Trade Lane Guides

Thai Global Freight

Importing from France to Thailand: Cosmetics, Wine, Aerospace Parts and Luxury Goods

How Thai importers bring in French goods: no EU free trade agreement yet, Le Havre, Marseille-Fos and Paris-CDG gateways, sea or air by product type, alcohol, cosmetics and export-controlled parts.

Author:

Bob Kanokphon ThongdeeReviewed by: Thai Global Freight Editorial TeamPublished: 2026-10-25Updated: 2026-10-25Last verified: 2026-10-25

On this page

01Why France is a lane of brands and approvals
02What Thailand buys from France, and why the category matters
03The trade arrangement: no EU free trade agreement yet
04Gateways: Le Havre, Marseille-Fos and Paris-CDG
05Choosing sea or air by product, not by habit
06The French export side: what must happen before cargo leaves
07Incoterms and who does what on a French order
08Wine and spirits: excise, labels and temperature
09Cosmetics, perfume, food and luxury goods
10Aerospace and industrial parts: certificates and export control
11Before the first order: a checklist, insurance and next steps

Quick Answer

Importing from France to Thailand is mostly about high-value, brand-owned and regulated goods: aircraft and industrial parts, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and perfume, wine and spirits, food and luxury items. As of October 2026 Thailand and the EU have no free trade agreement in force (negotiations continue), so French origin does not by itself lower Thai duty. Sea freight usually leaves from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos, while urgent and high-value cargo flies from Paris-CDG. Choose the mode by product: perfume, aerosols and strong spirits can be dangerous goods, wine is temperature-sensitive, and aerospace parts may need EU export authorisation. Settle brand-owner authorisation and Thai agency steps before the order ships.

Key Takeaways

The France lane is shaped by what is shipped: high value per carton, brand-owner involvement and regulated categories make approvals and documents as decisive as the freight booking.
There is no Thailand-EU free trade agreement in force as of October 2026; talks are ongoing, so budget at the standard Thai treatment confirmed by your broker.
Le Havre and Marseille-Fos handle most French sea cargo to Asia, while Paris-CDG is the usual air gateway; the place of loading on every document must agree.
Classify perfume, aerosols and strong spirits as dangerous goods or not before choosing sea or air, because carrier acceptance depends on it.
Exports of aerospace and some industrial parts can require EU authorisation, so confirm the licence position and certificates before promising a delivery date downstream.

Why France is a lane of brands and approvals

Most freight guidance for Thai importers assumes a commodity: a standard product, a standard container and a supplier who ships every month. French purchases rarely look like that. What Thai buyers take from France is more often defined by a name than by a commodity: a perfume house, a wine estate, a luxury leather brand, an aircraft component maker, a pharmaceutical group, a cheese or biscuit producer with a protected reputation. The value per carton is high, the supplier cares who sells its goods in Thailand, and many of the goods sit under rules of their own.

That changes where the effort goes on this lane. The freight booking is usually the easy part. The harder parts are the paper that proves you are allowed to sell the brand, the Thai agency steps for alcohol, cosmetics and food, the dangerous-goods status of perfume and aerosols, the temperature exposure of wine, and for aerospace parts the question of whether an export authorisation is needed at all. This article is a buyer's guide to that reality. It explains what Thailand buys from France, how the trade arrangement works today, which gateways the cargo uses, how to choose between sea and air, what happens on the French export side, and which checks follow each product family. It does not quote freight rates, duty percentages, fees or transit times, because those change with the week and the cargo; it explains how each piece works so you can ask a forwarder the right questions.

Key points at a glance

French exports to Thailand are high in value per carton and often tied to a brand owner, so authorisation and documentation matter as much as freight.
No Thailand-EU free trade agreement is in force as of October 2026, so French origin does not by itself lower Thai duty.
Sea freight usually leaves from Le Havre or Marseille-Fos and urgent or high-value goods fly from Paris-CDG; the right mode follows the product, not habit.
Alcohol-based perfume and high-strength spirits can be treated as dangerous goods and are also tied to Thai excise and FDA rules, so classify them before choosing a mode.
Aerospace and some industrial parts can need EU export authorisation and certificates of conformity; check the licence position before the supplier promises a ship date.

What Thailand buys from France, and why the category matters

France's best-known exports to the world are usually listed as aircraft and aerospace equipment, pharmaceuticals, perfume and cosmetics, wine and spirits, jewellery and luxury leather goods, and machinery. Trade-statistics sites group and rank these differently, so treat any ranking as indicative and check current figures if the numbers matter to your plan. For a Thai importer the useful point is not the ranking but the shape of the cargo that results.

