries and import them into France for resale, so it's not unheard of, but maybe they fall under ag or business exemptions.

Also, the Case is >25 years old. Is it possible that it would fall under a "classic vehicle" exemption as a collector's item, or is that only for e.g. cars?

Thanks for any information. I bought both these tractors fairly recently and it would be wrenching to have to sell them because of a (previously unanticipated) move. Aaarrrggghhh. At least perhaps because of price inflation I might recoup most of the purchase costs.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Oh wow, this seems like it's going to be an interesting topic; I hope you get good news.

 

[jeff9366]

The EU countries uniformly have Tier V (5) emission standards in effect. Tier V emission standards are much more stringent than USA Tier IV standards.

I contacted Kubota EU a while back and just received a reply stating that parts would not be available for the Kubota and "it would not obtain approval".

If the Kubota cannot be imported, certainly the Case, absent any pollution amelioration, would not obtain approval either.


I bought both these tractors fairly recently and it would be wrenching to sell them.
Custom duties would be a further expensive issue.
My advice: Forget trying to ship either tractor to France. Transportation from Arizona to France would be prohibitive.
There are plenty of legal new and used tractors in France, the garden of Europe.

 

[MHarryE]

A problem might exist in that manufacturers sometimes label engines for an area (EU, North America) to avoid customers buying in one country to reduce purchase cost. Usually it’s buying in Europe (yes, same model often costs significantly less there). I’ve dealt with multi-national large contractors doing that. I believe your L3310 meets both with the same engine - companies try to avoid duplication. But there are import/export firms that specialize in that. Your tractor should easily fit in a container - the best way to ship. Duty should be nothing but inspectors do look at the emission tag on the engine so you need to make sure it’s correct for EU. The Case should not be a problem but you need to check and make sure. A friend had his container half full (our company allowed us to have a 40 foot container shipped with personal belongings when we agreed to an overseas assignment) and saw space for his small sports car. He asked if they could take it and was told sure. They shipped it along with his household stuff. Good grief I didn’t realize how much we had collected - container to Europe and semi into storage. But customs was sign off - it’s personal and they monitor for drugs and if the dog says okay, it’s generally okay - except for the emissions plate on newer. Old should not be a problem but make sure with import/export.

 

[MHarryE]

Shipping cost - surprisingly low but again I’ve dealt with Atlantic coast. My plant in France could ship a machine, identical to one built in Minneapolis, to all of the east coast and gulf states for less than transport from Minneapolis. I would not be surprised to find cost to transport a container to Los Angeles for loading to be more than Los Angeles to Antwerp. Antwerp is where my container entered EU for trucking to my home north of Paris - great farming country.

 

[MHarryE]

Here is the engine PIN plate from my M7-171. It has an EU ID and was imported into USA with no problem but then again the tractor was built in France and I believe engine was assembled in Japan and shipped to France. But the PIN plate does not have a special identifier for North America so it is likely the certifications interchange. EU Stage 4 allowed more soot than North America and that turned out to be a problem. Stage 5, if I remember correctly, made it more difficult to get by without DPF. Diesel soot has long been a problem in France because of the high percentage of diesel cars. When I lived there, it was 70% diesel. I of course has a diesel and traded it for a new gasoline car to bring back to America.

 

[Agvg]

Does it have a CE approval mark on it?

 

[elslarsen]

Thank you for all of the information. MHarryE gives me some hope.

Agvg, I don't remember seeing any sign of a CE approval mark but will check later today. What does the EU/France want to see on tractors brought into the country--that they meet Stage V emissions requirements? The Kubota is a late model and does have a DPF diesel particulate filter, which meets Stage IV (current level required in USA) and might meet Stage V?

Some questions:
--both tractors are small (less than 30 HP/22 kV for the Kubota, much less for the Case), for personal not commercial/agricultural use, and would not be driven on roads. Does that matter?

--do tractors for personal use in France have to be "registered", licensed, inspected, periodically re-inspected, etc. or if they get through Customs, can you just have them transported to your property and start using them, and the French government has no further interest?

--once a tractor arrives at an EU/French port of entry, what happens--does Customs admit it as long as ownership, cleanliness are OK but makes no determination as to whether it meets EU/French requirements, then it has to get inspected/approved by another agency in France to find out whether it can actually be used?

--Could my tractors be retrofitted/modified to meet emissions or other requirements (change gauges from imperial to metric?), once in France?

There are businesses that import tractors from other countries for resale in France, so presumably there is a way to have tractors get approved/meet French requirements?
Also, there are lots of old diesel tractors in use in France. Do they have to meet the Stage V requirements or do only new tractors or tractors entering the country now have to meet these requirements?

Thanks!

 

[PuffyC]

Diesel soot has long been a problem in France because of the high percentage of diesel cars. When I lived there, it was 70% diesel.

Off topic but if you ever lived in Paris you’d quickly learn to hate diesel cars. That black soot covers everything. Spend enough time there and when you blew your nose it would come out black. Literally.

 

[Redlands Okie]

No soot to speak of from diesels now a days in the USA.