Importing a Machine or Industrial Equipment from China: The Guide

A batch of finished products with a defect is handled by sorting, rework or a new production run. A machine is not. It is expensive, it is ordered as a single unit, and a manufacturing defect can shut down your production line for weeks. The real stakes go far beyond the purchase price.

A machine also becomes part of your production system. It must interface with your existing equipment, comply with your workshop safety rules and connect to your electrical, sometimes pneumatic, networks. Lastly, it lives a long time: wear parts, automation updates and technical documentation stay with you for years.

In the European Union, machinery is governed by Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, which replaces Directive 2006/42/EC. It becomes applicable in January 2027; before that date, the directive remains the reference. In both cases, the principle is the same: a machine placed on the EU market bears the CE marking and is accompanied by a declaration of conformity signed by the manufacturer.

The declaration of conformity is a legal document: it lists the standards applied, identifies the manufacturer and binds their liability. If you import a machine without a valid declaration, you are the one answerable to market surveillance authorities. Other texts may also apply depending on the equipment: pressure equipment (2014/68/EU), low voltage (2014/35/EU), electromagnetic compatibility (2014/30/EU). An upfront compliance review avoids unpleasant surprises.

Common mistake: buying a machine designed for the Chinese market, then discovering at installation that it does not fit your environment. Three-phase voltage differs (380 V common in China, 400 V in continental Europe, frequency of 50 Hz in both cases), workshop safety rules vary, and your raw materials do not always match the factory settings.

The solution is a written specification, sent to the manufacturer before the quote. It specifies the voltage and power available on site, the dimensions of the parts to be processed, the target output, the interface with your equipment and the safety requirements (guards, emergency stops). Many factories offer to send a technician for commissioning: negotiate who pays for the flight, hotel and visa, and plan ahead for the visa processing time, which is counted in weeks.

A machine breaks down one day. What matters then is parts availability. Before ordering, ask for the list of recommended wear parts for the first year, with references and prices. Also ask which critical components are of international brands (automation, drives, sensors, pneumatics): in that case, parts remain available from local distributors, which reduces dependence on the Chinese factory.

Then negotiate a batch of critical parts delivered with the machine: the extra cost is small compared with the price of the equipment, and it can avoid weeks of downtime. Also require full documentation in the purchase contract: electrical diagrams, maintenance manuals, an itemised parts list. Suppliers change their ranges and sometimes disappear; this documentation is your lasting protection.

The warranty on a Chinese machine is negotiated, not simply accepted. The terms offered often run around twelve months, but the definition matters more than the duration: who diagnoses, who ships the part, who pays for transport, who sends a technician, within what timeframe. A poorly defined twelve-month warranty is worth less than a shorter warranty with clear written commitments.

Also be wary of a manufacturer who refuses pre-shipment inspection or wants to ship as fast as possible: on expensive equipment, this is a warning sign. Your leverage remains staged payment. Hold back a balance until successful commissioning at your site, with measurable criteria written into the contract: output achieved, reject rate, continuous test duration.

A machine often ships disassembled, in a container with crating, as break-bulk cargo, or under special arrangement if it exceeds standard dimensions. Export packaging must withstand sea transport: humidity, shocks, corrosion, securing to battens. Require a documented disassembly diagram and marked lifting points. On the customs side, the HS code determines the duties, the value is declared based on the price paid, and the importer must hold an EORI number.

On receipt, sign nothing before checking the condition of the shipment and comparing its contents against the invoice and the disassembly diagram. Transport damage reported after signing the delivery note becomes very difficult to get covered by insurance. Take photos systematically, before and during unpacking.

Sorva is a brokerage and sourcing house based in Guangzhou. Our Chinese-speaking team identifies machine manufacturers suited to your specification, visits factories, checks references and attends production trials before any commitment. We never speak Chinese ourselves: our local team deals with the factory in its own language, which avoids misunderstandings over specifications, lead times and warranty clauses.

In most cases, you pay no fees: you open a file, we negotiate the machine for you, and we take a commission on its ex-factory value. This commission varies with volume. For equipment, we also organize the pre-shipment inspection, verification of compliance documentation and follow-up of commissioning.