Aerospace and industrial parts are small, precious and urgent, and may arrive with certificates that must stay attached to each item. Pharmaceutical products can need temperature control and fall under Thai health rules. Cosmetics and perfume are light but often classified as dangerous goods when they carry alcohol or propellant. Wine and spirits are heavy, fragile and temperature-sensitive, and sit under Thai excise control. Food products such as cheese, charcuterie and biscuits are perishable or shelf-life limited. Luxury leather and jewellery are high value per carton, which attracts theft and documentation scrutiny. A forwarder who handles one family well is not automatically right for another, so describe the cargo precisely when you ask for a quote: what it is, how it is packed, its weight and volume, whether it is fragile, temperature-sensitive or hazardous, and its value.

The trade arrangement: no EU free trade agreement yet

As of October 2026 there is no free trade agreement between Thailand and the European Union in force. According to the European Commission, the agreement is still listed as being negotiated: talks were launched in 2013, paused in 2014 and relaunched in March 2023. Thai government releases and press reports say both sides aim to conclude by the end of 2026, and a negotiating round was reported to have ended on 6 October 2026. A target date and a finished round are not an agreement in force.

For a French purchase this has a plain consequence. French or EU origin does not by itself reduce Thai import duty, and a supplier who prints an origin statement or preference certificate on an invoice has not changed that. Build your landed-cost model on the standard Thai treatment for the HS code, confirmed by your customs broker at the time of import, and treat any future preference as an upside you will only count once the agreement is signed, ratified and in force. Origin evidence is still worth collecting, because it can matter for other reasons, but it should not drive the price you quote to your own customers today. Because the negotiations are moving, recheck the position before every large order and note the date you checked.

Le Havre container port cranes — photo 1 for Importing from France to Thailand: Cosmetics, Wine, Aerospace Parts and Luxury Goods — Thai Global Freight

Gateways: Le Havre, Marseille-Fos and Paris-CDG

French sea cargo to Asia mainly leaves through two port systems. On the Atlantic and Channel side, HAROPA PORT, the grouping of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris, describes itself as handling more than 3.1 million containers in 2024 and serves Paris and the north of France. On the Mediterranean side, Marseille-Fos is the main gateway for the south and the Rhone corridor and has the Seayard Fos 2XL container terminal. Which one suits a shipment depends mainly on where the goods are made, which carrier services connect to a Thai port, and whether the cargo is full containers or consolidated. Treat the volume figure as the port's own claim rather than an independent ranking.

For air cargo, Paris-Charles de Gaulle is France's main air cargo airport, although older source figures differ and the exact ranking should be checked if it matters to you. The practical rule is simpler: ask the forwarder for the actual routing, including any transhipment hub on the way to Bangkok, because a through service and a connected one behave differently when a flight is delayed. Whatever the mode, make the place of loading on the invoice, packing list, booking and transport document agree. A mismatch between a supplier in Lyon quoting Marseille and a booking that actually leaves from Le Havre is a common source of a documentary query at the Thai end.

Choosing sea or air by product, not by habit

The sea-or-air decision on this lane should follow the cargo. Volume wine and spirits, furniture, food and heavy machinery are normally sea freight, in full containers when the volume justifies it or consolidated when several French suppliers feed one box. Urgent aircraft or industrial parts, samples, high-value fashion and jewellery usually travel by air, because the cost of delay or of capital tied up on a vessel outweighs the freight difference. Between those poles sit goods such as cosmetics, where the answer depends on the order size, the shelf life and how quickly the shelves need restocking.

Three product-specific points deserve attention before you decide. First, perfume, aerosols and strong spirits may be classified as dangerous goods, which means the carrier must accept them, the shipper must declare the class correctly and the packaging must be of an approved type; on aircraft the limits are tighter than on ships, so a cargo that is simple by sea can be refused by air. Second, fine wine is exposed to heat on a vessel and in a yard, so ask whether a temperature-controlled container, a cooler route or a different sailing season is worth considering for valuable lots. Third, air freight is charged on chargeable weight, so oversized gift packaging that looks harmless on a pallet can change the economics of an air shipment. Raise each of these with the forwarder in writing before the supplier prepares the goods.

