China
France trade laneGuangdong — Shenzhen, Dongguan, Huizhou and Foshan — makes a large share of the world's battery packs, energy-storage systems, power tools, small appliances and consumer electronics, and French distributors, installers and retailers import them by the container. This guide is for that business-to-business container trade. We do not ship parcels or e-commerce consignments, which since 1 July 2026 carry the EU's flat €3 duty on low-value parcels.
Three layers of rules apply at once: dangerous-goods transport for lithium batteries, EU product law — CE marking and the EU Battery Regulation — and French extended producer responsibility (EPR), which requires the importer to be registered before the first sale. AGF's own Foshan office checks markings, labels and documents at the factory and supervises loading, with dangerous-goods documentation prepared through certified partners. In France, clearance and delivery run through our WCA partner agents and a licensed customs representative; AGF has no office in France.
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Shipping Electronics & Batteries from China to France
By sea, lithium batteries are Class 9 dangerous goods under the IMDG Code: UN3480 for batteries shipped alone, UN3481 for batteries packed with or contained in equipment, and UN3171 for battery-powered vehicles such as e-bikes. Each shipment needs a UN38.3 test summary, compliant packaging and labels and a dangerous-goods declaration, and the carrier must accept it before loading — not every sailing takes it. Air is far more restricted, with batteries shipped alone limited to cargo aircraft at a reduced state of charge, so ocean is the default.
Products containing small lithium cells may qualify for the IMDG small-battery provisions, which turns on the watt-hour rating — we check from the specification sheet rather than assume. Damaged or defective batteries are a separate, much more restricted category. Routing is the same as other China–France cargo: Le Havre or Dunkirk on Asia–North Europe services, Marseille-Fos on Mediterranean services, via Suez or the Cape as each carrier decides.
- Lithium batteries declared under the IMDG Code — UN3480, UN3481 or UN3171 — with UN38.3 test summaries
- Dangerous-goods acceptance confirmed with the carrier before the cargo is loaded
- Foshan-office checks of markings, labels and documents before loading
- Full containers to Le Havre, Dunkirk or Marseille-Fos — no parcels or e-commerce consignments
What Drives the Cost
- Dangerous-goods classification, carrier DG surcharges and limited DG space on some sailings
- Battery size and watt-hour rating, which decide full DG treatment or the small-battery provisions
- EU duty for the tariff line, and antidumping or anti-subsidy duty on e-bikes and some other products
- French EPR eco-contributions per unit — batteries, electrical equipment and packaging
- Compliance documentation: CE technical files, Battery Regulation labelling and test reports
- Insurance and delivery to a warehouse able to store lithium batteries
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8507.60 | Lithium-ion accumulators — battery packs and energy-storage systems | Within the EU Battery Regulation and French battery EPR. Check the exact line in TARIC at quoting. |
| 8504.40 | Static converters — inverters, chargers, UPS units | CE under the low-voltage and EMC rules; French electrical-equipment EPR applies. |
| 8711.60 | Cycles and motorcycles with an electric motor — e-bikes and e-motorcycles | E-bikes from China are under EU antidumping and countervailing duties, extended in 2025 for five years. Company-specific rates apply. |
| 8471 / 8517 / 8528 | Computers, communication equipment, monitors | Radio equipment falls under the Radio Equipment Directive as well as the general CE rules. |
| 8509 / 8516 | Domestic electrical appliances | Energy-labelling and ecodesign rules apply to many appliance categories. |
Regulations and Compliance
Class 9 dangerous goods
Lithium batteries must be classified, packed, marked, labelled and declared under the IMDG Code by trained shippers, with a UN38.3 test summary for each battery type. Carriers accept dangerous goods sailing by sailing, add surcharges, and some limit DG volumes. Missing or inconsistent documents are the commonest reason a battery container is rolled to a later vessel, so our Foshan team checks them before the booking is confirmed.
The EU Battery Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 replaced the old Batteries Directive. Batteries placed on the EU market need CE marking, and since 18 August 2025 producers — including importers placing batteries on a national market — have extended producer responsibility in each member state where they sell. Harmonised labelling with capacity, chemistry and hazardous substances, and a QR code, phases in over 2026–2027; supply-chain due diligence was postponed to 18 August 2027; and from February 2027 portable batteries in appliances must generally be removable and replaceable by the user.
French EPR — registered before the first sale
In France the business placing batteries, electrical and electronic equipment and household packaging on the market must join an approved eco-organisme for each stream, obtain a unique identifier (IDU) from ADEME through its SYDEREP register, show it in its terms of sale, and pay eco-contributions per unit. A non-French seller can appoint an authorised representative. Selling without registration is exactly what French market surveillance looks for, so settle it before the first container lands.
CE marking and the EU operator
Electronics need CE marking under the low-voltage, EMC and RoHS rules, the Radio Equipment Directive for anything with a radio, and ecodesign and energy labelling where they apply. Products from non-EU manufacturers need an EU-based economic operator responsible for compliance, consumer products fall under the General Product Safety Regulation, and instructions and safety information must be in French.
EU trade defence on e-bikes and electric cars
E-bikes from China have carried EU antidumping and countervailing duties since 2019, extended in 2025 for five years, and battery-electric cars from China have carried EU countervailing duties since October 2024. Both are heavily tariffed, not banned, with company-specific rates, and assembling in a third country to avoid them is investigated as circumvention. We check the measure for your exact product at quoting.
No parcels
Since 1 July 2026 the EU charges a flat €3 duty on low-value e-commerce parcels as it removes the old duty exemption for small consignments. We do not handle parcel or e-commerce flows; this guide covers container cargo imported by a French business for distribution, installation or retail.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
Send us the specification sheets, UN38.3 test summaries, safety data sheets and watt-hour ratings. Our Foshan team checks the product markings, Battery Regulation labels and documents at the factory; the dangerous-goods paperwork is prepared through certified partners; the booking is made with the carrier's DG acceptance; and loading is supervised and photographed.
In France our WCA partner agent and a licensed customs representative clear the container, with import VAT accounted for on the return by VAT-registered importers, and our partners deliver to a warehouse able to receive lithium batteries. EPR registration is the importer's own obligation and must be in place before sale. AGF has no office in France.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can lithium batteries be shipped by sea from China to France?
What is the EU Battery Regulation and does it apply to my imports?
Do I need to register for EPR in France to sell electronics?
Are there anti-dumping duties on e-bikes from China?
Electronics & Batteries 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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