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How to Ship from China to France: Ports, VAT and EPR Compliance
France is one of Europe's largest consumer markets and a natural first destination for buyers sourcing in China. It is also, right now, the European country where a rule change has caught the most overseas sellers off guard. On 1 January 2026 France closed an arrangement that non-EU sellers had relied on for years to import without a French tax registration. If you were using it, or if your forwarder was quietly using it on your behalf, your next shipment needs a different structure.
That is not a reason to avoid the market — it is a reason to understand the setup before you book. This guide is written for buyers who are new to importing from China. It covers which French port fits your cargo, how sea, rail and air compare, what the 2026 change actually requires of you, how duty and VAT are calculated, and the French labelling and recycling requirements that hold containers at customs when they are missing.
The three things to get right. Decide whose VAT number will clear your goods — that question has teeth since January 2026. Choose Le Havre or Marseille-Fos by where your customers actually are, not by the ocean rate. And sort out French labelling plus your recycling registrations while the goods are still in China.
How your cargo moves: China to France
Eight steps from your supplier's door to yours. The last four are the ones shaped by local rules.
- Pickup from your supplierWe collect the goods anywhere in China and bring them to our consolidation point.
- Export clearanceChina customs declaration filed and released before the goods move to the port.
- Loading and departureContainer loaded, sealed and handed to the carrier at the Chinese port.
- Main carriageOcean, air or rail movement booked on the route agreed for your cargo.
- Arrival at the gatewayDischarge at the port or airport of entry, recorded on the carrier's manifest.
- Import clearanceCustoms declaration filed locally, with duty and tax assessed on the declared value.
- Customs releaseGoods released into free circulation once duty and tax are settled.
- Final deliveryOnward movement to your delivery address, warehouse or nominated depot.
Duty rates, VAT rates and clearance times move, and the figure that applies to your goods is the one set for your commodity code on the day of clearance. We check the current position against your code before your goods sail and confirm it to you in writing — ask for that check when you request a quote.
Which French port: Le Havre, Marseille-Fos or Dunkirk
France has two coastlines and a river corridor, and the port choice is really a choice about the inland leg.
| Gateway | Suits cargo destined for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Le Havre | Paris and the north, the Seine corridor, Normandy | France's largest container port and the default for most China volume. Strong road, rail and barge links into the Paris basin. |
| Marseille-Fos | Southern France, Lyon, the Rhône corridor, onward Mediterranean | The main Mediterranean port. Often the better answer if your customers are in the south, and a useful alternative when northern ports are congested. |
| Dunkirk | The far north, cross-border distribution into Belgium | France's third container port, close to the Belgian frontier. |
| Rouen | Paris and inland Seine destinations | A river port serving the Paris gateway for certain cargo types. |
| Air: Paris Charles de Gaulle | Urgent, high-value or sample cargo | One of Europe's principal cargo airports. |
A practical note: goods cleared in France are in free circulation across the whole EU, so a container landed at Le Havre can be sold in Belgium, Spain or Germany without clearing again. That makes France a viable entry point for a wider European plan, not just a French one. Our container terminals directory lists the ports we serve.
Freight options into France: what each one is for
| Mode | Typical transit | Best for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea FCL | About 28–35 days port to port to Le Havre; around 30–38 days to Marseille-Fos | Planned volume; the lowest cost per unit. | Asia–Europe sailings have been lengthened since 2024 by Red Sea diversions, so build in buffer. |
| Sea LCL | Sea transit plus several days for consolidation | Trial orders, or several suppliers combined. | Deconsolidation at the French end; charged on volume or weight, whichever is greater. |
| Rail | Varies by service | A middle option when sea is too slow and air too costly. | The China–Europe rail network is built around the German corridor; services into France exist but are less central, so check the schedule rather than assuming. |
| Air freight | 3–7 days door to door via Paris Charles de Gaulle | Launch stock, urgent replenishment, samples, high-value electronics. | Priced on chargeable weight — bulky light cartons cost far more than expected. |
| Express courier | Around 2–5 days | Documents, small spares, single parcels. | The low-value exemption has gone and a small-parcel charge now applies — see the tax section. |
See our pages on sea freight FCL to France, LCL to France and air freight to France for how each is costed.