Sea or air for French goods: what each suits

Sea freight (FCL or LCL)

Wine and spirits in volume, furniture, food, heavy machinery
Plan for temperature exposure; consider a temperature-controlled container for fine wine
Dangerous goods need declared class and carrier acceptance
Longer lead time to plan around production and stock

Air freight

Urgent aircraft or industrial parts, samples, high-value fashion and jewellery
Chargeable weight drives cost, so packaging volume matters
Security screening and airline dangerous-goods limits apply to perfume and aerosols
Departure usually via Paris-CDG or another hub with an onward connection

Le Havre container port cranes — photo 2 for Importing from France to Thailand: Cosmetics, Wine, Aerospace Parts and Luxury Goods — Thai Global Freight

The French export side: what must happen before cargo leaves

A Thai buyer does not file the French export declaration, but the buyer's cargo does not leave without it, and the Incoterm decides who is responsible. Under French customs practice, export is a two-step process: an export declaration is lodged, then the goods physically move to the exit office and their exit from the EU is notified. That exit evidence is what supports the VAT exemption on the sale, which is why a French supplier is careful about it and why you should ask for confirmation that the exit was recorded. The exporter needs an EORI number to take part in this process.

Several consequences follow. If you buy ex works, you or your forwarder must take on the export formalities in France, which in practice means appointing a French representative or forwarder who can file the declaration and handle the exit evidence; an EXW quote with nobody named for that job is a trap. If you buy FCA or FOB, the supplier normally clears the goods for export and your responsibility starts at the named place or on board. Either way, the invoice, packing list, declaration and transport document should describe the goods in the same way and with the same weights, because the Thai broker will compare them at import. For alcohol moving under duty suspension, the movement is also tracked electronically through EMCS using an electronic administrative document, which in France is handled through the GAMM@ system, so ask the supplier whether the shipment travels under suspension and who is responsible for closing it out.

Incoterms and who does what on a French order

Because French suppliers are often premium brands with an export department that is used to controlled sales, the Incoterm is as much a statement about control as about cost. FCA at a named French place is often a practical choice for sea or air cargo of finished goods: the supplier clears the goods for export and hands them to your forwarder, who then controls the main carriage and the insurance. FOB suits sea cargo that is loaded at a named port. CIF or CIP shifts the main carriage to the seller, which can look convenient, but you give up control of the carrier choice and routing, and you should check what insurance cover the seller has actually bought. EXW leaves most French formalities with you, so use it only when you have a French forwarder who can file the export declaration and prove exit.

Whatever you choose, write the Incoterm with a named place, and add three sentences to the purchase order: who files the French export declaration, who supplies the exit evidence, and who arranges and pays for insurance. For brand-controlled goods, add a fourth: that the supplier will release the authorisation letters and label artwork you need for Thai registration before the goods ship. For a general explanation of how the terms differ, see the related articles on EXW versus FOB and on choosing Incoterms for small and medium businesses; this article only adds the French-specific points.

Wine and spirits: excise, labels and temperature

Wine and spirits are the most visible French import and also the most closely regulated. Thai alcohol rules are administered by the Excise Department, which licenses importers and levies excise tax, while Customs clears the goods; the label must carry the health warning in Thai. According to a U.S. Treasury summary of Thai requirements (TTB, 2024), these are the structural points. Reports in 2026 indicated that the rules on sole agents and licensing were being changed, so do not assume the rules you read last year still apply: confirm the current import licence position, the label requirements and the tax treatment with a licensed broker before you order.

From a logistics point of view, alcohol brings three practical issues. First, it is heavy and breakable, so palletising, corner protection and the loading plan matter more than for dry goods. Second, strong spirits and some liqueurs may be dangerous goods, which affects carrier acceptance and mode. Third, if the goods move from France under duty suspension, the electronic movement document described above must be closed correctly. Do not order a first pallet of wine on the assumption that a broker can sort the label and licence out on arrival; a label that is not compliant can mean relabelling or a refusal, and the delay compounds storage and demurrage. Our related article on excise tax explains how the tax is calculated in structure, and the article on food and beverage imports covers the wider agency picture.

