Ship Pallet From the USA to France
Introduction: Ship Pallet from the USA to France
Shipping a Pallet from the USA to France: Donations and Tradeshow Freight
France hosts more international trade fairs than any other country except Germany. The Paris region alone has two of Europe’s major exhibition complexes — Paris Nord Villepinte and the Parc des Expositions du Bourget — which between them host events attracting tens of thousands of US companies every year. For donation freight, France’s network of registered humanitarian organisations — from major national charities to small regional associations — regularly receives US pallets.
As an EU member state, France applies EU customs law and French TVA of 20% to all commercial goods from the USA. French customs — the DGDDI — is known for thorough enforcement: in 2024, French customs seized €2.5 billion in undervalued goods and has stated its intent to increase enforcement in 2025. For pallet shipments, accurate documentation and correct declared values are non-negotiable.
France is also notable for having introduced its own national €2-per-HS-code customs handling fee on 1 March 2026, ahead of the EU-wide July 2026 changes. For commercial pallet shipments above €150, this fee does not directly apply — it is specific to sub-€150 consignments. But it is worth knowing about for pallet shipments that include low-value promotional or sample items alongside the main freight.
Shipping smaller quantities? See our box shipping service. Moving to France? See our luggage page. For crates, see our crate page.
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Shipping a Donation Pallet from the USA to France: Customs Rules
Shipping a Donation Pallet from the USA to France: Customs Rules
France applies EU customs law to donated goods. Donated goods from the USA are not automatically exempt from customs duty or TVA. Pallets of donated goods are assessed at the applicable customs duty rate plus French TVA of 20% on the CIF value (cost of goods plus insurance plus freight), just like commercial goods.
EU humanitarian relief exemption
Under EU Regulation 1186/2009, approved French humanitarian organisations may qualify for customs duty and TVA relief on goods donated for charitable distribution. France has a strong tradition of organised charitable activity, and several major French organisations receive regular donation pallets from the USA with existing DGDDI humanitarian relief status. These include the Croix-Rouge Française (French Red Cross) at croix-rouge.fr, Caritas France (part of the international Caritas network) at caritasfrance.org, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF — Doctors Without Borders, headquartered in Paris) at msf.org, and Secours Catholique at secours-catholique.org.
Contact the receiving French organisation before shipping to confirm their specific DGDDI customs clearance approach and whether they hold existing humanitarian import relief status. Many smaller French charities (associations loi 1901) do not have DGDDI humanitarian import approval and will be liable for TVA at 20% on the declared CIF value of the donated goods.
La Poste handling fee for donation pallets
A practical note for shipments passing through French postal channels: La Poste charges its own handling fee for customs clearance, separate from TVA and DGDDI charges. For larger pallet shipments, this typically does not apply as they move through air freight channels rather than La Poste. ExpediShip’s French clearance partners handle pallet customs declarations directly through DELTA, bypassing La Poste entirely.
Shipping Cost & Transit Time for Shipping Pallet from the USA to France
Our prices are highly competitive — that’s why so many customers choose Expediship for shipping Pallet from the USA to France. We offer affordable rates with reliable, professional service, guiding you step by step through the entire shipping process for boxes, luggage, and parcels.
Delivery to France typically takes around 5 business days, not including customs clearance time, which may vary depending on France government processing.
Below are estimated starting prices for shipping Pallet from the USA to France. Final cost depends on box size, pickup address, and delivery city.
| Weight Range | Starting Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| 150–200 lbs | From $4/lbs |
| 201–300 lbs | From $3.8/lbs |
| 301–400 lbs | From $3.5/lbs |
| 401–500 lbs | From $3.0/lbs |
| 501–600 lbs | From $2.8/lbs |
| 601–700 lbs | From $2.5/lbs |
| 701–800 lbs | From $1.5/lbs |
| 801+ lbs | From $1.2 — for larger shipments, please contact customer service for an exact quote. |
Note: Prices are estimated starting rates for air freight shipments. Expediship offers door-to-door service with full tracking and customs guidance.
