Sea freight transport with The Freight Hero

Your reliable sea freight importer

If you are considering importing a product, it is important to know whether any rights rest on the product: trademark rights, design rights, patent rights or copyright. When you have a new product manufactured abroad, make sure that your design, packaging and brand are well protected. This can protect you against possible infringements and competitors who come to market with comparable products. It is therefore wise to carry out thorough research into the existing rights of third parties prior to the import or production of a new product, and to check whether your design and brand do not conflict with these rights.

Checks and legislation for imports outside the EU

When you import products from outside the EU using, among others, sea freight, it is important to know that these products must comply with various checks and regulations before they may be placed on the market in the Netherlands. This can concern, among other things, safety and health rules, economic legislation and environmental rules.

Customs checks, for example, whether the imported products comply with the safety and health rules that apply in the Netherlands and the EU. For example, toys must be safe for children and foodstuffs may not contain harmful substances. It is also checked whether the products meet the technical requirements that apply in the Netherlands. In addition, the economic and environmental legislation is considered. For example, the importer of electronic equipment must ensure that this equipment complies with the applicable environmental requirements. This can concern, among other things, the energy consumption of the equipment and the processing of waste materials.

Parallel import outside the EU

Parallel import is the importing and selling of products from outside the EU without the producer's permission. If you nonetheless decide to do this, you make yourself guilty of infringing the producer's trademark rights. It is important to know that parallel import is prohibited and that you can be held legally liable for it. In addition, the producer can claim damages from you and your reputation as an importer can be damaged.

If you want to import and sell goods from outside the EU, it is therefore wise to request the producer's permission prior to the import and to apply for the necessary permits and certificates. This way you avoid problems with parallel import and you can bring your products to the Dutch market safely and legally.

Commodities Act rules for sea freight

When importing goods into the Netherlands you must take into account possible restrictions and conditions. For some goods transport it applies that these may not, only to a very limited extent, or only under specific conditions, be imported. In these cases it may be necessary to apply for a certificate, exemption or import permit.

In addition, a foreign product that is placed on the Dutch market must comply with the requirements set in the Commodities Act. This act sets requirements for the safety and health of products in order to protect consumers against injury and material damage. For example, toys and electronic devices must be safe and, as mentioned, foodstuffs may not contain harmful substances.

CE marking mandatory

Depending on the country a product comes from, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer or importer to provide the product with a CE marking. With this marking the producer declares that the product complies with all European directives for safety, health and the environment, and thereby accepts liability for the product.

The CE marking is mandatory for more than 20 product groups:

• Active implantable medical devices
• Appliances burning gaseous fuels
• Cableway installations for the transport of persons
• Construction materials
• Ecodesign of energy-related products
• Electromagnetic compatibility
• Equipment and protective systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
• Explosives for civil use
• Central heating boilers
• In-vitro diagnostic medical devices
• Lifts
• Low voltage
• Machinery
• Measuring instruments
• Medical devices
• Noise emission in the environment
• Non-automatic weighing instruments
• Personal protective equipment
• High-pressure equipment
• Pyrotechnics
• Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
• Recreational craft
• Restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
• Safety of toys
• Simple pressure vessels

Customs declaration for your sea freight transport

If you import goods from outside the EU and they arrive in the Netherlands, you must make a declaration to Customs. Based on your declaration, Customs calculates the import duties, also known as import levies, and the VAT. The amount of these levies depends on the type of product and the country of origin.

Don't know where to start? Get in contact with The Freight Hero team!