FOB, DAP or DDP when you have no French company
On most lanes the trade term is mainly about money. In France it is also about whether anyone can legally be the importer, which is why this section belongs before the tax discussion.
| Term | Who pays the freight | Who is the importer | When risk transfers to you | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | You, from the factory door | You — and you would need French tax status to be | At the supplier's premises | Avoid. You inherit Chinese export formalities and an import you cannot make. |
| FOB | You arrange the main freight | Your French buyer, or your appointed importer | On loading | The cleanest structure. Transparent costs and you control the routing. |
| CIF | Supplier pays to the French port | Your buyer or appointed importer | On loading | Looks convenient, but the supplier picks the carrier and destination charges often surprise you. |
| DAP | Seller delivers to the address | You clear and pay duty and VAT | On arrival | Only with a compliant importer already arranged. "Delivered" is not "cleared". |
| DDP | Seller pays everything | Seller's side, through a French-registered party | On arrival | Workable for a first shipment — provided you know whose VAT number is used. |
| Port to port | You pay the ocean leg only | You at both ends | Port to port | When you have your own arrangements at each end. |
| Airport to airport | You pay the air leg only | You at both ends | Airport to airport | The air equivalent via Charles de Gaulle. |
The question to ask any DDP provider. "Whose French VAT number and EORI will clear this shipment?" If the answer is vague, the structure is probably built on an arrangement that no longer works, and your cargo is the thing that will stop. If you are VAT-registered and importing regularly, clearing under your own FR-prefixed EORI also means you can recover the 20% VAT — which is usually worth more than any saving on freight. Our DDU and DDP page explains the difference.
What stopped applying at the start of 2026
For years, a non-EU seller could import into France under the arrangement known as Regime 42, using a limited fiscal representative's VAT number and deferring the VAT to another EU destination. It was a convenient way to enter Europe without a French tax registration.
France ended it on 1 January 2026. What replaces it is one of two structures:
Register for French VAT
You hold a French VAT number linked to an FR-prefixed EORI and file VAT returns. This is the route for businesses that will import regularly and want to recover the 20% import VAT. It also puts you in control of the declaration rather than depending on someone else's number.
Appoint a compliant import agent
Under Article 289 A bis of the French General Tax Code, you formally appoint an import agent who has been VAT-registered in France for at least a year and who accepts joint liability for the VAT. This is the structure most overseas sellers without a French entity now use.
Two further changes landed around the same time and both belong in your planning:
- ICS2 security filing. The EU's Import Control System now requires an Entry Summary Declaration for maritime, rail and road shipments, filed a few days before arrival — not on the day. Your carrier submits it, which means your documentation has to reach your forwarder early.
- The low-value exemption is gone. The EUR 150 duty-free threshold has been scrapped, and from 1 March 2026 a small-parcel charge of roughly EUR 2 applies to cross-border parcels under EUR 150.
Your first French order, from the factory gate to your door
Settle who clears the goods
Before anything is booked: your own FR-prefixed EORI and VAT registration, or a formally appointed import agent. This is the decision the 2026 change forced, and it has to be made first.
Agree FOB and confirm the HS code
Agree FOB with your supplier so you control the shipment, and confirm the TARIC code for every line. The code sets your duty and determines whether any product-specific rule applies.
Sort labelling and registrations in China
French-language information on the product and packaging, plus the recycling mark and sorting instructions. These are printed in China — trying to fix them after arrival means relabelling in a French warehouse.
Collect and consolidate
Your forwarder collects from one supplier or several and consolidates at a warehouse, turning multiple orders into one shipment and one customs entry.
Export declaration and departure
Chinese export declaration filed, cargo loaded, and the advance security data submitted in good time before arrival in the EU.
French customs clearance
The declaration is filed with French customs using the EORI, duty and VAT are assessed, and the goods are either released or selected for examination.
Delivery
Trucking from the port to your address or fulfilment centre — and if that is an e-commerce warehouse, note the practical requirements: standard Euro pallets, correct carton labelling, and a delivery appointment booked before the truck arrives.
French labelling and the recycling marks customs looks for
This is where French imports most often stall, because these requirements are French-specific, extend beyond CE marking, and have to be satisfied on the packaging before the goods ship.
| Requirement | What it means for your shipment |
|---|---|
| French-language information | Consumer-facing information, instructions and safety warnings need to be available in French. This is a legal requirement, not a courtesy. Arrange the artwork with your supplier in China. |
| Extended producer responsibility (EPR) | Under France's anti-waste and circular economy law, placing certain products on the French market means registering with an approved eco-organisation and contributing to end-of-life management. Categories include packaging, electronics, batteries, textiles and furniture. |
| Triman mark and sorting information | The recycling mark, with sorting instructions, must appear on packaging so consumers know how to dispose of it. |
| CE marking | Required for electronics, toys, machinery and other regulated categories, supported by a Declaration of Conformity and technical files. |
| Chemical and material rules | Textiles and many consumer goods are caught by REACH restrictions on chemicals; food contact articles must meet the EU framework regulation. |
| Wooden packaging | ISPM-15 treatment, with the stamp visible. |
French customs actively checks EPR registration and the recycling mark. A missing registration is not a paperwork slip that gets sorted later — it can hold a container for days, and storage accrues while it sits. Register before your first shipment rather than after.
