Terneuzen lies in Zeeland in the southwest of the Netherlands and is part of the North Sea Port. The Terneuzen canal, which runs from Terneuzen to Gent, is an important shipping route. Ships need to go through locks in Terneuzen to enter the canal. To increase the capacity of the locks and to allow larger vessels to enter the canal, the new lock is under construction. The New Lock or Nieuwe Sluisis being built by Sassevaart, a cooperation between several Dutch and Belgian construction companies.
The building site of these new locks is just five minutes away from our offices.
Do you have the correct product classifications?
A large installation is a complex project with many moving parts, four of them very large. Ok, six. The four new lock doors and two large bridge sections were produced in China. They will arrive with the vessel Zhen Hua 34 around the 28th of May in Flushing. Together with all manner of parts and accessories, they needed to be shipped from China to Terneuzen in the Netherlands, where the documents are necessary for import.
One of the most essential things with projects like this (or any import) is that the paperwork is in order. To ensure all the goods were classified correctly, we went through all the documents and other information Sassevaart sent us to help to determine the correct product codes. We also look into the various parts that are shipped and decide whether they are part of the whole installation or if they need to be declared separately. Take the bearings (a steel structure), for example. In this case, they are not imported as bearings accessories but are part of the bridges. So the product that is imported is a bridge.
The parts and accessories are being shipped in containers. An important detail, in this case, is the fact that Sassevaart bought the containers, which means that the containers need to be imported as well. If they are only used to ship the parts and are then re-used for another shipment, they are seen as packaging and will go back to the shipping line after discharge.
Before the ship left port in China, we ensured that all documentation was in order, minimising any delays at import. HS Codes were correct, and all the numbers added up.
From simple products to complex projects. We are at your service.
We don’t process shipments with lock doors and bridges every day, but we are used to work with special cargo. Our extensive experience with importing offshore equipment for wind turbines and other projects came into play here. It’s great to be involved in such an important project for the Terneuzen region. A more oversized lock means bigger ships, which means more business and jobs for the area.
Whether you want to import complex products like sets of lock doors, or a simple shipment of steel accessories, we are at your service. If you have any questions or need assistance with importing or exporting goods, please contact one of our specialists.
