SwitzerlandEquipment Importss Three Special Characteristics

As a global hub for precision manufacturing, Swiss equipment imports entail special requirements that significantly differ from those for conventional goods:

• HS Code Precise Positioning: Machine tool products involve 853 detailed tariff codes, and incorrect classification will result in a 5-15% tariff discrepancy.
• Technical Certification Barriers: The CE certification must include dual certification for the MD Machinery Directive and EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility, with the addition of the RoHS 3.0 environmental standard starting from 2025.
• File integrity requirements:It is recommended to verify through the following methods:The certification must be notarized by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, and the equipment manual must be provided in Chinese, English, and German versions.

Four Fatal Mistakes Commonly Made by Importing Enterprises

• Disputes over declared value: Ignoring the inclusion of technical royalty fees in the dutiable value, a company was consequently required to pay an additional 2.3 million yuan in customs duties.
• Logistics process error:
  • Unreported wooden packaging with IPPC mark subjected to 3-day mandatory fumigation.
  • Oversized equipment detained at port due to lack of temporary transit permit.
• Missing technical documents: A Typical Case of Goods Being Temporarily Held by Customs for 35 Days Due to Lack of EC Declaration of Conformity

Core value proposition of professional agency services

• Risk Pre-management: Pre-classification service can reduce customs clearance time to within 72 hours.
• Special channel application: The ATA Carnet temporary admission procedure saves 50% of the deposit.
• Emergency response mechanism: The rapid response channel established after the 2024 Zurich Customs reform

Four Golden Criteria for Selecting an Agency

• Qualification Verification: Must hold AEO certification and Swiss customs registration number.
• Industry experience: Practical cases involving the same type of equipment (such as precision instruments/CNC machine tools) have been handled.
• Service network：Local customs clearance teams are established at major ports such as Basel and Geneva.
• Technical capabilities: Equipped with EU-certified engineers to participate in technical document review

Strategies for Addressing the 2025 New Regulations

According to the latest memorandum of the EU-Switzerland Customs Union, the changes to be implemented from January 2025 include:

• Electronic customs declaration mandates the use of the UCC-Union Customs Code system.
• Carbon footprint declaration for machine tool products included in technical documentation
• The scope of the value-added tax deferral system has been expanded to include small and medium-sized enterprises.

Practical case analysis

Case 1:An auto parts manufacturer imported a five-axis machining center worth 6.8 million yuan. Due to the HS code being mistakenly classified under 8458 instead of 8457, the company successfully recovered 840,000 yuan in overpaid tariffs through an agent's appeal.

Case 2:The biomedical equipment was detained due to the lack of an EC Declaration of Conformity. The agent must complete the conformity declaration within 48 hours to avoid losses from laboratory shutdown.