As of April 2025, Sino-French trade has maintained solid growth, with bilateral trade reaching US$112.3 billion in 2024, up 4.8 per cent year-on-year. China’s exports to France are growing with electric vehicles (22 per cent) and photovoltaic modules as core growth drivers, while France is expanding its exports to China with Airbus equipment, luxury goods and nuclear energy technology. The two sides are deepening green technology cooperation, building a €5bn hydrogen and nuclear energy programme, and promoting differentiated tariff policies to balance industrial protection and supply chain stability. Despite semiconductor export controls and fluctuating logistics costs, the two countries have continued to deepen cooperation in new energy chains (e.g., the Ningde Times battery plant in France) and third-party markets (West African solar-hydrogen projects), with a focus on the ‘China-France+Africa’ triangular supply chain innovation model in the future.
Cost of shipping from China to France in April 2025
| Type of transportation | Transportation time | Transportation costs |
| FCL (20-foot container – Fos/Marseilles) | 30-40 days | $1,250 |
| FCL (20-foot container – Le Havre) | 30-40 days | $1,150 |
| FCL (20-foot container –Lyon) | 30-40 days | $1,290 |
| FCL (20-foot container –Paris) | 30-40 days | $1,050 |
| FCL (40-foot container – Fos/Marseilles) | 30-40 days | $2,050 |
| FCL (40-foot container – Le Havre) | 30-40 days | $2,090 |
| FCL (40-foot container –Lyon) | 30-40 days | $2,250 |
| FCL (40-foot container –Paris) | 30-40 days | $2,350 |
| LCL (1CBM- Fos/Marseilles) | 30-40 days | $168 |
| LCL (1CBM- Le Havre) | 30-40 days | $98 |
| LCL (1CBM- Lyon) | 30-40 days | $35 |
| LCL (1CBM- Paris) | 30-40 days | $45 |
| DDP Sea Freight Double Clearance and Taxes to Door（100KG | 45-50 days | $110 |
| DDP railroad double clearing tax to door（100kg） | 30-35 days | $180 |
| DDP Truck Transportation Double Clearance to Door (100kg) | 20-25 days | $220 |
Understanding import taxes and duties
| Product Category | Customs Duty Rate | Standard VAT Rate |
| Electronics | 2.5% | 20% |
| Textiles | 12% | 20% |
| Toys | 4.7% | 20% |
| Furniture | 0% (subject to change) | 20% |
| Machinery | 2.7% | 20% |
Transportation of goods by air from China to France
Advantages of air freight from China to France
The advantages of transporting goods from China to France by air are remarkable: excellent timeliness, relying on direct flights between China and France (e.g. Beijing/Shanghai to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport), the fastest door-to-door delivery can be completed in 3-5 working days, which is especially suitable for high-value luxury goods, It is especially suitable for the transport of high-value luxury goods, electronic components and emergency medical supplies. Comprehensive security, with aviation-grade packaging standards, full temperature control and real-time GPS tracking system, the cargo loss rate is less than 0.3%. Efficient customs clearance, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Europe’s second largest cargo hub) is equipped with pre-declaration channels, and the electronic processing of documents can shorten the customs clearance time to within 4 hours. Through the integration of intensive flight resources in China and France (such as Air France, China Eastern Airlines, more than 50 weekly all-cargo flights) to optimize capacity allocation, for cross-border e-commerce, high-end manufacturing enterprises to provide a combination of ‘air express + bonded warehouse stocking’ solution, the overall logistics cost compared with pure sea freight Reduce 20%-35%.
Cost of air transport
| destination | Cost (per kg) | Transportation time |
| Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) | $8 | 2-4 days |
| Paris Orly Airport (ORY) | $7.8 | 2-4 days |
| Lyon St Exupery Airport (LYS) | $7.5 | 2-4 days |
| Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) | $8.1 | 2-4 days |
| Toulouse Braniac Airport (TLS) | $8.6 | 2-4 days |
| DDP Air Freight Dual Clearance Tax Paid to Door | $8.5 | 10-12 days |
Express from China to France
Through the international express delivery from China to France has significant advantages: fast time, relying on direct flights between China and France, the fastest 2-3 working days to complete door-to-door delivery, to meet the urgent samples, e-commerce small packages and other high time demand. Intelligent and efficient customs clearance, pre-declaration system and ‘green channel’ for parcels under 150 euros can shorten customs clearance to 2 hours, significantly reducing the risk of detention in Hong Kong. Precise coverage of the whole territory, with 99% coverage of the local delivery network, support for residential, self-pick-up counters and enterprise special delivery, and direct delivery to remote areas; Transparent tracking of the whole link We provide real-time updating of cargo dynamics and active warning of abnormalities; strict safety and security, independent transport and professional packaging, so that the rate of cargo damage is less than 0.5%, and the transport of luxury goods and precision instruments is worry-free; Flexible layering of services, from economic (5-7 days) to express (1-3 days) options, the cost of a single kilogram is as low as 4 euros, to meet the needs of cross-border e-commerce, industrial spare parts and other scenarios.