Shipping from China to France

If you import from China into France, one thing works in your favour: since 2022, import VAT is automatically reverse-charged on your VAT return, so you do not front the 20 percent at the border. This guide covers what shipping from China to France actually costs, how long each option takes, which ports your cargo moves through, and the French and EU customs rules you need to plan for. As a freight forwarder, we move cargo on this lane every week, so the figures and steps below reflect how shipments really run. You have four main ways to ship: sea freight in a full container (FCL), sea freight in shared container space (LCL), air freight, and express courier. Sea freight is the cheapest for anything large or heavy and takes roughly 35 to 43 days. Air freight costs more but arrives in about 5 to 7 days. France is in the EU, so you need an EORI number to clear customs and should plan for 20 percent import VAT plus any duty, though the VAT is accounted for on your return rather than paid in cash. Request a live quote any time and we will price your exact shipment.

Cost of Shipping From China to France

How much you pay depends on the method, the size and weight of your cargo, and the season. The ranges below are indicative and have been volatile in 2026, with Red Sea diversions around the Cape of Good Hope lengthening sailings to both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean coast. Treat them as a planning guide, then request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment, ports, and dates.

• Port: Le Havre suits the Atlantic and northern France and the Paris basin; Marseille-Fos suits the south and the Rhône corridor.
• Mode: sea is cheapest, air is faster and dearer, express is fastest and dearest.
• Routing: in 2026, Red Sea diversions around the Cape of Good Hope have added time and cost, and Marseille-Fos has lost some of its old Suez speed advantage.
• Volume: the more you ship, the lower your cost per unit, especially once you fill a container.
• Service level: door-to-door (DDP) bundles duty, VAT, and delivery into one price, which costs more than port-to-port but removes the work.

Sea freight is priced per container (FCL) or per cubic meter (LCL). Air and express are priced on chargeable weight, the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight, so bulky-but-light cargo costs more than it looks. None of these ranges include French import VAT, EU duty, or the forwarder’s customs clearance fee, which are covered in the customs section below.

Indicative ranges only. Request a live quote for pricing on your exact shipment.

Sea Freight From China to France

Sea freight is the backbone of China to France shipping and the cheapest way to move anything large or heavy. You have two choices. A full container (FCL) means you book a whole 20ft or 40ft box for your cargo alone, which is most cost-effective once you have roughly 15 cubic meters (CBM) or more. Shared container space (LCL) means your goods travel in a container with other importers’ cargo and you pay only for the space you use, which is the better deal for smaller loads. Where your cargo lands depends on the region. Le Havre, France’s main container port, suits the Atlantic and northern France and the Paris basin, at about 35 to 40 days port to port with current routing. Marseille-Fos on the Mediterranean suits the south and the Rhône corridor, at about 38 to 43 days now, though it used to be faster via the Suez Canal, which most services avoid in 2026. Dunkirk is a third option in the north. LCL adds about 7 to 10 days. A rough rule for choosing: below about 15 CBM, LCL is usually cheaper; above it, a full container wins, and we quote both so you can compare.

Air Freight From China to France

Air freight is the option when speed matters. Cargo flies from hubs like Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong to Paris Charles de Gaulle, one of Europe’s main cargo airports, usually arriving in about 5 to 7 days. It costs several times more than sea freight per unit, so it pays off for urgent restocks, high-value goods, samples, or products small and light enough that the weight cost stays reasonable. Air freight is priced on chargeable weight, the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, so bulky-but-light cargo is charged on its size. Per-kg rates fall as the shipment gets heavier. When speed is not essential, sea freight moves the same goods for far less, and we can quote both side by side.

Express Courier From China to France

Express courier (the service behind DHL, FedEx, and UPS) is the fastest door-to-door option, usually 5 to 8 days into France, and it bundles pickup, the flight, and delivery into one service. It is built for small parcels, samples, and urgent documents rather than pallets of stock. Express is the priciest choice per kilo, but for a small, time-critical shipment it is often the simplest way to move goods from China to France. Above roughly 100 to 150 kg, standard air freight usually becomes cheaper while still being fast. We can compare express against air freight for any shipment where speed is the priority.

