The two headings that cover engines
HS heading 8407 covers spark-ignition internal combustion piston engines — petrol engines, in everyday language. HS heading 8408 covers compression-ignition engines, which means diesel.
Sub-headings below those two split by application and displacement, and your customs broker will assign the precise code for your declaration. What matters commercially is that petrol and diesel are declared under different headings, and mixed containers need both.
The standard document set
Every shipment we send travels with a commercial invoice, a packing list, a certificate of origin and a bill of lading. The packing list is the one buyers underuse: it should identify each unit, not just count boxes, and that is where the per-unit serials and grades belong.
Ask for the draft documents before the container sails. Correcting a consignee name or an HS code on a draft costs nothing; correcting it on an issued bill of lading costs money and time.
Conformity programmes by destination
Several of our markets require conformity assessment or pre-shipment inspection in addition to the commercial documents. Nigeria commonly requires SONCAP documentation. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania operate pre-export verification of conformity programmes. Saudi Arabia handles conformity through the SABER platform. The Emirates, Ghana, Pakistan, Iraq and Egypt each have their own requirements.
These programmes are revised regularly and the detail matters more than the summary. Confirm the current requirement with your clearing agent for your specific goods and route before booking — and tell us what they say, so the documentation we prepare matches it.
Why we ask about the end destination
If you are importing into the Emirates to re-export into Africa, the documentation is not the same as for local sale, and neither is the ideal grade mix. Tell us the real end market at quotation stage.
For compliance-screened lanes — CIS, Russia, Iraq and Egypt — we run the review before quoting rather than after payment. It is slower at the start and considerably faster overall.
Ask for the current list and a price
Tell us your destination country, the codes you need and the container size. We reply within one business day — usually within hours — with photos, the grade split and container-load pricing.
Frequently asked
Do you provide the certificate of origin?
Yes, as part of the standard document set for every container.
Can you declare a lower value on the invoice?
No. The invoice states the transaction value. Anything else puts your clearance, and your relationship with your own customs authority, at risk.
Who arranges the conformity inspection?
That depends on the programme and the lane. Tell us what your agent requires and we will coordinate what has to happen at origin.