France is a North Europe lane with a Mediterranean option: Le Havre for Paris and the North, Marseille when the cargo is going south or onwards into the Med. Direct East Coast services exist; the paperwork is EU-standard, with French specifics around excise, labelling and the importer’s EORI.
Ocean when you have three weeks. Le Havre is the default from Newark and Savannah. Marseille only wins if the inland destination is the South, or the box is feeding a Med onward move — otherwise you pay to truck it back north.
Air into Charles de Gaulle for anything that has to be in a Paris DC this week. Lyon and Marseille airports exist for southern deliveries that should not clear in Paris and then ride a truck to Provence.
LCL into Le Havre is regular and usually competitive under 8–10 m³. Fashion and retail often want FCL anyway because carton counts, labelling and DC appointments do not survive a shared deconsolidation well. We price both and say when the CFS saving is false economy.
| Lane | Transit | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast (Newark) → Le Havre | 14–18 days | Ocean FCL |
| East Coast (Savannah) → Le Havre | 16–20 days | Ocean FCL |
| East Coast → Marseille | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| West Coast (LA) → Le Havre | 28–36 days | Ocean FCL, via Panama |
| Newark → Le Havre | 21–28 days | Ocean LCL |
| JFK → Paris CDG | 2–3 days | Air |
Actual time depends on a direct versus transhipped sailing, the discharge port matching the inland destination, and whether a port stoppage is in play. We quote against the current schedule.
France’s main container gateway from the U.S. East Coast, and the right discharge for Paris, Normandy and the North.
Mediterranean gateway for the South, and for cargo that continues by short-sea rather than crossing France by truck.
Useful overflow when Le Havre is disrupted; strong for industrial cargo in the North and towards Belgium.
The default U.S.–France cargo airport, with the widest belly and freighter choice.
Clears closer to the Rhône industrial belt than routing everything through Paris.
Southern deliveries without a Paris clearance and a long road leg.
France clears under EU rules through Douane. The importer needs an EORI and a TARIC code. Alcohol, food and dual-use goods pick up extra French controls on top of the Union Customs Code.
| From | To | Transit | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark, NJ | Le Havre | 14–18 days | Ocean FCL |
| Savannah, GA | Le Havre | 16–20 days | Ocean FCL |
| Newark, NJ | Marseille | 18–24 days | Ocean FCL |
| Houston, TX | Le Havre | 20–26 days | Ocean FCL |
| JFK, NY | Paris CDG | 2–3 days | Air |
| ORD, Chicago | Paris CDG | 2–4 days | Air |
We book the loop that discharges in France, not a cheap transhipment that lands in Antwerp and then argues about a truck.
When Le Havre or French rail is stopped, the file already has Dunkirk, Antwerp or air as the alternative — written, with the cost.
Carton-level packing lists for DCs, and crating for machines. France is both, and mixing the two on one vague booking is how appointments are missed.
About 14–18 days Newark to Le Havre on a direct FCL, 16–21 days as a planning range, longer via Marseille or from the West Coast. Air is 2–4 days into CDG. Add inland delivery from the port or airport.
Import VAT is 20% on the customs value plus duty and freight. Duty is the EU tariff. Alcohol and tobacco add excise. We show the landed-cost lines separately from the freight.
Le Havre if the cargo is going to Paris or the North. Marseille if it is staying in the South or continuing in the Med. The inland truck often costs more than the ocean difference.
Yes, with the sanitary, labelling and (for alcohol) excise documents in place before sailing. We will not book a food or drink shipment on a commercial invoice that says “samples”.
We re-route. That can mean a different French port, a Belgian discharge plus truck, or air for the urgent slice. Silence until the port reopens is not a plan.
Someone in the EU with an EORI has to be the importer. If you sell DDP and are not established, you need a fiscal representative. We flag that at quote, not at the dock.
Send origin, the French delivery postcode and the cargo type — we quote Le Havre and Marseille where both make sense.