France
USA trade laneFrench wine is bought by appellation, producer and vintage, often paid for months before it ships, and it can be ruined by a single hot week. A container standing on a summer quay or crossing to the West Coast through the Panama Canal can get far warmer inside than any cellar, and heat-damaged wine is not obvious until a customer opens a bottle. Champagne adds pressure in the bottle and corks that push out when the temperature swings. The freight decision on this lane is therefore mostly a temperature decision, made per shipment and per season.
We work through WCA partner agents in France, who collect from domaines, négociants and consolidators, prepare the export declaration and close the excise movement under which the wine left bonded premises. AGF books a reefer or insulated container as the wine and the season require, and the US entry — customs duty, federal excise and FDA Prior Notice — is filed by our licensed customs brokers for the TTB-permitted importer. We also say plainly what is unsettled: the tariff position on French wine has several open questions in 2026, set out below, and we confirm it at quoting rather than promise a number.
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Shipping Wine & Champagne from France to USA
There are three ways to move French wine across the Atlantic. A dry container with a thermal liner buffers temperature swings at modest cost and suits everyday wine in the cooler months. A reefer set at 13–15°C controls temperature for the whole voyage and is the right choice for fine wine, Champagne, summer sailings and anything going to the West Coast. Flexitanks carry bulk wine to US bottlers — upwards of 20,000 liters in a single 20ft container — under a different TTB route from bottled wine. Bottled wine is weight cargo: a 20ft container floor-loaded with twelve-bottle cases reaches the payload limit for road-legal US delivery at roughly 1,100–1,200 cases, and palletized loads take noticeably fewer. We confirm the count from your packing list before booking.
From Le Havre, transit is roughly 9-16 days on the water to New York and about 15 days to Savannah; Los Angeles, through the Panama Canal, takes roughly 28-36 days, which is why reefer matters most on the West Coast run. Southern French wine can also sail from Marseille-Fos, with transit confirmed per booking. Two calendar points shape the year: August, when many French suppliers close, and the pre-holiday rush for Champagne, which fills space from late summer.
- Reefer at 13–15°C for fine wine, Champagne, summer sailings and the West Coast
- Thermal liners for everyday wine in cool months; flexitanks for bulk wine to US bottlers
- 20ft containers, weight-limited at roughly 1,100–1,200 floor-loaded twelve-bottle cases
- Several domaines consolidated into one container through our partner agents in France
What Drives the Cost
- Reefer, liner or dry container — and the season you ship in
- Number of pickups across domaines and négociants, and whether they are consolidated
- Federal excise tax: sparkling wine pays a higher rate than still wine, and strength bands change the rate
- Customs duty and the EU Section 301 top-up, plus the open tariff questions confirmed at quoting
- Full-value cargo insurance for fine wine, and breakage protection for glass
- US delivery to a bonded or state-licensed warehouse and your distributors
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2204.10 | Sparkling wine, including Champagne and crémant | Duty is a small amount per liter; sparkling wine carries a higher federal excise rate than still wine. The EU Section 301 top-up applies on the mechanism described below — total confirmed at quoting. |
| 2204.21 | Still wine in bottles of 2 liters or less, split by alcohol strength | The line most exposed to the open tariff questions: French still wine was the core of the 2019 Airbus–Boeing dispute tariffs, suspended since 2021. Strength above or below 14% changes both duty and excise. |
| 2204.22 / 2204.29 | Wine in larger containers, including bulk wine in flexitanks | Bulk wine for US bottling moves under different TTB arrangements from bottled wine; confirm the receiving premises before booking. |
| 2205 | Vermouth and other flavored wines | Classified apart from wine, with its own duty line; aperitif wines need checking against both headings. |
Regulations and Compliance
TTB importer's permit and label approval (COLA)
Importing wine for resale requires a federal TTB Importer's Basic Permit, and every label needs a Certificate of Label Approval before the wine is released for sale. The US label must carry the government health warning, a sulfite declaration where it applies, alcohol content, net contents and the importer's name, and bottles must be an authorized US size — 750 ml is standard. The permit takes months, so it comes before the first order, not after the container sails.
FDA registration and Prior Notice
French wineries are food facilities and must hold a current FDA registration; registrations are renewed every two years, and the renewal window runs from 1 October to 31 December 2026 — a registration not renewed lapses. Every shipment needs FDA Prior Notice before arrival. Alcoholic beverages are exempt from the Foreign Supplier Verification Program, but not from registration or Prior Notice.
French excise documents
Wine leaves a French producer's or warehouse-keeper's bonded premises under an electronic excise document (the e-AD, or DAE in France) in the EU's excise control system. The movement is closed against the export declaration and its MRN when the wine leaves the EU; a movement left open can come back as a French excise claim on the shipper. Our partner agents in France make sure the two documents match.
Three-tier distribution and bonded warehouses
After entry, wine reaches shelves through each state's three-tier system of importer, distributor and retailer, which decides where the container should land. Importers who want to defer duty and excise can enter wine into a third-party CBP bonded warehouse and pay on withdrawal — useful when stock is sold through several states over months.
Tariffs, and what is still open in 2026
Since 24 July 2026, most EU goods pay their normal duty topped up to 10% in total under a Section 301 measure; wine's normal duty is a small per-liter amount, so the top-up generally applies. Three further questions are open. A separate Section 301 investigation into structural excess capacity, opened in March 2026, covers the EU and names food and beverages among its sectors; it has not concluded, and its outcome could add a layer. In January 2026 the President threatened a 200% tariff on French wine and Champagne — a threat, not a measure, but a signal of risk. And the 25% Airbus–Boeing dispute tariffs on French still wine, suspended since 2021 for five years, passed that anniversary in July 2026; we have not been able to confirm the US-side status. Tariff status is therefore confirmed at quoting, for each shipment.
Door-to-Door Import Service
We start from your TTB permit, your approved labels and the list of producers. Our partner agents in France collect from each domaine or négociant, check the excise documents and consolidate where it saves cost, while AGF books a reefer or lined container for the season and files the ISF before loading at Le Havre or Fos.
On arrival, our licensed customs brokers file the entry with duty and federal excise, against the Prior Notice already on file, and we deliver to your licensed or bonded warehouse — on the East Coast directly, or to the West Coast with our Glendale team arranging drayage and delivery to your distributors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to import wine from France?
What are the tariffs on French wine in 2026?
Should French wine ship in a reefer container?
How many cases of wine fit in a 20ft container?
Wine & Champagne 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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