USA
France trade laneFrance is one of the centres of the world's aerospace industry. Toulouse is Airbus's main base, with its final assembly lines and ATR's turboprop assembly next door; Dassault builds in the Bordeaux area, Airbus Helicopters at Marignane near Marseille, and Safran and Thales have major sites around Paris. Engine and equipment programmes shared between American and French manufacturers move modules, parts and tooling across the Atlantic every day, and US suppliers, distributors and repair stations ship into all of them.
The freight is the straightforward part. What decides whether a part can ship — and on what terms — is its export classification under the EAR or ITAR, and the release paperwork the receiving organisation will accept. AGF works from Glendale, in the middle of Southern California's aerospace supply base, and files the EEI with the classification and licence data. French clearance and delivery run through our WCA partner agents and a licensed customs representative; AGF has no office in France. We do not run a 24/7 AOG desk: we are set up for planned flows — spares replenishment, rotables, tooling, ground equipment and project shipments.
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Shipping Aerospace Parts from USA to France
Air is the norm for high-value and time-sensitive parts: from US gateways to Paris-CDG, then by road to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marignane or the receiving site, with transit confirmed per booking. Ocean suits tooling, jigs, engine stands, ground support equipment and large structures — containers or flat racks to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos, roughly 9–16 days on the water from New York/New Jersey to Le Havre and four to five weeks from Los Angeles via Panama.
Packaging is part of the airworthiness chain. Avionics travel in ESD packaging, engines and large assemblies in stands or crates with shock and tilt indicators, and wooden crates must meet ISPM-15. A good deal of aircraft equipment is also dangerous goods — fire-extinguisher bottles, escape slides and life rafts with inflation cylinders, aircraft batteries, sealants and paints — and some of it, such as chemical oxygen generators, is forbidden on passenger aircraft and heavily restricted on freighters.
- Air via US gateways to Paris-CDG and on by road; ocean to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos for tooling and ground equipment
- ECCN or USML category, and any licence, carried on the EEI and the commercial invoice
- Release paperwork — FAA 8130-3, with EASA dual release where the part has been repaired — travelling with each part
- Dangerous goods declared under IATA or IMDG rules: extinguisher bottles, escape slides, batteries, sealants
What Drives the Cost
- Air or ocean, and chargeable weight — crated parts are often billed on volume, not weight
- Dangerous goods: surcharges, cargo-aircraft-only items and carrier acceptance
- Export classification and licensing — the cost of a part waiting for a licence determination
- Packaging standard: stands, ESD protection, shock indicators and ISPM-15 crates
- Insurance on high-value components
- Delivery into the receiving site — Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marignane or the Paris region
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8807 | Parts of aircraft — airframe structures, landing gear, interiors | Aircraft parts moved from heading 8803 to 8807 in the 2022 nomenclature; older paperwork still shows 8803. The HS code is not the export classification — the ECCN or USML category is a separate question. |
| 8411 / 8409 | Turbojets, turboprops and gas turbines and their parts; piston-engine parts | Engine parts are among the most tightly controlled items on this lane when they belong to military programmes. Confirm the classification with the manufacturer. |
| 8526 / 9014 / 9026 | Radar and radio-navigation equipment, navigation instruments, flow and pressure instruments | Avionics often carry Commerce Control List classifications; some military-specific items are ITAR. Check before booking. |
| 8412 / 8481 / 8483 | Hydraulic actuators, valves, gears and transmission components | Parts certified for civil aircraft can qualify for the EU's duty suspension for civil aircraft when they travel with an authorised release certificate. Our French partner's customs representative confirms the treatment. |
Regulations and Compliance
EAR or ITAR — classification comes first
Many civil aircraft parts are EAR99 or classified 9A991, and ship to France without a licence once the parties are screened. Military-specific parts in the 600 series (9A610 and similar) generally need a licence or an available exception such as STA, and items on the US Munitions List — military aircraft parts, engines and related equipment — need a State Department licence or exemption under ITAR. Classification is the manufacturer's or exporter's determination; we need the ECCN or USML category before booking, and we do not guess it.
EEI, licence data and the destination control statement
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES whenever a licence is required, for every ITAR-controlled item regardless of value, and for other shipments above the value threshold — with the ECCN or USML category and licence details. Controlled items also need the destination control statement on the commercial invoice, and ITAR items cannot be re-transferred in France without authorisation.
Release certificates and traceability
The receiving organisation will want the right release paperwork with every part: an FAA Form 8130-3 for new parts, and for repaired or overhauled parts a dual release from a repair station that also holds EASA approval, as the EU–US aviation safety agreement expects. Requirements differ by part and by the receiving Part-145 or production organisation, so confirm what they accept before the part ships, not when it arrives.
Dangerous goods
Extinguisher bottles, escape slides and life rafts, aircraft batteries, oxygen equipment, paints, sealants and adhesives are regulated as dangerous goods and must be classified, packed, marked and declared by trained shippers under IATA rules for air or the IMDG Code for ocean. Chemical oxygen generators are forbidden on passenger aircraft. Send the safety data sheet and UN number with the booking request.
EU duty and French VAT
US-origin industrial goods have entered the EU at 0% duty since 1 July 2026 under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, provided their origin can be shown and they travel directly. Parts for civil aircraft from any origin can also qualify for EU duty suspension when accompanied by an EASA Form 1 or an accepted equivalent such as the FAA 8130-3. Import VAT at 20% is accounted for on the return by French VAT-registered businesses; some airline uses are exempt, which the customs representative confirms.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
We start with the part list: part numbers, ECCN or USML category, values, dangerous-goods status, release paperwork and the receiving site. We collect from the supplier, distributor or repair station, screen every party, file the EEI with the licence data, and book air or ocean, with dangerous goods prepared through trained partners.
In France our WCA partner agent and a licensed customs representative clear the shipment — applying the origin or civil-aircraft treatment where it fits — and deliver to Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marignane or the Paris region. Recurring replenishment flows can run on a fixed weekly schedule. AGF has no office in France and does not operate a 24/7 AOG desk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an export license to ship aircraft parts to France?
How do you ship aircraft parts from the USA to Toulouse?
Is there import duty on aircraft parts in France?
Can you ship hazardous aircraft parts such as fire extinguishers or escape slides?
Aerospace Parts is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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