Duty, TVA and the two euro parcel charge
France applies the EU common tariff, so duty is set by your TARIC code and is the same whichever French port you use.
| Category | Indicative EU duty | French VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics | 0–5% | 20% |
| Textiles and clothing | up to about 12% | 20% |
| Footwear | 3.5–17% | 20% |
| Furniture | 0–5.6% | 20% |
| Machinery and equipment | 0–6% | 20% |
| Toys | around 4.7% | 20% |
| Books and certain foods | Varies | 5.5% reduced rate |
French VAT (TVA) is charged at 20% on the customs value plus duty. There is no EU–China free trade agreement, so Chinese-origin goods get no preferential rate. If you are VAT-registered and import under your own EORI, the VAT is recoverable; deferred accounting arrangements exist for eligible businesses, which avoids tying up cash at the border — ask your broker whether you qualify.
Worked example — a shipment with a CIF value of EUR 15,000 and a duty rate of 8%:
| Component | Basis | Amount (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Customs value (CIF) | — | 15,000 |
| Customs duty at 8% | on CIF | 1,200 |
| French VAT at 20% | on CIF + duty | 3,240 |
| Total duty and VAT | 4,440 | |
| Landed, before inland delivery | 19,440 |
Illustrative. The definitive figures appear on the customs declaration prepared by your broker, and the duty rate follows your exact TARIC code.
Private purchases and commercial imports: the French difference
Buying as an individual
A private person can receive goods, and low-value personal items have historically attracted relief. But commercial quantities sent as personal parcels to avoid duty are treated as misdeclaration, and the small-parcel charge introduced in 2026 makes the parcels route less attractive anyway. If you are buying to resell, set up properly.
Importing as a business
You need an EORI for customs — an FR-prefixed one if France is your entry point — and a French VAT registration if you want to recover the VAT. A business with no French establishment either registers directly or appoints the import agent described above. An EORI obtained in any member state remains valid across the EU.
From a marketplace listing to a trade fair meeting
Sourcing online
You start with samples by courier, then a trial order by air or LCL, then repeat orders by sea once volumes justify a container. Two French-specific traps: the labelling and recycling requirements apply from the very first sale, and if you sell through a French fulfilment centre the carton and pallet specifications are strict — non-standard pallets and missing French warnings are routine causes of rejected deliveries.
Meeting suppliers at a fair
Samples come home with you by courier immediately, then the first production order follows as LCL or a part-container. Negotiate FOB at the fair so you control the freight, and if you met several factories, consolidate their output into one shipment in China for a single customs entry.
Who you actually need on a French import
Be clear about what kind of company you are hiring. A freight forwarder coordinates the whole chain; a shipping line only sells space from port to port; a trucking company moves a container that has already been cleared; a warehouse stores goods that have already been imported. You need a forwarder, and on this lane usually three parties work together:
Your forwarder in China
Collects from your suppliers, consolidates, prepares documentation, files the Chinese export declaration, books the vessel or flight, and reports to you in one thread. Mistakes are cheapest to fix here — a wrong code caught in China costs nothing, the same error found at Le Havre costs storage.
Your French customs broker
Files the import declaration with French customs, arranges duty and VAT, and handles any examination. Ask whether they handle EPR checks and whether they can tell you exactly whose VAT number is being used.
Your import agent or VAT representative
If you have no French entity, this is the party that makes the import legal — already VAT-registered in France, formally appointed, and jointly liable. This role became essential for non-EU sellers in January 2026.
Questions that expose a forwarder who has never done France
The French lane has its own failure modes, and a forwarder whose experience is mostly US or general EU freight will not know them. Ask these and listen carefully to the answers.
- "Whose French VAT number and EORI will clear my goods?" This is the single most revealing question you can ask in 2026. A competent forwarder answers immediately and puts it in writing.
- "Have you handled imports since Regime 42 ended?" If they describe the old arrangement as if it still works, they are out of date.
- "Do you check French labelling and the recycling mark before shipping?" Both belong on the packing list review in China, not on a checklist at the port.
- "When do you need my documents for the security filing?" The pre-arrival declaration is submitted days before arrival, so a forwarder who asks for paperwork at the last minute will miss it.
- "Can you confirm my TARIC code and quote the whole route?" Including destination charges, in writing.
The universal warnings apply here too: a rate far below every other quote, no questions about what you are shipping, and any suggestion to under-declare value or route commercial orders as personal parcels.
Three French imports and the decisions behind them
Homeware for a shop in Lyon
Marseille-Fos rather than Le Havre, because the inland leg to Lyon is shorter and cheaper from the Mediterranean. Duty is modest on most homeware, so the deciding factors are the inland haul and getting the French labelling and packaging registration right before production finishes.
