Guides

A trade fair lets you meet dozens of suppliers or customers in a few days. To make the trip useful and avoid bad surprises, here are a few precautions before, during and after the fair.

For information only, up to date as of 2 November 2026. The rules for entering a country change often: always check them on the official websites mentioned, just before you leave.

1. Before you leave

• The entry badge: most major fairs are reserved for professionals. Register in advance on the fair's official website and read its entry conditions (proof of professional status, price). The official website is given on each page of our trade fair calendar.
• Entering the country (visa): the rules change often. Check them before you buy your ticket, on the website of the embassy of the country you are visiting and with your own country's foreign ministry. To come to France: France-Visas, the official website for visas to France. French travellers going to Asia: the country page on Conseils aux voyageurs (French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in French).
• The dates: avoid the big festivals, when factories and offices close. See Closures in 2027: dates to plan for in your orders and Calendar of Asian festivals: China, Vietnam, Thailand.
• Your list: write down what you are looking for (products, quantities, target price) and the exhibitors you want to see. The list of exhibitors is usually on the fair's website.

2. Introducing yourself

• Bring business cards in two languages: in French or English, and in the language of the country.
• Prepare a few simple sentences, and keep a written record of every exchange. See Writing to a foreign partner: 7 simple rules.

3. At the fair: check before you commit

• A stand does not prove that a company really exists. Before you order, check it in the official registers of its country: see Checking that a foreign company really exists and Protecting yourself from international trade scams.
• Do not pay anything on the spot to a company you do not know (deposit, paid samples…). See Paying without being cheated: 8 checks before every payment.
• Get what is promised in writing (price, lead times, quality) and state which law will apply if there is a problem: see Contract with an Asian company: which law applies?

4. Bringing back or receiving samples

• In your luggage, samples go through customs like any other product; some are prohibited or restricted. See Bringing back products from Asia: what gets through, what is seized.
• By post, a small parcel from Asia may cost extra fees: see Small parcels from Asia: €3 customs duty, then a €2 fee (2026).

5. After the fair

• Write quickly to the contacts you selected, reminding them where and when you met.
• Before any order, check again, and follow Orders and deliveries: protecting yourself.
• Passerelle France-Asie can also put you in touch with verified companies: see How we verify each company.

Official sources (checked on 02/11/2026): France-Visas (official website for visas to France); Conseils aux voyageurs (French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs); official websites of the fairs (see our calendar).

General information, not legal advice. Check with the official source before deciding.

You run a grocery shop or a restaurant, or you are starting a small import business, and you want to bring food products from Vietnam, Thailand or China to sell in France? The rules are not those for a traveller: every consignment goes through health checks. Here are the steps, explained simply.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice. For your specific case, ask customs and the inspection services before your first order.

Step 1: the EORI number

To import from a country outside the European Union, your business must be registered with customs and obtain an EORI number (it starts with "FR" followed by your business number). The application is made online on the customs portal. It is the first formality, even for a micro-enterprise. Import VAT is also due.

Step 2: know which family your product belongs to

Fishery products: China, Vietnam and Thailand are on the list of authorised countries, but only approved plants (listed on the European lists) may export to the Union. Always ask your supplier for its approval number, and check it. Fresh eggs: these three countries are not among the authorised countries.

Step 3: products under increased controls

The European Union increases controls on certain products from certain countries when problems (pesticide residues, moulds…) have been found. The list changes several times a year (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, last amendment found: June 2026). For example, according to the June 2026 version:

• Vietnam: durian, okra, chillies, dragon fruit;
• Thailand: chillies, passion fruit;
• China: peanuts, tea, crushed sweet peppers, and others.

For these products, a share of the consignments is analysed on arrival; for some, a certificate and analyses from the country of origin are also required. Always check the version in force on EUR-Lex before ordering.

Step 4: crossing the border

Products of animal origin and fresh plants arrive through a border control post (an equipped port or airport). The border veterinary and plant health inspection service (SIVEP, French Ministry of Agriculture) checks the documents, the identity of the goods and, if necessary, carries out analyses. If everything is in order, it validates a common health entry document (CHED, « DSCE » in French), filled in in advance in the European TRACES system, which you then present to customs. In practice, your freight forwarder or customs broker often takes care of this: ask them.

Step 5: the label in French

A product sold in France must carry the mandatory particulars of the European regulation on food information to consumers (Regulation (EU) 1169/2011): name of the product, list of ingredients, allergens highlighted, quantity, date (use-by or best-before), storage conditions, name and address of the operator, country of origin when required. These particulars must be in French. A label only in Vietnamese, Thai or Chinese is not enough: plan a French label stuck on each product. See our guide instructions and labels in French.

