Shipping Preserved Flowers from China to the Netherlands: A Comprehensive Guide to Processes and Key Points

Shipping Preserved Flowers from China to the Netherlands: A Comprehensive Guide to Processes and Key Points

As a special commodity with both ornamental value and vulnerability, transporting preserved flowers to the Netherlands requires strict compliance with EU and local Dutch standards to ensure the quality and compliance of the flowers.

Transportation Process

1. Pre – shipment Preparation: Confirm that the preserved flowers meet the phytosanitary requirements of the EU. Provide a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Chinese customs and relevant preservation treatment certificates, proving that the flowers have undergone non – living treatments such as dehydration, dyeing, and drying. Prepare documents such as commercial invoices, packing lists, and certificates of origin. These documents should be filled in English, clearly stating the type of flowers, treatment process, net weight, etc. Select a transportation method according to the quantity of goods and time requirements. Air freight (3 – 5 days) is suitable for small – quantity and high – value preserved flowers, while sea freight (25 – 40 days) is suitable for large – volume goods. However, sea freight requires special attention to thermostatic environment control.
2. Packaging Specifications: Use professional flower transportation packaging materials. Wrap the flowers with waterproof fresh – keeping paper as the inner packaging, and then place them in pressure – resistant plastic boxes or special flower boxes. Use double – layer cartons for the outer packaging and fill the cartons with buffer materials such as foam boards and pearl cotton to ensure that the flowers are not squeezed during transportation. To maintain the state of the flowers, ice packs can be placed inside the packaging or thermostatic packaging can be used, with the temperature controlled at 2 – 8°C. Mark “FRAGILE” and “THERMOSTAT PRESERVATION” on the outer packaging, along with the recipient’s detailed information.
3. Export Customs Clearance: Entrust professional freight forwarders or customs brokers to handle China’s export procedures. Truthfully declare the name, quantity, value, treatment process, etc., of the preserved flowers, and cooperate with customs inspections to ensure compliance with China’s export standards and EU import requirements.
4. International Transportation: Sign a transportation contract with the selected airline or shipping company, obtain the bill of lading or waybill, and track the cargo status in real – time through the logistics tracking number. If air freight is chosen, confirm the thermostatic cargo hold conditions of the flight in advance; if sea freight is chosen, ensure that the container has thermostatic and humidity – controlled functions and regularly monitor the transportation environment parameters.
5. Dutch Import Customs Clearance: After the goods arrive in the Netherlands, the customs clearance agent submits documents to the Dutch customs and the EU plant health department. The customs reviews whether the goods are declared truthfully, and the plant health department checks if the flowers meet the quarantine standards, and may conduct spot checks on the goods. After passing the review, pay tariffs (the tariff rate is about 3 – 8%) and value – added tax (21%) to complete customs clearance.
6. Goods Delivery: After customs clearance, local cold – chain logistics providers deliver the goods to the recipient’s address, and the recipient signs for and checks the condition of the flowers.

Precautions

1. Quarantine Compliance: Although preserved flowers have undergone non – living treatments, it is still necessary to ensure that there are no pest residues. The information on the quarantine certificate must be completely consistent with the goods to avoid the goods being returned or destroyed due to quarantine issues.
2. Temperature Control: Strictly control the temperature throughout the transportation process. Excessive or too low temperatures will affect the quality of the flowers. Choose logistics providers with professional temperature – control capabilities and place a temperature recorder inside the packaging to monitor the transportation environment in real – time.
3. Packaging Reinforcement: Due to the vulnerability of the flowers, the packaging needs to be sturdy enough to prevent collisions and squeezes during transportation. At the same time, pay attention to the tightness of the packaging to avoid water loss or the intrusion of external moisture.
4. Accurate Documents: The content of the customs clearance documents needs to be accurate. The description of the goods and the declared value in the commercial invoice should be consistent with the actual goods to ensure smooth customs clearance.