Before you buy — settle these first

• Set a total landed budget — purchase price, shipping, import VAT, customs clearance, and delivery to site combined. The purchase price is not the number that matters; the landed figure is.
• Confirm the machine's country of origin. Duty on tractors, excavators, implements and harvesters is 0% whatever the machine's origin. Telehandlers carry 4.5% unless the seller can lawfully certify UK origin under the UK–EU trade agreement — rare for a used machine, so we budget it. Confirm per machine before agreeing a price.
• Confirm whether the machine is agricultural/forestry machinery or construction plant — the import pathway for used agricultural machines from the UK carries additional requirements (see below).

Before you import — understand the two tracks

Post-Brexit, the UK is a third country relative to the EU. A UK-to-Sweden movement is a customs import event for both construction plant and agricultural machinery. The two tracks differ in what sits on top of customs.

Track 1: Used construction and earth-moving plant (excavators, telehandlers, dumpers, rollers, compactors)

• Customs declaration required (filed through Tullverket, Sweden's customs authority — Tullverket is explicit: "You are always required to submit a customs declaration when importing goods" from outside the EU).
• No plant-health certification required — construction plant (CN 8429/8430) is not on Jordbruksverket's regulated list for phytosanitary controls.
• General expectation: the machine arrives clean and free from soil and organic debris.
• Import VAT applies (see below).

Track 2: Used agricultural and forestry machinery (tractors, cultivators, harvesters, forestry equipment)

• Customs declaration required.
• Phytosanitary certificate required, issued within 14 days before the machine leaves the UK, by the relevant authority in the country of export.
• TRACES CHED-PP notification required — pre-notification through the EU's TRACES system, due by 10:00 the working day before arrival.
• Border check and fee apply — Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture) is the competent authority for plant-health controls. The border control point for a machine landing at Gothenburg is Kattegatt 11 (weekdays 08:00–15:00) — a separate site from the DFDS freight terminal. Jordbruksverket charges a weight-based fee (SEK 900–1,400 for a machine under 25 tonnes).
• Jordbruksverket specifically lists the regulated CN codes: 8432, 8433, 8436 80 10, 8701 — if your machine falls under these headings, it is on the controlled list. From 15 October 2026 the list also covers forestry machinery (8436 80 90/99 00), forage harvesters (ex 8433 59) and single-axle/track-laying tractors.
• Machine must be visually clean and free of soil and plant debris before inspection.

If you are unsure which track applies, confirm the CN code and track with your Swedish customs broker before the machine ships.

Sourcing the machine

• Search across multiple sources — dealer stock, online auctions, private sellers in the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France.
• No single listing platform shows the whole market. Auction stock rarely appears on retail platforms.
• If you need a specific model, spec, or year range: note it precisely before searching. Vague searches produce vague results.

Verifying the seller

• Confirm the business exists on the relevant national company register.
• Confirm the business is actively trading.
• Confirm that bank account details match the registered company name.
• Check there is a real address and working landline.
• Assess trading history — how long have they been in business?
• Never pay a deposit to a seller you cannot verify. Pressure to transfer money quickly before a deal is agreed is a fraud signal.

Inspection

• Inspect the machine in person — or have someone do it for you — before any money moves.
• Start the machine cold and work it; don't just walk around it.
• Check undercarriage condition on tracked machines: tracks, rollers, idlers, sprockets. This is the most expensive wear item and the easiest to hide in photos.
• Check for oil leaks, hydraulic condition, emulsified oil.
• Cross-check displayed hours against visible wear.
• Photograph and record everything honestly.

Cleaning — applies to both tracks

A used machine that has worked outdoors will carry soil, plant material, and organic debris in hard-to-reach places.

• Commission a professional machinery clean before shipping — not a basic wash.
• Target: undercarriage and track frames, wheel arches, engine bay, cab interior and floor, belly plates, buckets, blades, all ground-engaging attachments, hollow sections and chassis cavities.
• Obtain a record from the cleaning contractor documenting what was done.
• Photograph the machine after cleaning and before loading.

For agricultural/forestry machinery specifically, arriving clean is a condition of the phytosanitary process — it is not optional. Sweden also bans importation of soil and growing media from non-EU countries, so a machine carrying visible soil contamination will face problems at the border.

Export from the UK

• UK export declaration lodged correctly.
• Commercial invoice prepared: accurate machine description and declared value.
• Bill of lading obtained from the shipping line.
• Packing details prepared.
• Duty on tractors, excavators, implements and harvesters is 0% whatever the machine's origin, so no origin claim is needed. For a telehandler (4.5% MFN), proof of origin documentation is prepared if the seller can lawfully certify UK origin under the EU–UK TCA (a statement on origin on the invoice) — confirm with your UK exporter or customs broker.
• For agricultural/forestry machinery: phytosanitary certificate obtained from the UK plant-health authority before export; TRACES CHED-PP pre-notification submitted before arrival at the Swedish border.

Swedish customs and import VAT

• Customs declaration lodged through Tullverket (Swedish Customs) on arrival from the UK.
• Import duty on tractors, excavators, implements and harvesters (HS 8429, 8432, 8433, 8701) is 0% whatever the machine's origin — the EU MFN rate is nil, so the EU–UK TCA is irrelevant to them. Telehandlers (HS 8427.20) carry 4.5% duty unless the seller can lawfully certify UK origin under the TCA — rare for a used machine, so budget for it unless origin is confirmed. Confirm the exact TARIC line with your Swedish customs broker.

Machinery compliance considerations

• Construction plant and agricultural machinery placed on the Swedish market must meet relevant EU machinery safety requirements. If the machine is being used or sold for the first time after import, confirm CE marking, ROPS/FOPS certification, and any lifting-equipment obligations with a machinery compliance specialist — these are separate from customs.
• NRMM (Non-Road Mobile Machinery) EU emissions stage requirements may apply to machines with regulated engines — confirm per machine before purchase.
• For machines that will travel on public roads (tractors, telehandlers): a tractor is registered with Transportstyrelsen using the original UK registration certificate (all parts), proof of customs clearance with a Swedish tull-id, an origin check (SEK 1,240) and a registration inspection. Keep the V5C — a copy is not accepted.

Summary — the safe sequence

1. Confirm the machine type: construction plant or agricultural/forestry — this determines which track applies.
2. Verify the seller before any money moves.
3. Inspect the machine in person (or have someone do it for you).
4. Agree the full landed cost — machine, freight, import VAT, duty (if any), phytosanitary compliance (if agricultural), broker fees, delivery.
5. Clean the machine to the required standard; obtain a cleaning record; photograph before loading.
6. Confirm HS/CN classification and origin status before finalising the purchase price.
7. For agricultural/forestry machinery: ensure phytosanitary certificate and TRACES pre-notification are in place before the machine ships.

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