Shipping Tradeshow Pallets from the USA to France: Key Venues
Shipping Tradeshow Pallets from the USA to France: Key Venues
The Paris region hosts one of the world’s most active trade fair calendars. The two main exhibition complexes are both located north of Paris near Roissy CDG Airport — making freight logistics particularly efficient.
Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre — Seine-Saint-Denis (93)
Paris Nord Villepinte is one of Europe’s largest exhibition complexes, located in the commune of Villepinte, approximately 12 kilometres from Roissy CDG Airport and directly connected by the RER B suburban rail line. With approximately 242,000 square metres of covered exhibition space across eight halls, it hosts some of the world’s most important industry-specific trade fairs. US companies exhibit at Villepinte for events including:
Maison&Objet — January and September, the world’s premier home décor and design trade fair. US brands in furniture, interior design, and home goods exhibit here twice a year.
SIMA — February (biennial), the world’s leading agricultural technology trade fair
Milipol — November (biennial), the world’s reference event for homeland security
Eurosatory — June (biennial), the world’s largest land and air-land defence and security exhibition, with over 2,000 exhibitors from 61 countries in 2024
EMBALLAGE/ALL4PACK — November (biennial), a major packaging, processing, and handling industry event
WHO/ANUGA FoodTec — various food technology events throughout the year
The official Paris Nord Villepinte site is viparis.com/en/our-venues/paris-nord-villepinte.
Parc des Expositions du Bourget — Le Bourget
Le Bourget is France’s historic aviation site and the home of the Paris Air Show (Salon International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, SIAE) — the world’s largest aerospace trade fair, established in 1909. The SIAE is held biennially in odd years (next: June 2027), attracting approximately 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries and over 140,000 trade visitors. For US aerospace, defence, and aviation companies, the Paris Air Show is one of the most important global trade events. Its proximity to CDG Airport — approximately 8 kilometres — makes freight logistics efficient. The official SIAE site is siae.fr/en.
Additional Paris venues
The Palais des Congrès de Paris, the Paris Convention Centre (La Grande Halle de La Villette), and Porte de Versailles are additional Paris venues hosting events relevant to US exhibitors across healthcare, technology, beauty, and consumer goods sectors. The Porte de Versailles complex hosts the annual Paris Motor Show and the Foire de Paris consumer fair.
For all Paris venues, ExpediShip ships tradeshow pallet freight from any US address with door-to-venue delivery, full DGDDI customs documentation, and ATA Carnet support for temporary imports.
ATA Carnet for Tradeshow Pallets to France
ATA Carnet for Tradeshow Pallets to France
France, as an EU member state, fully accepts ATA Carnets for commercial samples, exhibition and tradeshow materials, and professional equipment. If your tradeshow booth, display equipment, and product samples will return to the USA after the French event, an ATA Carnet allows temporary import without paying EU customs duty or French TVA of 20% on the shipment.
The ATA Carnet is issued in the USA by the US Council for International Business (USCIB) at uscib.org. Allow 5 to 10 business days for processing. US customs endorses it at departure; DGDDI endorses it on arrival at CDG or at the French destination customs office. All goods listed on the Carnet must be re-exported from France and the EU before the Carnet expires — up to 12 months from issue. From April 2026, ATA Carnets for EU countries including France are issued exclusively in digital format (eCarnet).
A France-specific note for large trade shows: the Paris Air Show (SIAE) and Eurosatory both attract extremely high volumes of freight from US aerospace and defence companies. For these events, book your tradeshow pallet at least 4 to 5 weeks in advance — not the standard 3 weeks — because customs processing at CDG for large-volume aerospace industry events can take longer than typical commercial shipments.
