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RD COATINGS – DOTHEE S.A. is a small family-owned Belgian company producing high performance protective coatings for industrial and commercial buildings.
The firm has developed a water-based technology that provides a more eco-friendly option compared to traditional solvent-based coating systems. This was key to enabling RD Coatings to export products all over the world, from North- and South America to Asia.
How the EU’s free trade agreements with Mexico and South Korea help
The company has been exporting to South Korea since 2018 and to Mexico since 2020.
When they started invoicing customers, they received information from Belgian customs about how the EU-Mexico and EU-Korea FTAs could make customs procedures easier for them.
The FTAs enable the family-owned company to simplify the procedures, saving many hours of administration work – thanks to the REX number that certifies the EU origin of the goods they manufacture. The FTA also helps them to be more competitive in Mexico, since none of RD’s products pay a duty when imported to Mexico with a valid Certificate of Origin.
Anything that can be done more easily is always very much appreciated in a small company like ours. We think that the FTAs with Mexico and South Korea are very beneficial, helping to make logistics flows smoother and faster, and reducing paperwork. We expect to see growth in the next five years in both countries, as we are ending the evaluation phases on different projects.
Jean-Xavier Van Laethem,
Sales & Marketing Manager,
RD COATINGS – DOTHEE S.A.
Key facts
- Founded in: 1946
- Headquarters: Assesse, Belgium
- Employees: 25
- Annual turnover: +/- € 8,500,000