What the Passerelle does not accept

Food supplements and alcohol follow special rules, and the Passerelle does not present them (see our registration conditions).

Checklist before the first order

• I have my EORI number.
• I know which family my product belongs to (animal, fresh plant, dry or processed).
• Animal product: I have the plant's approval number and I have checked it.
• I have checked whether the product is under increased controls (Regulation 2019/1793, version in force).
• My freight forwarder knows that a SIVEP check is needed, and which border post to use.
• My French label is ready, with the allergens.
• I have checked that my supplier exists in the official register of its country.

Who to contact

• Customs: EORI number, formalities, duties and VAT (douane.gouv.fr).
• SIVEP (French Ministry of Agriculture): health and plant health checks at the border.
• The departmental directorate for the protection of populations (DDPP) of your département: safety of the food you sell.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): Entreprendre Service Public, « Importations effectuées par un micro-entrepreneur » (fact sheet F21919); French Ministry of Agriculture, « Le SIVEP » (updated on 29/05/2026); European Commission, "Non-EU countries – authorised establishments"; Regulations (EU) 2017/625 (official controls), 2021/405 (authorised countries), 2019/1793 as amended in 2026 (increased controls), 2016/2031 (plant health), 1169/2011 (food information to consumers). The customs website could not be consulted on the day of writing. For information only: this information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie; only the authorities are authoritative.

You buy from a Chinese supplier, you sell to a Vietnamese customer, you sign with a Thai partner: if something goes wrong, which law decides? The answer depends on what is written in your contract, and on your partner's country.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026, based on the official texts cited at the bottom of the page. For an important contract, get advice.

1. You can choose the law

In the European Union, "a contract shall be governed by the law chosen by the parties" (Rome I Regulation, Article 3). You can choose French law, or even the law of a non-European country (Article 2). Write this choice clearly in the contract.

2. If nothing is written

The Rome I Regulation gives the answer (Article 4):

• Sale of goods: law of the seller's country. If you buy from a Chinese factory without writing anything, it is in principle Chinese law.
• Provision of services: law of the service provider's country.
• Distribution contract: law of the distributor's country.

3. The Vienna Convention (sales of goods between businesses)

For sales of goods between businesses in different countries, a United Nations convention may also apply: the 1980 Vienna Convention (CISG). 97 States apply it. For our countries:

4. What the choice cannot set aside

• "Overriding mandatory provisions": some rules of a country apply whatever the contract says (Article 9).
• Private customers: when a business sells to a consumer in his or her country, the consumer keeps the protection of the law of that country (Article 6).

What to do

1. Write in the contract which law applies.
2. Also write who will decide a dispute (courts of a country or arbitration): the Rome I Regulation says which law applies, not which court decides.
3. With Vietnam: everything in writing, including every change.
4. With Thailand: do not rely on the Vienna Convention.
5. Keep the signed contract and every written exchange.

Official sources (read on 01/11/2026) : Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I), Art. 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 — EUR-Lex · United Nations (UNCITRAL) — Status of the 1980 Vienna Convention

General information, not legal advice. Check the official source before you decide.

Who pays for transport? From what moment do the goods travel at your risk? Who handles customs? The Incoterms® answer in three letters. Well chosen and clearly written in the quote, they prevent most disputes.

1. What an Incoterm is

The Incoterms® are 11 rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The most recent version is Incoterms® 2020, in force since 1 January 2020 (checked on the ICC website on 21 October 2026).

An Incoterm says: who pays for which transport, at which place the risk passes from the seller to the buyer, and who handles the customs formalities. It does not say: the price, the payment date, or when the buyer becomes the owner. That is written in the contract.

2. How to write it

Always three elements: the rule, the exact place, the version. For example:

FOB port of Ho Chi Minh City, Incoterms® 2020

“FOB” on its own is not enough: without the exact place, everyone may understand something different.

3. From least to most for the seller

On the left, the buyer handles almost everything. On the right, the seller handles almost everything.

4. The 11 rules in one table

5. Trap no. 1: the “C” rules

6. Our advice for a small business

• Buying in Asia for the first time? Avoid EXW: the export formalities in the seller’s country would be your responsibility. FCA or FOB are simpler.
• Goods in a container? FCA, CPT or CIP are often better suited than FOB, CFR or CIF, which are designed for loading on board a ship.
• DDP obliges the seller to clear customs and pay duties in the buyer’s country: this is rarely simple for a small foreign business.
• Write the same Incoterm on the quote, the invoice and the contract.