An online seller's first palletised stock
Air freight for the launch units, then sea LCL once demand is proven. The traps are on the delivery end: standard Euro pallets, correct carton labelling, a booked delivery appointment, and French-language warnings on the packaging. None of these can be fixed at the door.
A textile order with no French entity
The importer question comes first: register for French VAT or appoint an import agent. Duty on clothing sits at the top of the common range, so the TARIC code must be confirmed before pricing. Consolidate multiple factories into one shipment so there is one declaration rather than several.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Regime 42 for imports into France?
France ended the Regime 42 arrangement on 1 January 2026. Previously a non-EU seller could import into France using a limited fiscal representative's VAT number and defer the VAT to another EU destination. That route is closed. Non-EU importers now need a French VAT registration linked to an FR-prefixed EORI, or must formally appoint an import agent under Article 289 A bis of the French General Tax Code — an agent that has been VAT-registered in France for at least a year and is jointly liable for the VAT. If you were relying on the old arrangement, speak to your broker before your next booking.
Which French port should I ship to from China?
Le Havre is France's largest container port and the natural gateway for Paris and the north, reached up the Seine corridor. Marseille-Fos is the main Mediterranean port and suits southern France, Lyon and onward Mediterranean destinations. Dunkirk serves the far north and is close to the Belgian border. Choose by where your goods will actually be sold, because the inland leg usually costs more than the difference between the ocean rates.
How much duty and VAT will I pay importing into France?
Customs duty follows the EU common tariff and your TARIC code, commonly running from 0% to around 12% for consumer goods, with apparel at the top of that range and many electronics at zero. French VAT is then charged at 20% on the customs value plus duty, with a reduced rate of 5.5% for some goods such as books and certain foods. There is no EU–China free trade agreement, so Chinese-origin goods receive no preferential rate.
Do I need French-language labelling on imported products?
Yes, in practice. Consumer-facing information, instructions and safety warnings need to be available in French, and this is a legal requirement rather than a courtesy. Sellers shipping to French fulfilment centres also find that missing French-language warnings are a common cause of rejected deliveries. Arrange the artwork with your supplier in China, not after the goods land.
What are EPR and the Triman mark?
Extended producer responsibility under France's anti-waste and circular economy law requires producers and importers placing certain products on the French market to register with an approved eco-organisation and contribute to end-of-life management. Categories include packaging, electronics, batteries, textiles and furniture. The Triman mark, together with sorting information, must appear on packaging so consumers know how to recycle it. French customs actively checks both, and missing registrations can hold a container for days.
Is there still a duty-free threshold for small parcels to France?
No. The EUR 150 low-value duty exemption has been scrapped, and from 1 March 2026 a small-parcel charge of about EUR 2 applies to cross-border parcels under EUR 150. If you are an e-commerce seller building a per-unit cost model, both of these belong in it.
Can I import into France without a French company?
You can, but the structure has to be explicit. You either register for French VAT with an FR-prefixed EORI, or appoint a compliant import agent who is already VAT-registered in France and accepts joint liability. What no longer works is importing under someone else's VAT number informally. If a forwarder offers DDP but cannot tell you whose VAT number will clear the shipment, treat that as a warning sign.
How long does shipping from China to France take?
Sea freight to Le Havre typically runs around 28 to 35 days port to port from the main Chinese ports, and to Marseille-Fos around 30 to 38 days. Rail services into France are available but less central to the market than the German corridor. Air freight via Paris Charles de Gaulle is typically 3 to 7 days door to door, and express courier around 2 to 5 days. Add collection, clearance and inland delivery for the door-to-door figure.
Why importers route France-bound cargo through Goodhope
We ask the importer question first
Whose VAT number clears the goods is the first thing we settle, because since January 2026 it is the thing that stops shipments. We will tell you plainly whether your structure works.
Labelling and recycling checked in China
French-language artwork, the recycling mark and sorting information are reviewed before production finishes — the only point at which they are cheap to fix.
Le Havre and Marseille-Fos, priced with the inland leg
We quote both gateways with the onward haulage included, so you are comparing landed numbers rather than ocean rates.
Since 2012, NVOCC licensed
NVOCC licence GD20230925153335. One named contact from factory collection in China through to French delivery, including dangerous goods and non-DG chemicals to France.
Goodhope Freight handles sea, air, rail and express from China to France, including consolidation, export clearance and cargo insurance. We are not a French customs broker or a tax representative; we work alongside yours and make sure everything on the China side is right before the cargo leaves.
Why importers use Goodhope on this lane
Six things that are different about working with us on China to France shipments.
Sending your first container to France?
Send us the commodity, HS codes if you have them, dimensions and weight, origin city and French delivery postcode. We will tell you which gateway fits, flag any labelling or EPR exposure, and quote the full route.