Shipping to and from France.
Western Europe's second-largest economy. Our partner network manages imports through Le Havre, Marseille with full French customs and nationwide distribution.
France freight, coordinated across the whole operating thread.
France is Europe's 2nd largest economy and a major industrial center. The country imports machinery, vehicles, chemicals, electronics, and fuel; exports vehicles, machinery, aerospace products, wine, and luxury goods. French customs operates within EU framework; clearance is standard (1–2 days). Port of Le Havre dominates Atlantic trade; Marseille serves Mediterranean. Paris CDG and Orly offer major air cargo hubs. France's geographic position makes it gateway to Benelux, Germany, and Southern Europe. Our partner network has a strong logistics footprint in France.
France operates within EU customs (NCTS). Le Havre clearance: 1–2 days standard. VAT 20% (reduced 5.5% for food). Marseille slower (2–3 days) due to Mediterranean throughput. Food/wine/spirits require DGCCRF pre-approval for some items. Documentation standard EU format. Rail links to Germany, Switzerland, Italy excellent for distribution. Our licensed broker partners operate under French customs broker licenses.
Annual imports referenced in the country profile.
Annual exports referenced in the country profile.
Trade position and market context.
Routing compared across ocean, air, ground, customs and partner options.
Port of Le Havre
France's largest container port (3+ million TEU/year). Atlantic gateway. 1–2 day clearance.
Port of Marseille
Mediterranean gateway (2+ million TEU/year). Bulk/container. Southern France access.
Port of Dunkirk
Northern France port. Belgian border. 1–2 day clearance. Less congested alternative.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
France's primary cargo hub (1.3+ million metric tons/year). European distribution hub.
Paris Orly Airport
Paris's 2nd airport. Secondary cargo hub for Paris region.
Paris CDG
Air cargo gateway — Paris.
Paris Orly
Air cargo gateway — Paris.
Lyon
Air cargo gateway — Lyon.
Nice
Air cargo gateway — Nice.
What moves through France.
The freight plan changes by product category, Incoterm, customs regime and gateway. These are the trade patterns already documented for this market.
Frequent trading partners
Le Havre, Marseille or Dunkirk?
France has three very different sea gateways plus a deep air network. The right one depends on where the goods are delivered, not on port size. A short sea leg into the wrong coast is paid back in road miles.
| Gateway | Best fit | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Port of Le Havre (FRHAI) | Deep-sea boxes for Paris and northern France | Barge and rail run up the Seine towards Paris |
| Port of Marseille (FRMAR) | Asia and Mediterranean lanes for the south | Also handles bulk cargo and project pieces |
| Port of Dunkirk (FRDKK) | Cargo for Lille, the border zone and Belgium | A useful option when northern terminals are tight |
| Paris CDG (FRCDG) | Air freight for the whole country | France's main cargo gateway, with the widest choice of flights |
| Paris Orly (FRORY) | Smaller air consignments around Paris | Check the handling cut-off before you book |
| Lyon (FRLYS) | Rhône valley industry and Alpine routes | Good road links towards Switzerland and Italy |
| Nice (FRNICE) | Light, urgent cargo for the Riviera | Limited freighter capacity. Often trucked from Paris |
Wine, spirits and other excise cargo
Alcohol, tobacco and energy products carry excise duty on top of customs duty. The movement rules sit apart from normal freight rules. Get them wrong and the goods are held, even when the customs entry is perfect.
- Excise is a second layer — It is charged on volume, strength or weight. The invoice value does not drive it.
- Duty suspension — Goods can travel between approved tax warehouses with the excise still unpaid.
- The electronic movement document — A suspended movement travels under an e-AD raised in the EMCS system.
- An approved warehouse keeper — Someone with the right approval must receive the goods and close the movement on the system.
- Financial cover — The excise at risk has to be secured before the goods leave the warehouse.
- Release for consumption — Once goods leave suspension, excise falls due in the country where they land.
- Consumer rules on labels — Some food and drink lines need pre-approval. DGCCRF oversees French consumer protection rules.
- Small parcels are not exempt — A sample case of wine follows the same regime as a pallet. Plan it the same way.
Aerospace, batteries and other restricted air cargo
French air lanes carry a lot of regulated cargo. Air rules are stricter than sea rules and they are checked at acceptance, not at the border. A rejected pallet at the warehouse means a new flight and a new rate. See air freight for how a booking is built.
| Cargo | What the airline needs | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft parts | An authorised release certificate and clear part identity | Serial numbers that do not match the packing list |
| Batteries inside equipment | UN3481 marking and the correct packing instruction | Equipment packed with no guard against accidental activation |
| Loose lithium batteries | UN3480 handling as fully regulated cargo, within the state of charge limit | Booked as general cargo to save time |
| Paints, aerosols and solvents | A dangerous goods declaration and a trained packer | Sample cans hidden inside a mixed pallet |
| Perfume and alcohol samples | Class 3 treatment once small volume limits are passed | Assuming cosmetics are never regulated |
| Machinery holding fuel or oil | Drained, cleaned and certified as such | Residual fuel left in a test engine |
| High value goods | Declared value and agreed security handling | No cover arranged. Read the cargo insurance guide |
The French import file, product by product
Each of the main French import lines adds one or two documents to the standard set. Ask for them while the goods are still at origin. Chasing a certificate after arrival is the most expensive way to get it.
- Machinery and equipment — CE mark, EU declaration of conformity, and user instructions written in French.
- Vehicles and parts — Conformity evidence plus a clean trail of chassis or part numbers across all papers.
- Chemicals — A safety data sheet in French, with proof that the substance is registered under REACH.
- Food and drink — A health or plant certificate, and labels that meet French consumer rules.
- Textiles and leather — Fibre composition labels and care symbols sewn onto the goods, not printed on the carton.
- Electronics — Conformity marks, and for many items a producer registration for waste take-back.
- Wood packing — An ISPM 15 stamp on pallets, crates and loose dunnage alike.
- Any preference claim — A statement on origin in the exact wording the agreement asks for.
Why French entries get held
Customs at Le Havre and Marseille query the same points again and again. None of them need a lawyer. They need one email sent a week earlier.
- Gaps in French — Consumer-facing labels, manuals and safety notices are expected in French. Translate before the goods ship.
- A preference claimed with no proof — Without the statement on origin in the file, the standard duty rate applies.
- Invoice and Incoterm disagree — If the terms say freight is included, the value must show it. Check with the Incoterms selector.
- Samples sent with no value — Free of charge goods still need a value for customs. Write it on the invoice and say why.
- Peak volumes at Marseille — Mediterranean traffic swells in late summer. Book the onward truck earlier in that window.
- A carnet used the wrong way — An ATA carnet covers goods that come back. Anything sold needs a normal import entry.
- The barge or rail leg booked late — Seine barges and rail shuttles run to fixed departures, not to demand.
Services available for France.
France shipping questions.
Answered from the country profile and the operating requirements documented for this market.
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