This guide summarises the rules to help you understand them; it does not replace the official ICC text. For a large order, have your contract reviewed by a professional.

Read also

An order between two countries can go wrong, even between honest companies: goods refused, customer absent, payment that never arrives. Here is how to protect yourself before shipping the goods or travelling, with a free template of terms to attach to your quotes.

1. Before accepting an order

• Check the company in the official register of its country (guide "Checking that a foreign company really exists").
• Ask for the name and position of the person who signs, and the official register extract of their company, less than 3 months old.
• A copy of an identity document is not essential. If you ask for one, ask only the person who signs, keep it safe and delete it when it is no longer needed: such copies are sought after by fraudsters.
• Have the quote and your order terms signed (template below).

2. Payment

• Ask for a deposit before manufacturing, shipping or travelling, and set the date of the balance in writing.
• Internationally, avoid cash on delivery: if the customer refuses the goods, you often pay the outward and return transport.
• A change of bank details announced by e-mail? Always check by telephone, on the number you already know.

3. Transport: who pays for what?

Choose an Incoterms® 2020 rule (rules published by the International Chamber of Commerce) and write it on the quote, with the place. Four common examples:

4. If delivery fails because of the customer

• Write in your terms, in advance, that if delivery fails because of the buyer (refusal, absence, wrong address, telephone unreachable, balance unpaid), the buyer pays the resulting costs: outward and return transport, storage, customs, travel.
• Provide that these costs are first deducted from the deposit. Without a deposit, recovering such costs from a foreign company is long and difficult: the deposit remains your best protection.
• Before travelling: have the appointment confirmed in writing the day before, and call before you leave.

5. Keep the evidence

• The signed quote and terms, the e-mails, the proofs of payment, the delivery note with any reservations, and photos of the goods at departure.

6. The template to attach to your quotes

We offer a free "Order and delivery terms" template in the 5 languages of the site. It is an information template: adapt it to your situation and have it checked by your adviser (lawyer, chamber of commerce). Passerelle France-Asie is not a party to your contracts.

Download the template (Word format, editable): Français · English · 中文 · ไทย · Tiếng Việt

7. Need help?

For a question about an order or an introduction, write to us through the contact form: we will direct you free of charge to the right contact (chamber of commerce, customs, adviser). We do not give legal advice. In France, Infos Douane Service answers free of charge on 0 800 94 40 40.

Since 1 August 2020, a free trade agreement between the European Union and Vietnam (often called the EVFTA) has been gradually removing customs duties. But the reduction is not automatic: you must prove that the product “originates” in the EU or in Vietnam.

1. The agreement in brief

• In total, 99% of customs duties between the EU and Vietnam are removed.
• Vietnam: 65% of its duties on EU goods disappeared on day one; the rest is being removed gradually by 2030 (most machinery: since August 2025).
• European Union: about 84% of imports from Vietnam have entered duty-free since August 2020; the rest is removed by 2027.
• Safety, hygiene and labelling rules do not change: a non-compliant product is still refused, even without customs duties.

2. Find the exact duty for your product

• Find your product's customs code (your freight forwarder or customs can help).
• Enter it in the European Commission's free tool, Access2Markets: trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets. It shows the normal duty, the duty reduced by the agreement and the rule of origin for your product.
• The ROSA tool, on the same website, guides you step by step to find out whether your product “originates”.

3. The golden rule: origin

• The product must be wholly obtained in the EU or in Vietnam, or sufficiently processed there (the exact rule depends on the product).
• Example: a product made in China and simply resold by a Vietnamese company is not Vietnamese. It pays the normal duty.
• During the journey, the product must not be altered. Storage in a transit country is possible if it stays under customs supervision. Keep the transport documents.

4. The proof of origin to provide

The €6,000 is the total value of the originating products in the consignment. A statement on origin is valid for 12 months.

The official text of the statement (Annex VI of Protocol 1 of the agreement) is below. For an EU product, write “EU” in place of the last dots and the REX number in place of the first:

The exporter of the products covered by this document (customs authorization No ...) declares that, except where otherwise clearly indicated, these products are of ... preferential origin.

5. The REX number (exporters in France)

• The REX number (“registered exporter”) is free and is requested online from French customs through the SOPRANO-REX service: www.douane.gouv.fr/demarche/deposer-une-demande-dexportateur-enregistre-ee-systeme-rex.
• The same number also works for other EU agreements (Japan, Canada, United Kingdom…).
• For exports to Vietnam, the EU does not issue EUR.1 certificates: only the statement on origin counts.

