Europe
Shipping from France to the UK
Le Havre and Marseille cover the north and the Mediterranean respectively — one of the shortest crossings we run, with departures most weeks.
Container shipping from the UK to France runs full container load to Le Havre (FRLEH) and Marseille (FRMRS). There is no scheduled less than container load service to France at present. Sea transit is 2–12 days port to port and air freight 1–1 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in France are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in France
Full container load and groupage both go to Le Havre and Marseille. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Le Havre or Marseille
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually London Gateway.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to France at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for France
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in France are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £900.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £1,350.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £52.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to France?
Le Havre serves Paris and the north, Marseille the south and the Rhône corridor. Machinery, automotive parts, chemicals and plastics, building materials, furniture, textiles, cosmetics and general retail stock all move on the lane as standard palletised cargo.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into France?
France charges TVA at a standard rate of 20%, charged on the customs value plus any duty plus the freight cost, not on the goods value alone. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0% under the UK–EU trade agreement, otherwise 0–20%, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
France no longer collects import VAT at the border at all. Since January 2022 it is reverse-charged on the importer's French VAT return automatically, which means there is nothing to pay on clearance but your consignee must hold a French VAT number to import. A consignee who has never registered will find this out at the quayside, so confirm it before booking.
What are the import restrictions in France?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into France?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
France to the UK shipping: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to France take?
Sea freight runs about 2–12 days port to port, and air freight 1–1 days airport to airport. Le Havre is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 2 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in France?
We move cargo through 2 ports in France: Le Havre (FRLEH), Marseille (FRMRS). Full container load goes to Le Havre and Marseille. We have no scheduled groupage service to France at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for France?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in France — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the France lane?
On a crossing this short the paperwork, not the sailing, sets the delivery date. Choosing the gateway nearest the consignee usually saves more time than chasing a faster vessel. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes machinery and industrial equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food, drink and packaged groceries.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near France — each one works as an origin or a destination.
Netherlands
Import & export · Rotterdam
LCL from
£55.00
per cubic metre
3+ days
View lane
Germany
Import & export · Hamburg
LCL from
£58.00
per cubic metre
4+ days
View lane
Spain
Import & export · Valencia
LCL from
£56.00
per cubic metre
5+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping from France? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.