Ocean Freight to France
Ocean freight shipping to France
France is Europe’s second-largest exporter and importer after Germany. It is a member of the World Trade Organization, and conducts much foreign trade with European partners, as well as with the US - France is that country’s ninth-largest trading partner. Africa and Asia are also increasingly important trade partners. