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.

 

[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.