Post by Trade facilitator on Jul 25, 2019 18:15:58 GMT 1
The product discussed here concerns plastic parts for industrial applications, for example in industrial equipment and machinery, but also in household appliances.
Plastic parts are made of plastic that consists of a mixture of elements such as oxygen and carbon and originally comes from primary chemicals, oil, natural gas or coal. In general, there are two groups of plastics: plastic parts that are made from thermoplastics and plastic parts that are made from thermosets. Thermoplastics are plastics that soften once they are heated and harden when cooled, whilst thermosets are plastics that remain hard in every condition.
Within these two groups, there are several forms of plastics. The material for the final plastic products depends on the application. For instance, polyethylene terephthalate (thermoplastic) is used for the production of beverage bottles, while polyurethane (thermosets) is used for hard plastic parts for the automotive industry.
Depending on the application of plastic materials, plastic parts and components may have a surface finish such as a coating. Surface finishing is mostly applied to visible plastic parts such as bumpers for cars, piano and keyboard keys, et cetera.
The buyer specifies the exact requirements for plastic parts.
Opportunities in Plastics Export
Global usage of plastics is huge and global production is increasing. Germany and France are interesting markets for suppliers from developing countries. Recycling of plastics and production of plastics from environmentally friendly materials are becoming more important and popular which increases chances massive sales and international market penetration.
Consumers and governments in Europe increasingly demand sustainable products and practices. Plastics have an important role in that trend, as plastic products offer the benefit of reduced weight, while at the same time plastics are mostly made from non-renewable resources.
And because the suppliers of plastics to Europe are few, investors in this line of business stand a good chance of making regular supplies and huge profits from the business.
Looking for a business to start or an investment of a lifetime, you can begin to export plastics to Europe.
To have an edge against competitors
Reliability is of utmost importance to European companies. Focus, among other things, on quality and delivery time.
You could improve your chances by delivering customised plastic parts and components, as the demand for customisation is increasing in the European market.
European Target Market for Plastics Export
Germany is the largest importer of plastic parts and components, followed by the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the import from these countries has been increasing.
In the coming years, the increase in European imports of plastic parts and components is expected to continue. This growth forecast reflects, among other things, the trend of a greater demand for plastics products.
Requirements for Product Export to Europe
These can be classified into two:
Legal requirements and Non-legal requirements
The requirements that apply specifically to plastic parts and components are given below.
Legal requirements
No specific legal requirements apply to plastic parts in general. This also means that there are no specific legal requirements for plastic parts which are exported to Europe.
Packaging and liability
Also, there is no product-specific legislation on packaging and liability which applies to all goods marketed in the European Union.
Import duties
For plastic parts and components, a 6.5% duty is levied on European imports from countries outside Europe, including Nigeria.
Non-legal requirements
Buyer’s specifications
The most important buyer requirements relate to the parts themselves. Materials, dimensions and finishing must meet the buyer’s specifications. These issues are essential in the sample phase. Once the buyer has accepted the samples and all other conditions have been agreed upon, the contract can be signed. From that point, the main challenge for the supplier is to deliver the products according to the agreed-upon specifications, delivery times and volumes.
