Importing and exporting water filters: the right factory, the right paperwork, the right partners.
Water filters look simple to trade and aren't. The tariff code is easy; the hard part is that every market has its own rules for anything touching drinking water, and every claim on the box ('removes lead', 'kills bacteria') brings its own. We run a tailored consultation for businesses buying, selling or launching filters: we research the market, find and check the manufacturers, map the certification, and find the distributors and logistics partners to get it to market.
Four things that decide how a filter trade goes.
8421.21
Complete filters and purifiers
Jugs, tap filters, under-sink units, reverse osmosis systems and UV units are classed as machinery for filtering or purifying water, worldwide at six digits.
8421.99
Cartridges and membranes
Replacement cartridges, filter housings and reverse osmosis membranes sold on their own are usually parts. Countries add their own digits after the first six.
The claim
Decides the paperwork
'Better taste' is the easy end. 'Removes lead' needs certified testing. 'Kills bacteria' brings pesticide and biocide rules into play. Decide the claims before you pick a factory.
31 Dec 2026
New EU rules apply
From that date, materials and products in contact with drinking water in the EU have to meet one harmonised set of rules, with national approvals given before then running until the end of 2032.
Who the consultation is for.
Launching a filter brand
You want your own jugs, tap filters or reverse osmosis systems made to your spec, and need the factory, the certification plan and the landed cost before you commit.
Importing to distribute
You sell to retailers, installers, offices or hotels in Georgia, the Caucasus, Central Asia or the Gulf, and want reliable supply and the right paperwork for each market.
Exporting what you make
You manufacture filters, cartridges or components and want buyers abroad: which markets fit, what they require, and who the serious distributors are.
Selling online across borders
You sell into the EU, UK or US from outside them and need the importer, the responsible person and the labelling sorted before a marketplace or a customs officer asks.
What you're trading decides which rules apply.
The tariff code is usually the same for a jug and a reverse osmosis system. The rules around them are not.
Filter jugs and pitchers
HS 8421.21 (jug with cartridge); cartridges alone usually 8421.99
Materials in contact with drinking water; any taste, chlorine or contaminant claim; antibacterial claims if the media contains silver.
Tap and faucet-mount filters
HS 8421.21
Materials in contact with water; contaminant claims (lead and cysts are common ones); fitting rules if plumbed in.
Under-sink carbon systems
HS 8421.21
Plumbing and fittings rules in the market of sale; health claims usually backed by NSF/ANSI 53 or equivalent testing.
Reverse osmosis systems
HS 8421.21; membranes sold alone usually 8421.99
Electrical safety and EMC for units with pumps or displays; NSF/ANSI 58 in North America; where the membrane is made can decide the product's origin.
UV purifiers
HS 8421.21
Electrical safety and EMC; 'kills bacteria' claims are pesticide-device claims in the US and need evidence everywhere.
Whole-house (point-of-entry) filters and softeners
HS 8421.21
Installation and fittings rules; softeners have their own standard (NSF/ANSI 44 in North America).
Gravity and ceramic filters
HS 8421.21 as complete units
Microbiological claims need strong evidence; silver-treated ceramics bring biocide rules in the EU.
Shower and appliance filters
Code depends on the design; classified product by product
Usually lighter rules, but marketing claims (skin, hair, chlorine) still have to be true.
The claim on the box sets the bar.
Pick the claims first, then the factory that can prove them. The higher up this ladder, the more testing, registration and risk.
Taste and odour
'Reduces chlorine taste and odour'
Testing to an aesthetic standard (NSF/ANSI 42 in North America) is the norm. In California, aesthetic-only devices fall outside the state registration scheme.
Health contaminants
'Reduces lead, cysts, VOCs, PFAS'
Certified testing for each contaminant claimed (NSF/ANSI 53, 58 for reverse osmosis, 401 for emerging compounds), on the exact model and cartridge sold. In California a device with health claims must be registered with the State Water Board before it's sold.
