{"id":5330,"date":"2019-11-29T02:15:09","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T02:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"../https@chinafreight.com/@p=5330"},"modified":"2021-01-19T08:45:02","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T08:45:02","slug":"solutions-for-shipping-from-china-to-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"china-france.html","title":{"rendered":"How to find a reliable freight forwarder for shipping from China to France"},"content":{"rendered":"
Whether you already have experience in shipping goods from China to France, or this is your first time, we come to you with solutions that will help you understand how to save money, time, and avoid trouble. To make it easier for the reader, we divided this must-read guide into 3 parts:<\/p>\n
Part 1. How to find a reliable freight forwarder?<\/p>\n
Part 2. How many modes of transportation are there from China to France?<\/p>\n
Part 3. How to save money?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sometimes finding a reliable business partner can be a hard job, and that is what freight forwarders are for. Having a freight forwarder it would make a great difference when you don\u2019t have enough time and energy, experience or you just want to avoid all the troubles this process might bring you sometime such as paperwork or cross-see transportation process problems. Another big advantage is the fact that a freight forwarder can help you save money.<\/p>\n
In other words, if you want to save time and money while making an international delivery from China to France by air, sea or land, consider using a freight forwarding agent. He will make sure your cargo will arrive on time in the right conditions. Also, if you are an occasional carrier who knows little about international transport, we recommend you to find a freight forwarder who will help you along the shipping process, and you will be able to save more time and money than if you ship by yourself.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Regardless of the mode of transportation from China to France, it is always best to choose a freight forwarder from China because the Chinese freight forwarder has the advantages of language and geography becoming the ideal choice for overseas transporters. In the shipping process, you will also need a Chinese warehouse for storage and preparation. If you chose a local cargo agent (from France), he will probably need to contact another agent in China to handle the picking, preparation, storage, and customs clearance, which will lead you to higher costs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Finding a reliable freight forwarder for your shipping can be a hard task. Time, money and the success of your shipment from China to France is what matters. In general, there are a couple of questions you can ask the freight forwarder or yourself to assess whether he is qualified for your transportation or not:<\/p>\n
1) Does the freight forwarder have a business license from the Chinese government? \u2013 Having a business license makes everything legal and transparent for you.<\/em><\/p>\n 2) Does the freight forwarder have an official website, and has a good ranking on Google? \u2013 On their website, you can find the necessary information about their services and costs. Not to mention that in these modern days, Google reviews are a must-have for any company that respects itself and cares for its customers.<\/em><\/p>\n 3) Does the company have a good insurance plan? \u2013 Having a good insurance plan is very important because it will compensate for your merchandise if any damage occurs in shipment or warehousing.<\/em><\/p>\n 4 Do they have a complete cargo tracking system to update your cargo progress in real-time? – Finding a cargo shipping partner that offers cargo tracking is crucial because you can see in real-time where your shipping is and how much it takes to arrive at the final destination.<\/em><\/p>\n 5) You can also ask them to provide the most recent shipment record or bill of lading- A bill of lading contains all relevant details about the type, amount, condition, and destination of the goods.<\/em><\/p>\n 6) During the consultation, were the responses prompt, with professional advice and explanations?- If you are convinced by their services, but you still have some doubts about the process, is best to try the freight forwarder with a shipment of small goods. This way, if anything goes wrong, you won\u2019t lose a big amount of money.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before talking about the modes of transportation, we want to bring to your attention the import rules, regulations, and customs in France, and also which are restricted and prohibited goods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regulations and customs in France – France is part of the European Union, and it uses similar regulations like other EU countries. The Common Agricultural Policy protects agricultural products.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want to import textile products from China you will need an exportdocument and monitoring document, and also an import license.<\/p>\n You will also have to declare any trade involving plants, seeds, and aircraft; then they will be certified by the National Inter-Professional Organization for Seeds and Plants (GNIS), the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Defense. These institutions will offer you: bureaucratic procedures and France\u2019s regulations, safety and quality testing, and certification.<\/p>\n Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports \u2013 If you are shipping from China, the duty will be at an average of 4.2% for industrial products.<\/p>\n Procedure for Imports \u2013 A verbal declaration at the customs office and presentation of the purchase proof receipt will be enough when you are importing a cargo bellow 1000 kg or 1000 Euros value; any good over that value had to be declared at the customs office.<\/p>\n – Importing Samples \u2013 samples may be sent to the buyer only if on the product is indicated that the product is not for sale, but imported as a free sample.<\/p>\n – Cosmetics Regulation \u2013 France, like any other EU country, doesn\u2019t accept products that were tested on animals or contain ingredients that were tested on animals.<\/p>\n This is what constitutes France’s top imports from China: electronics, aluminum, paper products, clothing, copper, iron and steel, and so on.