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Industries / Lawn & Garden / Outdoor Power Equipment

In store before
the first cut of spring.

Outdoor power equipment logistics: heavy units, sharp seasons and engine paperwork, planned months ahead.

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Lawn & Garden / Outdoor Power Equipment

Outdoor power lives and dies by a few spring weeks. We secure the space early, plan the bulky freight container by container and keep the parts flowing behind the units.

Riding mowers, lawn tractors and zero-turns ship as big crates with few units per container, while walk-behinds fill a box by volume long before weight. A late vessel means a missed floor set at big-box retail, and there’s no second spring.

Engines bring their own questions: EPA certification, California’s zero-emission rules and duty orders on small engines that follow them onto equipment assembled outside China. We capture where each engine was made at the PO stage, alongside the freight plan.

Why it’s hard

What makes it hard to move.

  • [01]

    Heavy, oversized units

    Tractors and zero-turns ship as large crates with low unit counts per container, so every load plan counts.

  • [02]

    A season measured in weeks

    Most sell-through happens in a few spring weeks. Miss the retailer’s floor-set date and the sale goes to someone else.

  • [03]

    Engines with a paper trail

    Duty orders on small vertical shaft engines from China reach engines mounted on mowers and pressure washers assembled in a third country. Engine origin has to be documented.

  • [04]

    Battery platforms

    Battery equipment is the growth segment, and lithium-ion packs ship as dangerous goods. New 2026 state-of-charge rules tightly restrict them by air.

The year at a glance

Ship in winter, sell in spring.

Most sell-through lands between March and June, so origin shipments cluster on either side of Lunar New Year. Snow throwers run the opposite way.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Sep–Oct
Lock spring space and rates, and confirm engine and certificate documents with suppliers before the winter push.
Nov–Feb
Units sail for late-winter floor sets, with Lunar New Year closures landing right in the middle of the window.
Mar–Jun
Spring selling season. Blades, line, filters and belts need steady replenishment, while snow throwers ship in summer for fall.

At the border

The rules that apply.

Engines and batteries drive most of the rules for outdoor power at the US border. Confirm your obligations with your customs broker or counsel; we collect the documents from suppliers before cargo sails.

  • [01] EPA

    Engine certification

    Small gas engines and the equipment they power need an EPA certificate of conformity and label, and the importer files EPA Form 3520-21 at entry. Without it, CBP can detain the goods.

  • [02] CARB

    Zero-emission in California

    Under CARB’s small off-road engine rule, most new mowers, blowers and trimmers produced for sale in California from model year 2024 must be zero-emission.

  • [03] CPSC

    Mower safety certificate

    Walk-behind power mowers must meet the CPSC mower safety standard, with a General Certificate of Conformity filed electronically in ACE since July 8, 2026.

  • [04] AD/CVD

    Small engines

    Orders on small vertical shaft engines from China were continued in October 2026 and cover engines mounted on equipment. Separate orders on walk-behind mowers from China and Vietnam were revoked for entries from July 13, 2026.

  • [05] Section 232

    Steel decks and frames

    Many steel products fall under Section 232 derivative duties, assessed on full value since April 2026. Check classification and metal content before you price a range.

  • [06] DG

    Lithium packs

    Battery packs shipped in or with equipment move as UN 3481, with UN 38.3 test summaries from the supplier.

How OWL helps

Built around how you ship.

  1. [01]

    Space secured ahead of the spring rush

    Fixed annual rates, capped peak surcharges and early allocation mean your fall and winter bookings aren’t hostage to the spot market.

    See ocean freight
  2. [02]

    Bulky freight, container by container

    Load plans for crated tractors and boxed walk-behinds are set at origin, and consolidation keeps units, attachments and accessories moving together.

    See origin management
  3. [03]

    Engine origin captured at the PO

    EPA declarations, CPSC certificate data and supplier evidence of where each engine was made are collected before cargo sails, ready for customs clearance.

    See destination services
  4. [04]

    Floor-set visibility

    OWL Vision tracks every PO from issuance at container, PO and SKU level, with alerts if a vessel slips against a retailer’s floor-set date.

    See OWL Vision
  5. [05]

    Parts behind the units

    Destination deconsolidation and distribution keep blades, line and service parts flowing all season, with final-mile delivery on demand.

    Explore

Origins

Origins we ship from.

Our own teams across Asia, close to the factories. What we move from each origin depends on the category, so talk to us about what you buy and where, and we’ll show you how we’d ship it.

Talk to us about your origins

FAQ

Outdoor power equipment logistics, answered.

[01]What do I need to import gas lawn mowers into the US?

The engines must be covered by an EPA certificate of conformity and labeled, and the importer files EPA Form 3520-21 at entry. Walk-behind mowers must also meet the CPSC mower safety standard, with a General Certificate of Conformity that has been filed electronically in ACE since July 2026.

[02]When should I ship mowers and outdoor power equipment for spring?

Spring selling runs roughly March to June, and retail floor sets happen in late winter. Most importers book in the fall and ship from about November through February, so plan around Lunar New Year closures in the middle of that window.

[03]Do duties on Chinese small engines apply to mowers assembled in Vietnam?

They can. The orders on small vertical shaft engines from China were continued in October 2026 and cover those engines when mounted on equipment, including equipment assembled in a third country. Only the engine is subject, so supplier records on where each engine was made matter.

[04]Can I ship battery-powered mowers and trimmers by air?

It’s tightly restricted. Lithium-ion packs are dangerous goods, and from January 1, 2026, batteries packed with equipment must fly at a reduced state of charge. Most battery equipment moves by ocean as UN 3481, with UN 38.3 test summaries from the supplier.

[05]Can I still sell gas-powered lawn equipment in California?

Existing gas stock can still be sold, but under CARB’s small off-road engine rule most new mowers, blowers and trimmers produced for sale in California from model year 2024 must be zero-emission. Check each product family against the current CARB rule before you plan a California range.

More industries

Other categories we move.

Light trails of a train racing through a tunnel

OWL Vision

See spring coming, PO by PO.

Every PO, product and SKU on one live picture, from PO issuance to final delivery. So you know what’s arriving, and when, before your customers ask.

Book a demoSee OWL Vision