Here's the thing about importing an ice rink
Most buyers think the hard part is the ice. It's not. The hard part is coordinating six different suppliers, two freight forwarders, and a customs broker who's never cleared refrigeration equipment before.
That's exactly what turnkey is meant to kill. One supplier. One compatible system. One container. One warranty. Here's how the whole flow works, step by step, using a real project.
Step 1 — Design
It starts with your space: dimensions, power supply, ceiling height, whether it's temporary or permanent. From that we size the refrigeration system, spec the pipe grid under the ice, pick the dasher boards and the resurfacer.
The output is a bilingual technical proposal — system design, specifications, installation and commissioning plan — so your local engineer, architect, or landlord can review every line before you commit.
For our Chile project, a 216m² (18m × 12m) real-ice show rink called "Estrellas sobre el Hielo," we specced a 92 kW packaged chiller (NLPA-80.4e, Copeland compressors, R507, PLC control), transparent polycarbonate dasher boards for unobstructed audience viewing, and a 380V/50Hz/3P electrical fit that matches the Chilean grid with no transformer.
Step 2 — Production
Everything is built and assembled in our factory, not on your site. The chiller leaves pre-charged and factory-tested — on site you only need water and power connections. That matters a lot for temporary venues or rinks you'll relocate later.
Why factory assembly? Quality: we test the full system under load before it ever leaves the floor. And speed: your on-site install window shrinks from weeks to days. For Chile, full production runs about 35 days after deposit, and the complete set ships in 35–40 days.
Step 3 — One container, one shipment
Here's the part that surprises first-time buyers: a complete small rink genuinely fits in one container. The Chile system: total volume ≈57 m³, gross weight ≈10.4 t, packed into a single 40ft High Cube — the refrigeration plant, the pipe grid, the dasher boards, the control cabinet, the pump skids, everything, on one bill of lading.
One container means one customs entry, one insurance policy, one delivery window. That's the whole point of turnkey ice rink export.
Step 4 — FOB or CIF? A quick field guide
Two incoterms cover most of our exports. FOB (Free On Board): we deliver the container onto the vessel at our port; freight, insurance and import are yours. Cheapest headline price, you control the forwarder. CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight): we arrange and pay freight and insurance to your port — e.g., San Antonio for Chile. Higher price, one less thing to chase.
For "Estrellas sobre el Hielo": FOB China ≈ USD 103,707; CIF San Antonio ≈ USD 110,711. The delta is freight and marine insurance.
One tip if you're in Chile: main equipment falls under HS 84186900, and the China–Chile FTA can cut or zero your import duty. Always have your customs broker confirm the applicable rate before you order.
Step 5 — Remote commissioning
You don't need our engineers on a plane for a small rink. Remote supervision is included: your local team handles the physical hookup, and our engineers walk them through startup, charging checks, PLC parameters, and ice freezing over a video call. On-site support is available if you want it, quoted separately.
Warranty: chiller 14 months from commissioning (or 12 months from factory), system 12 months, plus lifetime remote technical support.
What this looks like on the ground
Our export track record runs through Kazakhstan, Qatar, Cyprus, and now Chile — plus domestic projects like Guangzhou and Wuxi Sunac Snow Worlds, Kunming Shilin, and a 500m² Foshan MELAND SPORT rink delivered as full turnkey. See our case studies for more.
Bottom line
If you're importing an ice rink, the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project. Look at what's bundled — design, factory testing, single-container shipping, remote commissioning, warranty. That's where the money is actually saved or lost.
Questions about a turnkey ice rink export for your venue? We also supply snow making machines and full ice & snow equipment — contact us for a quote.