Consumable items — printed brochures, giveaways, food samples — cannot be listed on an ATA Carnet because they will not be re-exported. Ship these on a standard commercial invoice. French TVA of 20% (or 5.5% for food products) and the €2-per-HS-code fee apply to their declared value if under €150. Above €150, standard TVA and customs duty apply.
Documents Required for Pallet Shipments from the USA to France
For all pallet shipments:
Commercial Invoice or Pro Forma Invoice — itemised list of all goods, quantities, declared values in USD, HS/TARIC codes, country of origin, and CIF value breakdown. Required by DGDDI for the import declaration.
Detailed Packing List — layer-by-layer description of all pallet contents. DGDDI uses this for selective physical inspection.
Air Waybill — transport document prepared by ExpediShip.
EU Import Declaration — filed through the DELTA system by ExpediShip’s French customs partner.
EORI Number — the French importing entity must have a valid EU EORI number. French business EORI numbers are based on the company’s SIRET (Système d’Identification du Répertoire des Établissements) number preceded by “FR.”
For donation pallets (additional):
Donation Letter — signed letter on official letterhead from the US organisation confirming the charitable purpose, contents, and French recipient.
Acceptance Letter from the French Organisation — confirming intended use.
DGDDI Humanitarian Relief Documentation — if the French organisation holds EU Regulation 1186/2009 approval.
For tradeshow pallets (additional):
ATA Carnet — from USCIB before departure.
Exhibitor Confirmation — official letter from the event organiser (Viparis, GIFAS/SIAE, Coges/Eurosatory, or other French venue).
Insurance Options for Shipping Boxes, Pallets, Crates, or Luggage from the USA to France
Every shipment automatically includes $100 of cargo insurance free of charge — if anything is lost or damaged, you are covered up to $100 at no extra cost. Need more protection? Add full coverage for just 3% of the declared value when requesting your quote. For eligibility rules, non-insurable items, and how claims work, see our Shipping Insurance Guide.
International Shipping Prohibitions and Restrictions
Ship from USA to France — Know What You Cannot Ship
Certain items cannot be received, stored, shipped, imported, or exported due to government regulations, safety concerns, or international trade laws. Transactions involving these commodities are strictly prohibited, regardless of the shipment’s origin or destination.
Note: These items are completely forbidden to be exported or imported between countries.
Shipping Process
Ship Pallet from USA to France
Frequently Asked Questions When Shipping Pallet from USA to France
Yes, in most cases. French TVA of 20% applies to donated goods from the USA just as it applies to commercial goods, calculated on the CIF value. EU customs duty may also apply depending on the type and HS code of the goods. Approved French humanitarian organisations may qualify for EU Regulation 1186/2009 relief — the Croix-Rouge Française (croix-rouge.fr) is among the established French organisations with existing DGDDI relief status. Contact the French recipient organisation to confirm their customs clearance approach before shipping.
The €2-per-HS-code fee (introduced 1 March 2026) applies specifically to shipments valued at €150 or less. Commercial pallet shipments above €150 are subject to standard customs duty and TVA under regular DGDDI commercial import procedures, not the simplified H7 procedure that triggers the €2 fee. The fee may affect small low-value items included on the pallet (brochures, giveaways) if they are declared separately as sub-€150 consignments.
Yes. France, as an EU member state, requires all wooden packaging material from non-EU countries to comply with ISPM-15 phytosanitary standards — heat-treated or fumigated timber with the IPPC stamp. Non-compliant wooden pallets will be treated by DGDDI at the importer’s cost or refused entry. Plastic pallets require no ISPM-15 treatment.
For most French trade fairs: at least 3 weeks. For Paris Air Show (SIAE) and Eurosatory: at least 4 to 5 weeks. High freight volumes at CDG around these major aerospace and defence events extend clearance and delivery times.
Via air freight through Roissy CDG, pallet shipments typically arrive in 4 to 5 business days. DGDDI clearance for well-documented commercial shipments is generally efficient at CDG.
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