Importing goods and customs clearance in France

If you want to ship your goods to France then you have to get them through customs and formally import them. This article describes a number of important aspects.

Please note that if you need help, there are various parties available to support you.

Shipping your products

If you sell physical products, you need to get them delivered into France. Depending on the country you are in, this may be a challenge.

First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. There are certain thresholds for both of these charges, e.g. while importing in the EU you don’t have to pay import duties on any shipment worth less than € 150.

There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.

Validate your HS-codes before you ship

Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.

Tell us what you want to ship and where to and we ask you all relevant questions to get to the most likely code.

Importing goods into France

When importing goods into France, you need to comply with the customs regulations set by the French Customs (Douane Française), which is part of the French Ministry of the Economy. The official website provides information on duties, VAT, and other regulations: French Customs – English.

General Import Process

Customs Declaration
- Submit an Import Declaration electronically through the DELTA system (Déclaration en Ligne des Transports et des Achats).
- Required documents include a commercial invoice, bill of lading, and packing list.
Import Duties and VAT
- Calculate duties using the EU TARIC database (TARIC Calculator).
- VAT rates include:
  - Standard VAT rate: 20%.
  - Reduced VAT rate: 5.5% for food, books, and certain cultural goods.
Additional Non-Financial Requirements
- You can check the Access2Markets portal (Access2Markets) for product-specific requirements, including safety, labeling, and certification standards.
Inspection and Clearance
- Customs may inspect goods. Normal processing time is 1-3 days with correct documentation.
Release of Goods
- After clearance, goods can be transported to their final destination within France or to other EU countries.

Service Providers for Assistance

Kuehne+Nagel France – kuehne-nagel.com
Geodis – geodis.com
DB Schenker France – dbschenker.com
XPO Logistics – xpo.com
Sealogis – sealogis.com

Importing Small Parcels

For small parcels, popular couriers like DHL, UPS, FedEx, and La Poste provide reliable shipping services to France. Shipping costs for a 2kg parcel typically are:

From the USA: €25-€50.
From China: €15-€30 for economy services.

Express options (3-5 days) are more expensive. For precise rates, consult the respective service providers’ websites.

Get funding from banks & investors

Entering a new market is an investment. Finding partners, contracts, translations and marketing costs money and you may need additional working capital.

Only with a good plan with enough financial data you can convince banks and investors to fund you. We help you with the complete business case and documentation.

Frequently asked questions

How to find an importer in France for your product?

The best way to find an importer in France is to understand the sales channel for your product, and what parties are involved. Then find the right importers or wholesalers at the beginning of that chain. Before starting to push your product, approach a number of them to ask what they need. This way you can position your product better before you reach out to a broader group.

How to find a web shop for your product in France?

First check whether your product normally is sold through web shops in France or that other distribution structures are more common. Then determine the characteristics of your ideal web shop, and find a number of these, or outsource this search. When you approach the first few, you will learn what they find important and who your competitors are.

How to convince an importer in France to work with you?

As in any country, convincing an importer or wholesaler to put your product in his assortment is difficult. Importers in France look at the rotation of the product, how easy and often they can sell it, and multiply this with the margin they can make on it. The result should be higher than they earn now from any competing product. Only if you have proper sales data, for example from other countries, they will engage in a discussion with you.