USA
France trade laneFrench buyers have always wanted American cars — Mustangs and Camaros, full-size pickups, US-built SUVs and, above all, classics from the 1950s to the 1990s, where dry-climate cars from California and the Southwest are the ones collectors look for. On 1 July 2026 the numbers changed: under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, cars of US origin now enter the EU at 0% customs duty. Import VAT (TVA) at 20% still applies, and collector cars over 30 years old that qualify under heading 9705 pay 0% duty and a reduced 5.5% TVA.
What catches people out is rarely the freight. It is where the car was built — duty follows origin, not the place of purchase — and what it takes to register it in France: individual approval (réception à titre isolé, or RTI) for a US-spec car, or the collector route for a qualifying classic, plus the malus on CO2 and weight. AGF handles the US end from Glendale — collection, the CBP title submission, EEI and loading — and the French clearance runs through our WCA partner agents and a licensed customs representative (représentant en douane enregistré). AGF has no office in France.
Last reviewed:
Shipping Cars & Classic Cars from USA to France
Most cars cross the Atlantic in containers. A 40ft high cube takes three or four cars with racking, which is the lowest cost per car; a valuable classic often travels alone in a 20ft or shares a 40ft fully enclosed. Le Havre is the gateway for Paris and the north, Marseille-Fos for the south. On the water, New York/New Jersey to Le Havre runs roughly 9–16 days, Savannah about two weeks, and Los Angeles four to five weeks via the Panama Canal, confirmed per booking. At the US end, collection and the 72-hour title hold commonly take one to two weeks.
RoRo — the car driven aboard a car carrier — suits running vehicles where a service fits, but sails from fewer US ports, usually allows nothing inside the car, and often calls at North European RoRo hubs rather than a French port. We compare it with a container direct to France, and we plan the import clearance in France so that French customs issue the 846A certificate that French registration asks for.
- Three to four cars per 40ft high cube with racking; classics alone in a 20ft or shared, fully enclosed
- Collection from dealers, auctions, private sellers and collectors nationwide, with photos at loading
- Title to CBP at least 72 hours before export, and EEI filed for every used vehicle
- Cleared in France at Le Havre or Marseille-Fos by a licensed customs representative, so the 846A is issued for registration
What Drives the Cost
- Container sharing — a solo car in a 20ft costs far more per car than a shared 40ft, and RoRo prices differently again
- The inland US leg: a California car can sail from Los Angeles via Panama or cross by truck or rail to an East Coast port
- Where the car was built — US-built cars pay 0% EU duty; a US-market car built in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Korea or Germany pays the standard EU rate
- TVA at 20% on the customs value including freight and insurance, or 5.5% for a qualifying collector car
- RTI conversion work — lighting and other changes that range from minor on some models to uneconomic on others
- The malus at first French registration, which on a large-engined or heavy car can exceed everything else combined
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8703 | Passenger cars and other vehicles principally designed for carrying persons | US-origin cars have entered the EU at 0% duty since 1 July 2026. A car built outside the US pays the standard EU third-country duty for its line. TVA at 20% applies either way. Our French partner's customs representative confirms the treatment for your VIN before you buy. |
| 8704 | Motor vehicles for the transport of goods — pickups and light trucks | US-built pickups fall under the same 0% regime as cars. Classification between 8703 and 8704 for crew-cab pickups is not always obvious, and it matters for French registration and the malus as well as at customs. |
| 9705 | Collectors' pieces of historical interest — qualifying classic cars | 0% duty and 5.5% TVA. EU criteria: over 30 years old, a model no longer in production, and in original condition without substantial change to chassis, steering, brakes or engine. Customs decide on the evidence; a restomod or an engine-swapped car normally stays in 8703. |
Regulations and Compliance
US export — title to CBP 72 hours before export
Every vehicle exported from the United States must be presented to CBP with its original title, or an acceptable substitute such as a salvage certificate, at least 72 hours before export. The title must be free of liens or accompanied by the lien holder's authorization. Missed title formalities are the most common cause of a missed sailing, so we manage the CBP submission at the export port rather than leaving it with the seller.
EEI for every used vehicle
Electronic Export Information must be filed in the Automated Export System for every used vehicle, whatever its value — the low-value exemption that applies to other exports does not apply to used cars. We file it on every shipment.
0% EU duty — but only for US-built cars
Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 removed EU duty on US-origin industrial goods, cars included, from 1 July 2026. Origin follows the EU's non-preferential rules, which for a car means where it was built, and the importer carries the burden of proof. A first VIN character of 1, 4 or 5 is the usual first indicator of US assembly; a large share of US-market cars are built in Mexico, Canada, Japan, Korea or Germany and pay the standard EU rate. The car must travel directly from the US, or stay under customs supervision if transshipped, and the Commission can suspend the preference — so the duty is confirmed at quoting.
TVA and the 846A certificate
Import VAT is charged on the customs value — the car plus freight and insurance to the EU — plus any duty: 20% for most cars, 5.5% for a qualifying collector car under 9705. A business registered for VAT in France accounts for import VAT on its return (autoliquidation); a private buyer pays it at clearance. French customs then issue the 846A certificate of clearance, which the registration file requires.
Registration — RTI or the collector route
A US-spec car has no European certificate of conformity, so it generally needs individual approval — réception à titre isolé (RTI) — through the regional DREAL before it can be registered. Typical work includes lighting and indicator changes, and what a given model needs varies widely; some convert easily, others cost more to convert than to ship. A car over 30 years old that is no longer produced and is in original condition can instead obtain an FFVE attestation and a collector registration (carte grise collection), which avoids the RTI. Check which route your car takes before you buy it.
The malus — CO2 and weight
France charges a CO2 malus and a weight malus at a car's first French registration, used imports included, with a reduction for the car's age. A car with no European certificate of conformity has no EU-approved CO2 figure, so the CO2 malus is assessed on its fiscal horsepower (puissance administrative) instead. On a large V8 or a heavy pickup the malus can be the biggest single cost of the import. Collector-registered cars over 30 years are outside it. Grids and thresholds change every year, so the figure is checked for your specific car before purchase.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
Send us the VIN and where the car is. We check where it was built, whether it could qualify as a collector car, and get an estimate of TVA, RTI work and malus from our French partners before you commit. Then we collect it anywhere in the US, deliver it to the export port, handle the CBP title submission and EEI, load it with photos at each stage, and book the ocean leg to Le Havre or Marseille-Fos.
In France our WCA partner agent and a licensed customs representative clear the car, French customs issue the 846A, and the car is delivered by truck to your address or to the specialist doing the RTI work. Approval and registration are made in your name; we make sure the shipping and customs documents they rely on are complete. AGF has no office in France.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship a car from the USA to France?
Is there import duty on American cars in France?
Can I register an American car in France?
How long does it take to ship a car from the USA to France?
Cars & Classic Cars 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.
Compare other destinations for vehicles
Transit, duty exposure and container loads side by side in our vehicles export guide.
Vehicles to UAE
Vehicles & Household Goods to Armenia
Vehicles to Georgia
Vehicles to Kazakhstan
Vehicles to Europe
Cars & Pickups to Japan
Cars & Classic Cars to Italy
Cars & Classic Vehicles from Germany
China Office