Microbiological
'Kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses'
In the US this makes the filter a pesticide device under FIFRA: the label needs the EPA establishment number of the factory and the importer files a Notice of Arrival before the goods land. EPA has stopped and fined filter shipments for missing both.
Antibacterial media
'Silver-treated to stop bacterial growth'
In the EU, a treated article may only use active substances approved under the Biocidal Products Regulation and must be labelled as such; several silver compounds have not been approved. In the US, the treated-article exemption only covers claims about protecting the filter itself.
Whatever the claim, a certificate only covers the model, cartridge and listing holder named on it. Check the certifier's public listing before you rely on a supplier's PDF.
What each market asks for.
Duties, product rules and the trap to watch, for five markets that come up often. Checked 11 November 2026.
European Union
- Duty
- Water filters and purifiers carry up to 1.7% third-country duty, less or nothing from countries with an EU trade deal; check TARIC for the exact line.
- Product rules
- Electrical units need CE marking for electrical safety, EMC and hazardous substances. From 31 December 2026, the Drinking Water Directive's harmonised rules (positive lists of materials, testing and conformity assessment) apply to materials and products in contact with drinking water.
- Watch
- Every consumer product needs a responsible economic operator established in the EU (General Product Safety Regulation, in force since 13 December 2024), named on the product or packaging and in the online listing.
United Kingdom
- Duty
- Check the UK Global Tariff for the exact line and any UK trade deal with the country of origin.
- Product rules
- Plumbed-in products must meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations, usually shown through WRAS approval. Regulation 31 approval only covers products used by water companies before the water reaches a building, not home filters.
- Watch
- Electrical units need UK conformity marking. Claims are policed like any other product claim.
United States
- Duty
- The base rate on 8421.21 is free, but additional tariffs by country of origin have changed repeatedly since 2025. We price them at the time of shipping, not from a table.
- Product rules
- NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58 and 401 certification from an accredited body is what buyers and big retailers look for. Health claims require state registration in California.
- Watch
- US customs has ruled that a replacement reverse osmosis filter takes the origin of its membrane (ruling N349316, June 2025), so where the membrane is made can change the duty. Microbiological claims trigger EPA pesticide-device rules.
Georgia
- Duty
- Duty bands are 0%, 5% or 12%, and filters of EU, Chinese or Turkish origin can come in at 0% under the free trade agreements with the right proof of origin. Import VAT is 18%.
- Product rules
- The importer answers for product safety under the Product Safety and Free Movement Code. Electrical units come under Georgia's EU-style low-voltage regulation (Government Decree No. 165 of 1 May 2023); check its start dates for your product. Drinking water quality is set by Government Resolution No. 58 of 2014.
- Watch
- Consumers are owed product information in Georgian. Tbilisi's tap water is regulated and tested, so the case for a filter is taste, old building pipes and convenience: claims have to be accurate.
Saudi Arabia
- Duty
- Check the GCC common tariff for the line.
- Product rules
- Products covered by a Saudi technical regulation are registered on the SABER platform and need a product certificate of conformity (valid one year) and a shipment certificate for each consignment.
- Watch
- Shipments without the shipment certificate can be refused entry and sent back. Line up the certification body before the goods are made.
Trading through Georgia, or into it? Our Georgia import and export guide covers customs, VAT, the free trade deals and the re-export regimes.
Where the factories are, and how we choose between them.
Much of the world's supply of household filters and purifiers comes from a few clusters in southern and eastern China. Closer options can win once freight, duty and time to market are counted.
Guangdong, China
Foshan and Shunde, Zhongshan and Shenzhen: complete appliance supply chains, reverse osmosis and 'smart' purifiers, and many factories already doing NSF and CE work. Quotes are usually FOB Shenzhen.
Zhejiang, China
Ningbo, Yuyao and Hangzhou: housings, gravity and ceramic filters, tap filters and components, with Ningbo-Zhoushan as the port. Strong on cost and fast samples.
Elsewhere in China
Fujian and other provinces for budget gravity and portable filters; membrane and media specialists spread across several provinces. China keeps its 13% export VAT refund on most machinery in 2026, which is built into factory prices.
Türkiye and the EU
Shorter lead times and, into Georgia, 0% duty with Turkish or EU origin. Worth comparing with China once freight, duty and time to market are counted.
Research, suppliers, partners: built around your product.
Every filter project is different, so the consultation is shaped to yours. This is how it usually runs.
- 1
The brief
Your product, target markets, volumes, budget, timeline and the claims you want to make. We tell you early if a claim or a market will cost more than it's worth.
- 2
Market research
Who sells what at which price, which certifications competitors hold, which channels move volume (retail, online, installers, offices and hotels), and what buyers complain about.
- 3
The compliance map
Tariff codes, duties and VAT, certifications and approvals, labelling and language, and who has to be the importer or responsible person in each market.
- 4
Suppliers: long-list to short-list
Factories rather than trading companies where it matters, certificates checked against the certifier's public listing for the exact model, audits, samples and independent lab tests.
- 5
Partners
Distributors, importers of record, EU responsible persons, forwarders, customs representatives, warehouses and installers. We research them, check them and make the introductions.
- 6
Landed cost and terms
A model from factory price to shelf price: freight, insurance, duty, VAT, certification, storage. Plus the terms that protect you: Incoterms, minimum orders, payment stages and pre-shipment inspection.
- 7
First order
We stay with you through the first shipment: inspection before it leaves, documents, clearance and the first questions from buyers or customs.
What you get
- A written market and compliance report for each target market
- A checked short-list of manufacturers, with certificates verified
- A short-list of distributors and logistics partners, with introductions
- A landed-cost model you can update yourself
- A certification and labelling plan with the order of work
- Where useful, the company to trade through (for example a Georgian trading company or a Special Trading Company for re-export)
How it's priced
The first call is free. After it, we write down the scope (which markets, how many suppliers and partners, what you'll get) and agree the fee before any work starts. No hourly billing.
We're an advisory firm: we research, check and introduce, and you contract with the manufacturers and partners directly. We can't promise a factory will pass a certification or a distributor will sign; we can make sure you're dealing with the right ones, with the right paperwork.
Where filter importers get caught.
None of these is advice to do it. They come up again and again, so here's why not and what to do instead.
Borrowing the factory's certificate
Why it happensThe supplier has an NSF or CE certificate, so the product seems covered.
What it meansCertification is for a specific model, cartridge and listing holder. A different housing, media or brand name is a different product. Check the certifier's public listing; if your model isn't on it, it isn't certified.
Health claims on the box before the testing
Why it happensCompetitors claim lead and PFAS reduction, so the packaging copies them while the tests are 'in progress'.
What it meansAn uncertified health claim is the fastest way to a delisting, a recall or a regulator's letter, and in California the device can't legally be sold. Launch with what's proven; add claims as certificates arrive.
'Antibacterial' as a marketing line
Why it happensSilver in the carbon block is common, so 'antibacterial' looks like a free selling point.
What it meansThat one word moves the product into biocide rules in the EU and pesticide-device rules in the US. If the silver is only there to protect the filter, say so, or say nothing.
Two invoices for customs
Why it happensSome factories offer a low invoice for customs and a real one for payment.
What it meansThat's under-valuation, and the importer carries the risk: back duty and VAT, penalties and seized stock. Customs compare values across importers and with the payment trail.
Repacking to change the origin
Why it happensFilters made in China and boxed in Georgia or Türkiye look local.
What it meansOrigin follows where the product was made under the agreement's rules, not where it was packed. A false origin claim to get a free trade rate is customs fraud in the country of import.
What people ask on the first call.
What is the HS code for water filters?
Complete filtering or purifying machinery for water (jugs with their cartridge, tap filters, under-sink and reverse osmosis systems, UV units) is 8421.21. Replacement cartridges, housings and reverse osmosis membranes on their own are usually 8421.99. Each country adds its own digits after the first six, and the duty depends on the full code and the country of origin, so we confirm it for your exact product.
