Find importers and wholesalers in France

If you want to sell your product in a country, you mostly need a wholesaler that can also act as your importer.

It strongly depends on your expectations of such an importer how easy you can find him.

If you just want to outsource the formalities and some logistics, you will easily find a party. If you look for an importer that will also find retailers or direct customers for your product, this may be more difficult.

Importers and wholesalers in France

France has a population of about 68 million people and a GDP per capita of approximately $44,000 USD in 2023, making it the second-largest economy of the European Union.

The French economy has strong aerospace, automotive, luxury goods, pharmaceutical and agri-food sectors, and France is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world.

France’s main imports include vehicles, machinery, energy products, electronics, pharmaceuticals and clothing. French buyers generally expect communication, product information and labelling in French, which is an important point to discuss with an importer.

Key cities include Paris, the capital and by far the largest business centre; Lyon, an industrial and logistics hub; Marseille, the main Mediterranean port; and Lille, close to Belgium and the Benelux markets.

What an importer really does

An importer or wholesaler can take over customs clearance, storage, product checks, repacking and returns handling. Often it also acts as importer of record: the party legally responsible for the goods in the country.

Decide what you expect. A party that only handles the formalities and the logistics is easy to find. One that also actively sells your product to retailers or end customers is much harder, and will ask for margin, exclusivity or marketing support in return.

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Finding an importer in France in three steps

Step 1

Decide what you need

Formalities and logistics only, or active selling as well? Your answer decides which parties fit and how much margin you have to give away.

Step 2

Shortlist and check

Look for parties that already import comparable products. Check their licences, their storage, their customer base and whether they can act as importer of record.

Step 3

Agree the terms

Settle pricing, stock levels, who owns the goods, who pays duties and VAT, and how complaints and returns are handled before the first shipment leaves.