Before you buy — the questions that matter first

The US is a large, well-stocked machinery market. The case for sourcing from the UK and Europe is specific, not general: European-spec machines, particular manufacturer configurations, specialist equipment that is genuinely hard to find domestically, or a machine that exists in the UK at a price that still works after the full landed cost is calculated.

If you know exactly what you need and it is not available or not priced right in the US — that is when the UK and European market is worth the complexity.

• Define the machine precisely — make, model, spec, year range, hours. The more precisely you can describe what you need, the more clearly you can assess whether the US market is genuinely short of it.
• Set a total landed budget: purchase price, freight, biosecurity compliance, customs fees, EPA compliance costs, sales/use tax, and delivery to site. There is no federal VAT, but your state's sales/use tax is due on first use — many states exempt qualifying farm machinery (Texas requires an Ag/Timber number); construction and industrial equipment is usually taxable. You self-assess this; it is not collected at the port.
• Confirm the machine's intended use — if it will only work off-road, the regulatory picture is different from a machine that will operate on public roads.

Sourcing the machine

• Search across multiple sources — dealer stock, online auctions, private sellers in the UK, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France.
• No single platform shows the whole market. Machines at auction rarely appear on retail platforms.
• European-spec machines often come with configurations, attachments, and manufacturer options that are genuinely less common in the North American market — if specification matters, it is worth the search.

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 before inspection is arranged 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 conceal in photographs.
• Check for oil leaks, hydraulic condition, emulsified oil.
• Check slew ring and rams on excavators.
• Cross-check displayed hours against visible wear.
• Photograph and record everything honestly.

USDA APHIS — biosecurity (both sectors)

The US prohibits the importation of foreign soil. This applies to all used equipment — construction plant as well as agricultural machinery. A used excavator or dozer that has been working in European ground must arrive clean.

USDA APHIS PPQ regulates "farm machinery" explicitly and applies the definition broadly. The 7 CFR 330 soil prohibition is not limited to agricultural equipment — it applies to any used machine that could carry soil. In practice the required documents are a new/used declaration and a "clean and dry" statement on the commercial paperwork — no phytosanitary certificate is normally needed.

What the machine must be free of on arrival

• Soil and organic matter — all trap points: track frames, wheel arches, belly plates, chassis rails, engine bay, cab floor, buckets, blade faces.
• Plant material — seeds, leaves, bark, straw, hay residue.
• Insects and larvae — in any life stage.
• Animal residue — blood, excretions, animal debris (livestock-associated equipment particularly).

What is needed

• Professional clean by a contractor to a standard that leaves no visible soil or organic contamination.
• Photograph the cleaned state before loading.
• If the machine originated in a region with active FMD (foot-and-mouth disease): a foreign government steam-cleaning certificate may be required. The UK has been FMD-free throughout; APHIS lifted its restrictions on Germany in March 2026 — confirm current status per deal for any other origin.

APHIS problems at the US border are among the more expensive outcomes on this route. Port quarantine costs accumulate. Prevention is always cheaper.

EPA — nonroad engine emissions

This is a requirement specific to the US that catches buyers off guard — and it is a deal-breaker, not paperwork.

The Clean Air Act applies to both new and used nonroad equipment being imported into the United States. A used nonroad engine can only be imported for permanent use if it carries a US EPA emissions label from a certified engine family. A machine without one cannot be imported for use in the US — no exemption exists for used engines since the 21-year "ancient engine" exemption was abolished in March 2023.

CBP customs and duty

• There is no US–UK or US–EU free trade agreement. As at September 2026 most UK- and EU-built construction machinery enters at roughly 15% duty all-in under Section 232 (steel and aluminium derivatives, applied on the full value since June 2026), and agricultural tractors and implements carry an additional 15%. Origin is where the machine was built, not where it was bought.
• The regime has changed three times this year — we obtain the broker's written rate for the exact tariff line on the day we quote, and treat that as the only rate that counts. Confirm the correct HTS classification and current rate with your US customs broker at deal time, not at initial enquiry — do not rely on a rate from a previous shipment.
• A formal Customs Entry is required — a licensed broker is the strong norm for commercial machinery.
• ISF (Importer Security Filing): must be filed 24 hours before loading for containerised cargo, or 24 hours before US arrival for RoRo/break-bulk machinery — your broker confirms which applies. Appoint your broker early — missing this deadline has consequences.

CBP fee	Rate
Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF)	0.3464% of declared customs value, minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50
Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF)	0.125% of declared customs value (ocean shipments only)

Figures are for the US fiscal year to 30 September 2026; updated annually. These are not recoverable — include them in your landed cost calculation.

Export from the UK

• UK export declaration lodged correctly.
• Commercial invoice prepared: accurate machine description and declared value — wrong descriptions cause delays.
• Bill of lading obtained from the shipping line.
• Packing details prepared.
• EPA Form 3520-21 prepared for CBP.
• Cleaning documentation prepared for APHIS.

Summary — the safe sequence

1. Define exactly what you need and confirm the UK/European market genuinely has it.
2. Verify the seller before any money moves.
3. Inspect the machine in person (or have someone do it for you).
4. Assess EPA nonroad compliance for the engine before committing.
5. Confirm current HTS duty rate and ISF requirements with your US broker at deal time.
6. Clean the machine to APHIS standard; photograph cleaned state.
7. File ISF on the correct deadline — 24 hours before loading for containerised cargo, or 24 hours before US arrival for RoRo/break-bulk — do not leave this late.

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