Le Havre container port cranes — photo 3 for Importing from France to Thailand: Cosmetics, Wine, Aerospace Parts and Luxury Goods — Thai Global Freight

Cosmetics, perfume, food and luxury goods

Cosmetics and food are the other two categories where Thai agencies decide whether goods can be sold. In Thailand, the Food and Drug Administration is the authority that handles food and cosmetics, and it expects the product to be notified or registered through a Thai entity before commercial sale. The details differ by product type and change over time, and some of what is published about Thai cosmetics procedure comes from secondary sources, so ask a licensed broker or regulatory consultant to confirm the current procedure for your exact product before you commit to a range. The structural point is stable: the French brand owner usually has to supply technical documents and an authorisation letter, the Thai importer has to be the named responsible party, and labels have to carry the information Thai rules require.

Perfume deserves separate care because of its alcohol content. It is light, but it can be dangerous goods in transport, and the airline or shipping line may refuse it or require specific packaging and documentation. Food from France, such as cheese, charcuterie and biscuits, adds the questions of cold chain, shelf life at arrival and any additional rules for products of animal origin; do not assume that an ordinary food permit covers these without confirming. Luxury leather, fashion and jewellery are lighter on regulation but heavier on risk: describe and value them accurately, insure them for their real value, and ask for tamper-evident packing and tracked handling. Where a product is a mandatory-standard item, such as certain electrical goods, the TISI article in our related list explains how that regime works.

French product families and the checks that follow them

Product family	Thai-side check	Main handling concern
Wine and spirits	Excise Department licence, excise tax and stamps; Thai-language warning label	Breakage, temperature, flammable-liquid rules
Cosmetics and perfume	Thai FDA product notification, brand-owner authorisation, Thai importer	Aerosols and alcohol-based items as dangerous goods
Food (dairy, charcuterie, biscuits)	Thai FDA; extra rules for animal-origin products to be confirmed	Cold chain and shelf-life
Aerospace and industrial parts	Classification and any end-use paperwork; certificates of conformity	EU export authorisation, urgency, traceability
Luxury leather, fashion, jewellery	Accurate valuation and descriptions; brand authorisation	Theft risk and insured value

Aerospace and industrial parts: certificates and export control

France is a major aerospace producer, and Thai operators, maintenance providers and factories import aircraft and industrial components from it. The cargo is usually small, high value and urgent, so air freight is normal. What is different is the paperwork. Components often travel with release certificates or certificates of conformity that must stay attached to the exact part, and a part that arrives without them can be unusable for its intended purpose however well it was shipped. Make the certificate requirement part of the purchase order and ask the supplier to describe how documents are attached to each item.

The second difference is export control. In the European Union, dual-use items are controlled under Regulation (EU) 2021/821, and some products need an export authorisation from the competent national authority before they leave. Whether a particular aerospace or industrial part is covered depends on its technical characteristics, and the details for aerospace are not something a freight article can settle. The sensible approach is structural: ask the supplier in writing whether the item is classified under the dual-use or other export controls, whether an authorisation is needed for Thailand, and how long the authority usually takes, then do not promise a delivery date to your own customer until the answer is in hand. Also keep the end-use and end-user paperwork consistent, because an export authorisation can depend on it. If a part is held for licensing, it is a supplier and authority matter that your forwarder cannot speed up, which is why the question belongs before the order rather than after the shipment is booked.

Le Havre container port cranes — photo 4 for Importing from France to Thailand: Cosmetics, Wine, Aerospace Parts and Luxury Goods — Thai Global Freight

Before the first order: a checklist, insurance and next steps

A first French order goes better when the decisions are made in the right order. Start with the product: confirm its HS code with your broker, and decide whether it falls under an agency regime (alcohol, food, cosmetics, mandatory standards) or an export control on the French side. Then settle authorisation: obtain the brand owner's authorisation letter and label artwork, and register the product or the importer where Thai rules require it. Only then negotiate price and the Incoterm, writing down who files the French export declaration, who supplies exit evidence and who insures the goods. After that, choose the mode and routing with the forwarder, with the dangerous-goods and temperature questions answered in writing. Finally, agree the document set that the Thai broker needs, and plan the arrival: customs broker, port or airport handling, and onward delivery.

Insurance deserves its own line because French goods are valuable. Marine or air cargo insurance should cover the full journey from the supplier's door to your warehouse, at the real invoice value plus a margin, and you should read the exclusions on temperature damage, theft and delay. Keep photographs at loading and unloading, and keep the seals and condition notes on the transport document, because they are the evidence a claim depends on. If you handle several French suppliers at once, ask your forwarder about consolidation so the smaller orders can share a container rather than each travelling alone, and compare that with the alternative of waiting for a fuller order. Then recheck the Thailand-EU trade position and the Thai agency rules on the day you commit, because both are moving in 2026.