Transit Times Compared

Transit times are port to port. Add a few days for customs clearance and final delivery.

Main Ports and Routes

Most cargo from China leaves through a handful of major ports. On the ocean side, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen (including the Yantian terminal), Qingdao, and Guangzhou handle the bulk of France-bound containers. For air freight, the main gateways are Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. On the French side, Le Havre, part of the HAROPA port group, is the main container port and the natural gateway for the Atlantic, northern France, and Paris, while Marseille-Fos on the Mediterranean serves the south and the Rhône corridor, and Dunkirk is a third northern option. Paris Charles de Gaulle is the main air gateway, one of Europe’s largest. Picking between Le Havre and Marseille-Fos depends on where your goods are going. You can browse the specific city-to-city routes we run below and open any one for its own transit times and details.

Customs, Duties and Taxes in France

France sits inside the EU customs union, so the same EU rules and tariff apply, and once your goods clear customs they move freely across the EU. There is no VAT-free allowance for commercial imports, so plan around 20 percent import VAT and any duty, though France lets you account for the VAT on your return rather than pay it at the border. Rates depend on your exact product, so confirm the duty for your goods’ commodity code in the EU TARIC database before you ship.

• French import VAT is 20 percent. Since 2022 it is automatically reverse-charged on your French VAT return, so a VAT-registered business declares and deducts it on the same return with no cash paid at the border, a real cash-flow advantage.
• EU customs duty is set by your product’s commodity code in the TARIC database and charged on the CIF value (goods plus freight and insurance). There is no EU-China free trade agreement, so standard MFN rates apply, and some China-origin goods (certain steel, aluminium, ceramics, and bicycles) carry extra anti-dumping duty.
• You need an EORI number to import into the EU. It is free, valid across all 27 EU countries, and usually issued within a few working days. A French VAT number is needed to use the reverse-charge on import VAT.
• The EUR 22 import VAT exemption ended in 2021, so VAT applies from the first euro. Since 1 July 2026 the EUR 150 customs-duty exemption has also ended, replaced by a temporary flat duty of EUR 3 per item on consignments up to EUR 150, running until 2028.
• Who pays depends on the Incoterm. Under DDP the seller or forwarder clears and pays duty and VAT; under FOB, CIF, or DAP you are the importer of record. Core documents are the commercial invoice, packing list, and bill of lading or air waybill.
• Wood pallets and crates must meet the ISPM-15 heat-treatment standard and carry the stamp, or EU border inspection can reject them.

Door-to-Door and DDP Shipping to France

Door-to-door, often sold as DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), means we handle the whole journey: pickup at your supplier in China, export clearance, the sea or air leg, French and EU customs including duty and import VAT, and final delivery to your address. You get one price and one point of contact, and you never deal with the port or the paperwork yourself. It is the simplest option for importers who do not have their own customs setup. The alternative, FOB, CIF, or DAP, leaves some of the clearance, duty, or delivery for you to arrange as the importer of record, though a VAT-registered French business often prefers to be the importer of record so it can reverse-charge the import VAT on its return. For most French importers, DDP is worth it for the time and risk it removes.

How to Ship From China to France, Step by Step

1. 1
   Tell us what you are shipping: the goods, their weight and volume (CBM), the supplier’s city in China, and your French delivery address.
2. 2
   We quote your options (sea FCL, sea LCL, air, or express) and the right port (Le Havre or Marseille-Fos) for your delivery point, and you pick one.
3. 3
   Make sure you have an EORI number and a French VAT number to use the import VAT reverse-charge; we can guide you.
4. 4
   We arrange pickup from your supplier and handle export clearance in China.
5. 5
   Your cargo sails to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos, or flies into Paris Charles de Gaulle.
6. 6
   We file the EU customs declaration, handle duty and import VAT, and clear your shipment, then deliver to your door. With DDP, duty, VAT, and delivery are already handled.

Frequently Asked Questions