Do I need NSF certification?
To sell in North America with contaminant claims, effectively yes: buyers and big retailers expect NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58 or 401 from an accredited certifier, and California requires registration for any health claim. Other markets have their own rules: NSF on its own doesn't make a product compliant in the EU, the UK, Georgia or Saudi Arabia.
What changes in the EU on 31 December 2026?
The Drinking Water Directive's harmonised rules for materials and products in contact with drinking water start to apply: EU positive lists of permitted materials, common testing methods and conformity assessment. Products approved under national schemes before that date can generally carry on until 31 December 2032. A new product with no existing approval goes through the new EU route.
Can you find us a manufacturer?
Yes. That's the core of the consultation: we research the factories that make your type of filter, check them (certificates against public listings, audits, samples and lab tests), and give you a short-list with the trade-offs. You contract with the factory directly.
Can you find distributors for us?
Yes. We research importers, distributors, retailers and installers in your target markets, check who is serious, and make introductions. We can't promise any of them will sign, but we can make sure you're talking to the right ones with the right paperwork in hand.
Can we import water filters into Georgia and sell them there?
Yes. You'll need an importer in Georgia (usually a Georgian company), the right proof of origin to use the 0% free trade rate where it applies, 18% import VAT at the border, product information in Georgian, and the product safety duties that come with being the importer. Our Georgia import and export guide covers the set-up.
How much does the consultation cost?
The first call is free. After it, we scope the work in writing (which markets, how many suppliers and partners, what you get) and agree the fee before we start. No hourly billing.
Do you sell water filters?
No. PWS is an advisory firm. We research, check and introduce; you buy from the manufacturers and sell to the partners directly.
Tell us the filter, the market and the volume.
We'll come back with what it would take: the certifications, the likely factories, the partners to talk to and the landed cost, and a written scope for the consultation.
Sources & scope
- NSF: NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 filtration standards
Scope and claims under the main filtration standards.
- California State Water Board: water treatment device FAQs
Registration for devices with health or safety claims; aesthetic-only devices out of scope.
- US EPA: FIFRA import requirements FAQs
Notice of Arrival and establishment numbers for imported pesticide devices.
- European Commission: implementing the Drinking Water Directive
Article 11 hygiene requirements from 31 December 2026, transition to 31 December 2032.
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/365
Testing methods for the European positive lists; applies from 31 December 2026.
- EUR-Lex: General Product Safety Regulation summary
The EU responsible economic operator requirement.
- ECHA: treated articles under the Biocidal Products Regulation
Labelling and approved active substances for articles with biocidal claims.
- Drinking Water Inspectorate: Regulation 31
Which UK products need Regulation 31 approval, and which fall under the Water Fittings Regulations.
- US Customs ruling N349316 (5 June 2025)
Classification and origin of replacement reverse osmosis filters.
- SASO: SABER platform
Saudi product and shipment certificates of conformity.
- Product Safety and Free Movement Code (Georgia)
The importer's duties when placing products on the Georgian market.
- Law of Georgia on the Protection of Consumer Rights
Information owed to consumers, in Georgian.
Checked 11 November 2026. General information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Tariff codes, duties, certification schemes and approval deadlines depend on the exact product, its claims and its origin, and they change; what applies to your product is confirmed in writing as part of the consultation.
About us
The team behind the consultation
PWS Offshore is a small, senior advisory team that works with a network of specialists across borders. You deal with the same people from the first call to the first shipment.
Related on PWS Offshore
Importing into and exporting from Georgia
Duties, VAT, free trade deals, free zones and the routes in and out.
Company formation
The trading company your imports and exports run through.
International banking
Accounts that accept supplier payments and customer receipts across borders.
Every engagement begins with a twenty-minute advisory call. The fee is in writing before any work begins. No hourly billing.