Exporting tractors to France

[Raul-02]

I will be moving to France next fall.

I don't envy you.
The only way I can see you getting your tractor to France is in pieces. The engine block would have to be the bare block with no parts.
It might be possible to ship the tractor with no engine. No pollution issues there - I imagine - I do not know this to be a fact.
you might be able to ship the engineless tractor and buy an engine that comports with EU standards?? Dunno.

All in all I would probably sell it for the enormous price that used tractors are getting these days and then in France you can get on a waiting list for a tractor. I'd contact a dealer there and ask what to expect. You may be up against a real shortage what with Ukraine and the potential for Famine in Europe.

 

[Agvg]

Manufacturers love things like CE approvals, know of several cases of people bought larger JD tractors in the US and ended up with a tractor without licensplates and approved only for privat hobby use, same happened with a contractor that bought a Cat D8 that for some reason had ended up in Norway, no CE and he had a D8 for his private garden work....

Both JD and Cat could probably issued CE papers on the machines but non of them like grey imports so no, I suppose in both cases the machines was re-exported to Africa or Asia as most old and problematic equipment does.

For the large JD they might be dragging around fuel starved Russian tanks in Ukraine as they was a bit to new and fancy for the third world.

 

[Helogabals]

I am from EU, not exactly France, but still - EU

I believe you should be able to "cross the border" with all your personal belongings. Not drugs, guns and stuff like that, of course. But you might want to keep tractor in your hall, as decoration, and nobody will ask you why

With (all) transport issues will begin if you will want to register them in EU kind of "DOT". Actually I dont think you will make that happen. Emissions, CE, lightning....

Anyway, if you are not going to drive your tractors on public roads - nobody will give a

So you can roll on your fields with your piece of metal. No registration, no insurance. If that doesn't bother you - vivat !

And think what you will do when you will later - resale value of not registered tractor will be very low

For service and parts - I dont think it will be an issue. In extreme bad scenario, you always have option to order parts at US

 

[hornett22]

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.

Seems like it would be easier to just not move to France.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

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.

Sell here, buy used there.

 

[Raul-02]

Seems like it would be easier to just not move to France.

LOL~!!!

 

[elslarsen]

Thank you Helogabals for posting from the EU.

The French gov't website dealing with registering vehicles of all types states that tractors are supposed to be registered and have insurance. To register a vehicle brought in from outside the EU, you need an inspection carried out by an inspection station, which would check emissions compliance etc. I'm not sure whether that applies also to small tractors for personal use (non-ag enterprise). I will contact this agency for more information.

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/recherche?keyword=tracteurs

Also should call French Customs and find out what they do when non-EU tractors come in as part of personal belongings. If Customs would let them in, they could go straight to my property where they would stay. But, if they later need service that requires hauling to a mechanic and I need to use a transporter, that might be a problem--in the U.S., for example, tow trucks aren't supposed to pick up cars with no or expired registration.

What makes sense to me is probably to sell the Kubota over here--it still has low hours and is in excellent shape, so I should recoup most of the purchase cost. The Case OTOH has just had a lot of work done and might not be so easy to sell (?). Runs great so if I can't sell it for close to what I have in it by now, it might make sense to ship it and at least then have a small tractor to use right away while looking for something bigger to replace the Kubota, especially if I would be on a waiting list for a while.

Yeah, just not moving would be easier.

 

[TimberFarm]

But, if they later need service that requires hauling to a mechanic and I need to use a transporter, that might be a problem--in the U.S., for example, tow trucks aren't supposed to pick up cars with no or expired registration.

???Probably their biggest money makers...abandoned vehicles and vehicles being scrapped.

 

[elslarsen]

???Probably their biggest money makers...abandoned vehicles and vehicles being scrapped.

Oh, yeah of course ...but if you just have a car with expired tags in your garage and you want a tow truck to haul it to a mechanic, no go...at least they're not supposed to.

Picking up abandoned vehicles, getting any vehicle out of hazardous situations, etc...they will pick up, you just won't get it back until registration is current and any fines paid.

 

[TimberFarm]

Oh, yeah of course ...but if you just have a car with expired tags in your garage and you want a tow truck to haul it to a mechanic, no go...at least they're not supposed to.

Picking up abandoned vehicles, getting any vehicle out of hazardous situations, etc...they will pick up, you just won't get it back until registration is current and any fines paid.

Never heard of that.
MY BIL owns a repair shop.
He has a tow company that he sets up to pick up inop cars to bring to his shop. This could be a daily driver that just broke down or could be somebody's project that has sat for 10 years.