<\/p>\n Part of prohibited and restricted items you need to know: weapons and replica weapons, ammunition, toxic chemicals, hazardous chemicals, dangerous goods, white crystals, powder, fluid, lotion, gel, cream, paste, goods containing liquid, e-cigarettes, cash, checks, money orders, securities, bearer negotiable instruments, counterfeit currency, debit cards, credit cards, passbooks, lottery tickets, medical waste, chemical waste, industrial waste, poisons, drugs, prescription drugs, herbal supplements, health or medical products, narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, animals and plants, animal carcasses, human body or parts, harmful organisms, biological samples, aerosol sprays, asbestos, butane lighters, strong magnetic materials, oxidizing substances, organic peroxides, etc.<\/p>\n There are numerous options for transporting goods in France. Each option of transport has advantages and disadvantages. The mode of transportation is an important aspect, which needs to be evaluated when you are planning the shipment process.<\/p>\n Prioritizing your needs, understanding the shipment process and comparing costs is important when you are planning your shipment, and by choosing the right mode of transportation you can significantly optimize your cargo flow.<\/p>\n After selecting your freight forwarder or a cargo agent, the collaboration between the two parts will begin. An experienced China-France freight expert will have excellent communication skills understanding all your requirements, including time, budget, and mode of transportation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Express shipping means urgent and faster delivery and is a relatively easy way to transport goods. Studies have shown that 95% of product samples and a small amount of high-value goods are sent by courier.<\/p>\n If you have an urgent and quick delivery, express shipping is the best option, because in general, the delivery time in express delivery ranges from three to six business days with DHL<\/a>.<\/p>\n With this type of delivery, you don’t have to worry about customs clearance or taxes, but because express shipping means urgent and faster delivery, the price and rates are higher than other forms of transportation. Also, the cost of express shipping may increase during the holidays, but it can drop dramatically in the off-season.<\/p>\n Cargo agents or freight forwarders can find you an express company that gives you a reasonable price, and they can also get a discount price that you won\u2019t find on their official website.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you have a large load (over 500 kg), or the size of the products occupy more than two cubic meters, you have to plan your shipping in advance because it is a complicated process that takes a lot of time. China to France, sea shipping time is estimated at around 15 \u2013 20 working days.<\/p>\n In China, there are several ports such as Shanghai port, Ningbo port, Shenzhen port, Tianjin port, Qingdao port, Xiamen port, and Hong Kong port, from which your shipping can leave to France. If your freight forwarder is located in these cities, you will have the advantage that he will be more familiar with the loading and unloading rules of each port, making it easier to handle your goods, saving you time.<\/p>\n The top ports for importing in France are port of Marseille \u2013 Fos\/mer (the largest port in France) and port of Le Havre (the second-largest commercial port in France.<\/p>\n Sea freight shipping is the best option for bulk goods transportation, sometimes being the only option. When importing from China, you can choose Full Container Load (FCL) or Less than Container Load (LCL) if your overall cargo volume doesn\u2019t meet one full container requirement.<\/p>\n There are three types of containers 20 ft., 40 ft. and a 40 ft. high cube container. The 20 ft. containers are designed to carry more weight such as minerals, metals, machinery, sugar, paper, cement, etc., while the 40 ft. containers are designed to carry voluminous cargo rather than heavy cargo, for example, furniture, steel pipes, paper scrap, cotton, tobacco, etc.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You should use LCL if you don’t have enough goods to fill a 20′ or a 40′ container (FCL). This enables importers to ship smaller amounts of cargo, which doesn\u2019t have the right volume to make Full Container Load a viable option. This means your cargo is combined with other shipping cargos for the same destination. When combining several shipments in one container, your freight forwarder needs to do more work. LCL freight is calculated in cubic meters (CBM) and charged based on the volume.<\/p>\n FCL refers to when the quantity of your goods is large enough that they can be put in at least one container. In this case, the freight is calculated on an FCL basis. FCL shipment will be loaded and sealed at origin by your supplier, then shipped to your final destination.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Although 90% of goods are shipped by sea, when importers and exporters need to move high-value goods to France quickly and reliably such as seasonal goods, clothing, electronics, and\/or products that cannot be near water, they use air freight. Airfreight can bring your cargo from a factory floor in China to your destination in a matter of days. Air transport shipping time from China to France is around 7 to 15 business days.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are two methods to calculate the air freight price. The first method is cost per kilogram multiplied with the cargo weight, and for the second one, for low-density cargo (low weight and high volume) you will be charged based on the volume it occupies.<\/p>\n There are two classes of Airfreight, economy, and express or fast air transportation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After you have established your mode of transportation for your goods you are ready for the next step, which implies understanding the terms FOB, EXW, CIF, and DAP. Understanding these terms will help you save money because, in the same transport model, transport cost is a crucial factor.<\/p>\n Many websites use the quotations FOB, EXW, CIF, and DAP. In general, these quotations include information about where your cargo is being shipped to and from, the transport mode and equipment being used, shipment details such as dimensions, weight and a description of the goods.<\/p>\nPart 2. How many modes of transportation are there from China to France?<\/h2>\n
Import Rules, Regulations and Customs in France<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Express deliveryfrom China to France<\/a>:<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Sea shippingfrom China to France<\/a>:<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
Air freight from China to France<\/a>:<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
Part 3. How to save money?<\/h2>\n
1. Understand the Terms: FOB, EXW, CIF, and DAP<\/h4>\n