Common Mistakes

Assuming French or EU origin lowers Thai duty because the invoice carries an origin statement, and building the landed-cost model on that assumption while no agreement is in force.
Ordering wine, spirits, cosmetics or food first and contacting a broker after the goods have sailed, when the Thai licence, registration and label steps should have preceded the purchase order.
Accepting an EXW quote and discovering afterwards that nobody was named to file the French export declaration or provide the exit evidence.
Booking perfume, aerosols or strong spirits as ordinary cargo and having the carrier refuse them or hold them for dangerous-goods paperwork.
Promising a delivery date for aerospace or industrial parts before confirming whether an EU export authorisation is needed and whether the certificates will travel with each part.

What You Need to Prepare

A product list with HS codes, descriptions, materials, weights, dimensions and unit values from each French supplier, plus the brand owner's authorisation letter where the goods are branded.
A written Incoterm with a named place, and a statement of who files the French export declaration, supplies exit evidence and arranges insurance.
Written confirmation of the Thai agency steps (Excise Department, Thai FDA, TISI) for each regulated product, and of any dangerous-goods or export-control classification on the French side.
A forwarder with French routing, a Thai customs broker, and cargo insurance that covers the full journey at the real invoice value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free trade agreement between Thailand and the EU that lowers duty on French goods?

Not as of October 2026. According to the European Commission, the agreement is still listed as being negotiated, with talks launched in 2013, paused in 2014 and relaunched in March 2023. Thai and press reports say both sides aim to conclude by the end of 2026, but a target is not an agreement in force. Until one is signed, ratified and in force, French origin does not by itself reduce Thai duty, so ask your customs broker to confirm the treatment for your HS code on the day you import.

Should I ship French goods by sea or by air?

It depends on the product rather than a rule. Volume wine, furniture, food and heavy machinery normally go by sea, while urgent aircraft or industrial parts, samples and high-value fashion or jewellery usually go by air. Perfume, aerosols and strong spirits may be dangerous goods, with tighter limits by air, and fine wine is exposed to heat at sea. Describe the cargo precisely to your forwarder and ask them to compare modes in writing before the supplier prepares the goods.

Which French ports and airports are used for shipments to Thailand?

Sea cargo mainly leaves through Le Havre, part of the HAROPA PORT group with Rouen and Paris, or through Marseille-Fos on the Mediterranean, which has the Seayard Fos 2XL container terminal. Paris-Charles de Gaulle is France's main air cargo airport, though older sources differ on exact rankings. Which gateway suits you depends on where the goods are made and which services connect to Thailand, so ask your forwarder for the actual routing and keep the place of loading consistent on every document.

What do I need to import French wine and spirits into Thailand?

Thai alcohol rules are administered by the Excise Department, which licenses importers and levies excise tax, while Customs clears the goods and the label must carry the health warning in Thai. Reports in 2026 said the rules on sole agents and licensing were changing, so confirm the current licence position, label requirements and tax treatment with a licensed broker before ordering. Also ask the French supplier whether the goods travel under duty suspension and who closes the electronic movement document.

Can I import French cosmetics and perfume without a Thai registration?

Do not assume so. The Thai Food and Drug Administration handles cosmetics and expects products to be notified or registered through a Thai entity before commercial sale, but the exact procedure differs by product and changes over time. Ask a licensed broker or regulatory consultant to confirm the current steps for your product, and obtain the brand owner's authorisation letter and technical documents first. Perfume with alcohol may also be dangerous goods in transport, which affects mode and packaging.

Do aerospace parts from France need an export licence?

Some may. In the EU, dual-use items are controlled under Regulation (EU) 2021/821, and certain products need an export authorisation from the competent national authority before they leave. Whether a particular part is covered depends on its technical characteristics, which a freight article cannot decide. Ask the supplier in writing about the classification and any authorisation needed for Thailand, and do not promise a delivery date to your own customer until you have the answer.

What Incoterm should I ask for on a French order?

FCA at a named French place is often a practical choice for finished goods: the supplier clears the goods for export and hands them to your forwarder, who controls the main carriage and insurance. FOB suits sea cargo loaded at a named port, while EXW leaves the French export formalities with you and should only be used with a French forwarder who can file the declaration and prove exit. Whatever you pick, name the place and write down who files the declaration and who insures.

Sources

Freight Forwarder Thailand

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