Export Documentation and Packing: What Should Arrive With the Equipment
Equipment that arrives without documentation is expensive to commission and impossible to certify. The documents below should be specified in the purchase order, not requested after shipment.
The document package
| Document | What it proves | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Material certificates EN 10204 3.1 | Actual test results for the delivered heat | Pressure parts, alloy vessels, wetted parts |
| GA drawings (as-built) | Final dimensions and nozzle orientation | Foundation and piping design |
| P&ID and electrical schematics | How the unit is wired and piped | Installation and future modification |
| FAT report | Function tested before shipment | Acceptance and payment milestone |
| IOM manual | Installation, operation, maintenance | Commissioning; also a CE requirement |
| Declaration of Conformity | CE compliance | Customs and market surveillance |
| Packing list and weights | What is in each case | Customs and site receiving |
Wood packaging: ISPM 15
Solid wood crates and pallets entering most countries must be heat treated or fumigated and stamped with the ISPM 15 mark. Untreated wood is refused or fumigated at the buyer’s cost, and the delay can exceed the shipping time. Plywood and OSB are exempt in most jurisdictions.
Certificates of origin and customs
Confirm the HS code with your freight forwarder before shipment. Process equipment is often classified by function, and a wrong code can trigger inspection or a different duty rate. A certificate of origin may be required for preferential tariff treatment.
Preservation matters as much as paperwork
Specify the preservation: internal lacquer or desiccant for carbon steel, VCI film for machined surfaces, blanking plates on all flanges, and nitrogen blanketing for stainless vessels if sea transit is long. Equipment that arrives with rusted flanges costs more to fix than the preservation would have cost.
Put it in the PO
A single line in the purchase order — "documentation package as listed in Annex A, delivered before shipment, in English" — prevents most disputes. Suppliers who cannot provide EN 10204 3.1 certificates are substituting material.
Send your destination country and equipment list, and we will return the document package and packing specification for your PO.