Trades from elsewhere
Trades you see everywhere in Asia and almost never in France, and the other way round: business ideas, and professionals to meet on the Passerelle.
People often think that trade between France and Asia means containers of goods. But a trade can travel too: a way of working, a skill, a service.
Every trade is welcome
The Passerelle welcomes any company registered in its own country, whatever its trade: a massage parlour, a repairer, a tailor, a firm that audits company accounts, a registered shoe shiner… When you register, simply choose the sector "Services" or "Other activities" if yours is not in the list.
Why this section?
Some trades are everywhere in the streets of Asia and almost invisible in France. Others, very French, are unknown over there. Each one can be a business idea, or a chance to find a partner who already knows how to do it.
We add trades seen on the spot here, little by little. Do you know one? Write to us through the Contact page.
The first examples
- The express made-to-measure tailor
- The shoe shiner
- The mobile repairer
- The seller of accessories that protect your phone on two-wheelers
- Free iced tea with your order (trà đá)
- The sleeper bus for excursions
- The tropical fruit smoothie bar
- The name bracelet, made before your eyes
- The keyless lock installer
- The barbecue in the middle of the table
- The fresh coconut served whole
- Pastries and drinks for dogs
- The pavement café (cà phê vỉa hè)
In some cities in Vietnam, such as Hội An, sewing workshops take your measurements in the morning and let you try on a suit or a dress a few days later.
Over there
The customer chooses a fabric and a design (often from a photo), their measurements are taken, then one or two fittings are enough. Prices are low and delays are very short, because the workshops work as a team and are used to it.
In France
Real made-to-measure exists, but it is often expensive and takes several weeks. Many people do not even think of it.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A dressmaker or an alterations shop in France can work with a partner workshop in Vietnam: measurements taken here, made over there, finishing done here.
- A Vietnamese workshop can find business customers in France (shops, restaurant uniforms, wedding outfits).
To check before you start
- Sewing and alterations are craft trades: ask the Chambre de métiers et de l'artisanat (French chamber of trades and crafts) in your département.
- Bringing in clothes from abroad means importing: customs duties and labelling (fabric composition) apply.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In many cities in Asia, you still come across shoe shiners near stations, cafés and offices. In France, this trade has almost disappeared.
Over there
A little equipment (brushes, polishes, cloths, a stool), a busy spot, and a quick service while the customer waits or drinks a coffee. Some also go from office to office.
In France
A few shoe shiners remain in the big stations or in some business districts, and some cobblers offer shoe care. There is demand from people who wear leather shoes every day.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A regular service in companies (one visit a week), in a hair salon or in a hotel.
- Suppliers of brushes, polishes or equipment in Asia, for anyone who wants to start.
To check before you start
- Setting up on a pavement or a square requires permission from the town hall (use of public space).
- You must be registered: find out on the guichet unique des entreprises (French one-stop shop for business formalities) (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam or Thailand, a flat tyre or a broken phone is often repaired on the pavement, in a few minutes, by a repairer set up on the street corner.
Over there
Little equipment, a lot of know-how, and a simple principle: repair rather than throw away, straight away, at a low price.
In France
Repairers who come to you (bikes, scooters, phones, household appliances) are growing, helped by people wanting to repair rather than buy again. Many neighbourhoods do not have one yet.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A repairer in France can find suppliers of spare parts and tools in Asia.
- Experienced repairers can share their way of working with partners in France.
To check before you start
- Depending on the activity, you may need a qualification or registration with the Chambre de métiers et de l'artisanat (French chamber of trades and crafts).
- Imported spare parts must meet European standards (CE marking for electrical items).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam or Thailand, you see phones fixed to the handlebars of scooters and protected from the rain and sun: a small umbrella above, a visor, a waterproof cover. These small accessories are sold everywhere, for a few euros.
Over there
The phone is used as a GPS and as a work tool (deliveries, motorbike taxis). In the rain of the wet season, everyone protects it with a simple, cheap accessory, sold in markets and by the roadside.
In France
Delivery riders and couriers on bikes or scooters ride with their phone on the handlebars, in all weathers. Protections exist online, but few are found in local shops, and many people do not know they exist.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A business in France (bike or scooter shop, market trader) can find a manufacturer in China or Vietnam.
- An Asian manufacturer can find resellers in France, for example near the places where delivery riders gather.
To check before you start
- Every product sold in Europe must be safe and correctly labelled (European product safety rules): ask the DGCCRF (French consumer protection authority).
- Importing means paying customs duties: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for the exact customs code of the product.
- Motorbike helmet: never drill, glue or modify it. A helmet must be approved, and a badly fixed accessory can cancel this approval.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam, in many cafés, bars and small restaurants, you are served a glass of iced tea ("trà đá") as soon as you order a drink or food. It is often free, or almost: it is the equivalent of our glass of water.
Over there
A large pot of light green tea, ice cubes, and every customer gets a glass when they sit down. The gesture costs little and is part of the welcome: you feel expected.
In France
With a meal, the jug of water is free. A homemade iced tea, served in addition and free of charge, would be a rare touch that gets people talking about a place and makes them want to come back.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A café or a restaurant in France can find a green tea grower in Vietnam (for example from the Thái Nguyên region, known for its tea).
- A Vietnamese grower can find business customers in France: cafés, Asian restaurants, grocery shops.
To check before you start
- The iced tea comes in addition to water: with a meal, the jug of water must still be provided.
- Ice cubes must be made with drinking water and stored according to restaurant hygiene rules: ask the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office).