6. When importing into France

• Ask your Vietnamese supplier before ordering whether they can provide the proof of origin (statement or EUR.1).
• Your freight forwarder enters this proof in the customs declaration (code N954 for an EUR.1, code U162 for a statement on origin up to €6,000).
• Without valid proof, you pay the normal customs duty.

7. If you have a question

• French customs and your freight forwarder.
• The European Commission: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Write to us: we will point you to the right office.

Sources: European Commission (Access2Markets; official guidance on the agreement's rules of origin, version 6, September 2022); French customs (SOPRANO-REX). Checked on 13 October 2026. This guide is general help: for your specific case, customs has the final word.

Soaps, creams, balms, hair products: many cosmetics from Asia are popular in France. But a cosmetic is not sold like an ordinary object: the importer becomes legally responsible for the product.

The importer becomes the "responsible person"

Under Regulation (EC) 1223/2009, each cosmetic sold in the European Union has a responsible person established in the Union. For an imported product, it is the importer, unless it designates in writing another person who accepts this role.

The essential obligations

• A product information file, with a safety report drawn up by a qualified assessor, kept for 10 years after the last batch was placed on the market.
• A notification of the product on the European CPNP portal, before the first sale.
• A label with the name and address of the responsible person and the list of ingredients (INCI names), with the particulars in French.
• Authorised ingredients: some substances are prohibited or restricted in Europe, even if they are allowed in Asia.

Inspection in France: DGCCRF.

Good to know: the Passerelle does not accept medicines or food supplements (see our registration conditions). Cosmetics and care products are accepted.

The rule common to all products

Since 13 December 2024, the European regulation on general product safety (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires a responsible economic operator established in the European Union (often the importer) to be indicated, with its contact details, on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document. A company that imports from China, Vietnam or Thailand to sell in France becomes this operator: it is the one that answers for the product.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (articles 4, 11, 13, 19), European Commission; Regulation (EU) 2023/988.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check the official text (EUR-Lex) and ask the inspection authority before selling. This information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie.

Chargers, lamps, small household appliances, electronic gadgets: these products from Asia are subject both to safety rules and to a recycling obligation in France. The importer is responsible for them.

Safety: CE marking

An electrical or electronic appliance must carry the CE marking: the manufacturer declares that it complies with the European rules (electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, restriction of hazardous substances known as RoHS). Ask for the declaration of conformity and the test reports, and check that the contact details of the manufacturer and of the importer appear on the appliance. The instructions and safety information must be in French. See CE marking and RoHS.

Recycling: WEEE

In France, the company that places on the market electrical equipment coming from a country outside the Union, i.e. the importer, is considered a "producer". It must join an approved producer responsibility organisation (for example Ecologic, ecosystem or Soren) and register with ADEME, the French environment agency (French Ministry of Ecological Transition, ADEME).

Inspection in France: DGCCRF (safety, labelling); Ministry of Ecological Transition and ADEME (recycling).

The rule common to all products

Since 13 December 2024, the European regulation on general product safety (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires a responsible economic operator established in the European Union (often the importer) to be indicated, with its contact details, on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document. A company that imports from China, Vietnam or Thailand to sell in France becomes this operator: it is the one that answers for the product.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): French Ministry of Ecological Transition, "Équipements électriques et électroniques (DEEE)"; ADEME, EEE sector; Directives 2014/35/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2011/65/EU.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check the official text (EUR-Lex) and ask the inspection authority before selling. This information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie.

Clothes, fabrics, household linen, footwear: China, Vietnam and Thailand are major textile manufacturers. To sell these products in France, three subjects matter: the composition label, prohibited substances and recycling.

1. The composition label, in French

Regulation (EU) 1007/2011 requires the fibre composition to be shown ("60% cotton, 40% polyester"), with the official names of the fibres, in the language of the country of sale: in France, in French.

2. Prohibited substances

The European REACH regulation prohibits certain substances in textiles and leather. Example: azo dyes that release certain aromatic amines, limited to 30 mg per kilogram (European Chemicals Agency, ECHA). Ask your supplier for recent test reports. See our REACH guide.

3. Recycling: a French obligation

In France, any company that places clothes, household linen or footwear on the market, including an importer, must join the approved producer responsibility organisation for the sector, Refashion, and pay an eco-contribution. The Triman logo and sorting information are mandatory (French Ministry of Ecological Transition).

Inspection in France: DGCCRF (labelling); Ministry of Ecological Transition and ADEME (recycling).

The rule common to all products

Since 13 December 2024, the European regulation on general product safety (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires a responsible economic operator established in the European Union (often the importer) to be indicated, with its contact details, on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document. A company that imports from China, Vietnam or Thailand to sell in France becomes this operator: it is the one that answers for the product.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): French Ministry of Ecological Transition, "Produits textiles (TLC)"; European Commission, questions and answers on Regulation 1007/2011; ECHA, REACH restrictions (entry 43).

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check the official text (EUR-Lex) and ask the inspection authority before selling. This information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie.

Toys made in Asia are numerous on the European market, and they are also the most closely checked products: they are intended for children. Here is what a small business that imports them needs to know, including the big change to come.

Today: CE marking

• Every toy sold in the European Union must carry the CE marking: the manufacturer declares that it meets the safety requirements (Directive 2009/48/EC). Ask the manufacturer for the declaration of conformity and the test reports, and keep them.
• The importer shows its name and address on the toy or its packaging.
• The warnings (for example "not suitable for children under 3 years") and the instructions must be in French.

What will change: the new 2025 regulation

Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys replaces the directive. It entered into force on 1 January 2026, but its rules will apply from 1 August 2030 (transition period). The big new feature: each toy will need a digital product passport, available online through a QR code, which customs will be able to check. Serious Asian manufacturers are already preparing for it: it is a good question to ask a future supplier.

Inspection in France: DGCCRF and customs.

The rule common to all products

Since 13 December 2024, the European regulation on general product safety (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires a responsible economic operator established in the European Union (often the importer) to be indicated, with its contact details, on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document. A company that imports from China, Vietnam or Thailand to sell in France becomes this operator: it is the one that answers for the product.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): European Commission, "Toy safety" and "Stronger toy safety rules enter into force" (23/12/2025); Directive 2009/48/EC; Regulation (EU) 2025/2509.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check the official text (EUR-Lex) and ask the inspection authority before selling. This information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie.

Bowls, plates, chopsticks, lunch boxes, utensils: tableware and kitchen items imported from Asia are "materials in contact with food". They follow strict rules, and one trap comes up often: "melamine-bamboo" tableware.

The "bamboo" tableware trap

Many cups, bowls and plates sold as "eco-friendly, made of bamboo" are in fact plastic (often melamine) mixed with bamboo powder. This mixture is illegal in the European Union: bamboo is not on the list of substances authorised in plastics in contact with food (Regulation (EU) 10/2011). The EU Member States carried out a joint control operation against these products, completed in April 2022 (European Commission, "Bamboo-zling").

Not to be confused: an object made of solid bamboo (chopsticks, board, spoon carved from bamboo) is not covered by this ban on plastics, but it must also be safe for contact with food.

The essential obligations

• Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 sets the basic rule: the object must not transfer dangerous substances to food or change its taste or smell.
• For plastic objects, Regulation (EU) 10/2011 sets the list of authorised substances and migration limits. Ask your supplier for the written declaration of compliance and the test results.
• The object must show that it is intended for food (wording or glass-and-fork symbol), unless this is obvious.
• Keep traceability: who supplied you, which batch.

Inspection in France: DGCCRF (the French consumer protection authority).

The rule common to all products

Since 13 December 2024, the European regulation on general product safety (Regulation (EU) 2023/988) requires a responsible economic operator established in the European Union (often the importer) to be indicated, with its contact details, on the product, its packaging or an accompanying document. A company that imports from China, Vietnam or Thailand to sell in France becomes this operator: it is the one that answers for the product.

To go further

Sources (consulted on 1 November 2026): European Commission, "Bamboo-zling" (food.ec.europa.eu); Regulations (EC) 1935/2004 and (EU) 10/2011; Regulation (EU) 2023/988.

For information only, up to date on 1 November 2026. General information, not legal advice: check the official text (EUR-Lex) and ask the inspection authority before selling. This information does not engage the liability of Passerelle France-Asie.

In France, the description of a product sold to the public, its instructions and its warranty must be in French: what to ask your supplier.

• In France, law no. 94-665 of 4 August 1994 (the “Toubon law”) requires French for the name, presentation, instructions and warranty of a product offered to the public.
• Another language can be added, but French must always be there.
• Before ordering, ask your supplier who translates and prints the French labels and instructions, and at what price.
• For some products (toys, textiles, cosmetics, food), other EU labelling rules also apply: check them for your product.