- Importing tea means going through customs and respecting European limits on pesticide residues: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice before the first order.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam, "xe giường nằm" buses replace seats with berths: you travel lying down, often at night, for an excursion or a long journey. You wake up at your destination, rested, without paying for a hotel for the night.
Over there
Two or three rows of berths on two levels, a blanket, a socket for your phone. Excursion agencies and bus companies use it as a selling point: you save a night and gain a day of sightseeing.
In France
Night buses exist, but you stay seated. Travelling lying down on a bus is almost unknown, while many travellers are looking for cheaper and less tiring journeys.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A travel agency in France can offer its customers sleeper bus excursions in Vietnam, with a partner company on the spot.
- A Vietnamese company can find French agencies that send it travellers.
- In France, a carrier could study the idea, while respecting European rules.
To check before you start
- Carrying passengers is a regulated activity: registration in the register of carriers, with the DREAL (regional transport authority) of your region.
- A vehicle must be approved in Europe (safety standards, seat belts): a sleeper bus built for Asia cannot simply be imported and put on the road.
- Selling trips or excursions requires registration as a travel operator with Atout France (French tourism agency that registers travel sellers).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam, "sinh tố" (smoothie) counters prepare drinks in front of you from fresh fruit blended with ice: avocado, mango, soursop, sapodilla, guava, watermelon, passion fruit…
Over there
A blender, ripe fruit from the market, ice, sometimes a little condensed milk: the drink is ready in one minute, for a small price. The avocado smoothie, sweet and creamy, is drunk like a dessert.
In France
Smoothie bars exist, but they mostly offer strawberry, banana or red berries. Fresh tropical fruits (soursop, sapodilla, sweet avocado) are almost impossible to find as drinks.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A juice bar or a restaurant in France can find a grower or an exporter of fruit or frozen fruit purées in Vietnam or Thailand.
- An Asian grower can find business customers in France: bars, restaurants, ice cream makers.
To check before you start
- Preparing drinks to serve means following food hygiene rules: ask the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office).
- Fresh fruit from Asia goes through checks at the border (plant health certificate, pesticide residues): ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice before the first order.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Thailand, craftspeople walk through the streets and along the beaches and offer you a braided bracelet with your name and your country's flag. It is made in front of you, in a few minutes.
Over there
Coloured threads, letter beads, a small woven flag: the customer chooses, the craftsperson braids, and the souvenir is unique, with their name on it.
In France
People like personalised souvenirs, but they order them online and receive them days later. Seeing one made in front of you, in a few minutes, is rare: markets, festivals, tourist spots, weddings.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A craftsperson or a seller in France can find suppliers of threads, letter beads and small flags in Asia.
- Asian craftspeople can share their skills with partners in France (workshops, demonstrations).
To check before you start
- Selling on the move requires a travelling trader's card (carte de commerçant ambulant): find out on the guichet unique des entreprises (French one-stop shop for business formalities) (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr).
- Setting up on a pavement, a square or a market requires permission from the town hall.
- Jewellery for children must meet safety rules (small parts, banned substances): ask the DGCCRF (French consumer protection authority).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In China, Thailand or Vietnam, many doors of flats and houses open with a code, a fingerprint or a phone. No more keys to lose or to have copied.
Over there
The lock has a keypad, sometimes a fingerprint reader, and connects to an app over Wi-Fi. You can give a temporary code to a guest or a delivery person, and know who came in.
In France
These locks are sold, but they are rarely fitted, especially in homes rented by the night or by the month, where handing over keys is a real headache.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A locksmith or an installer in France can find a manufacturer in China and offer fitting and maintenance.
- An Asian manufacturer can find distributors and installers in France.
To check before you start
- A device that communicates by radio (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) must meet European rules for radio equipment, including cybersecurity, and carry the CE marking: ask the DGCCRF (French consumer protection authority).
- Insurers often require certified locks to cover a burglary: check with your insurer before fitting.
- Always plan a way to open the door if the battery or the network fails (spare key, backup power).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Korea, Vietnam or Thailand, many restaurants put a grill in the middle of the table: you cook the meat, vegetables and mushrooms yourself, while chatting.
Over there
The restaurant brings the raw food, cut and seasoned; the customer cooks at their own pace. The meal lasts, people share: it is a friendly moment more than just a meal.
In France
People know raclette and hot-stone cooking at home. Table barbecue restaurants exist in a few big cities, but are still rare elsewhere.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A restaurant in France can find manufacturers in Asia of tables with a built-in grill and of extractor hoods.
- An Asian manufacturer can find restaurant owners and equipment distributors in France.
To check before you start
- Gas or electric appliances must carry the CE marking and meet European rules.
- Cooking at the table in a restaurant requires good smoke extraction and compliance with fire safety rules for places open to the public: ask your town hall, and the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office) for hygiene.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Thailand and Vietnam, you are served a green coconut, opened in front of you, with a straw: you drink the cool water, then scrape out the soft flesh with a spoon.
Over there
Sellers keep the coconuts cool, open them with a blow of a machete or with a special tool, and also use them to make desserts, ice creams and coconut milk drinks.
In France
Coconut water is mostly sold in bottles. The fresh coconut, opened in front of the customer, is still rare: it catches the eye on a beach, in a bar or in an Asian restaurant.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A bar, a restaurant or a beach seller in France can find an exporter of fresh coconuts in Thailand or Vietnam.
- An Asian grower can find business customers in France, and manufacturers of tools for opening coconuts.
To check before you start
- Serving food and drinks means following hygiene rules: ask the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office).
- Imported fruit goes through checks at the border: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice.
- Selling on a beach or in the street requires permission from the town hall.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.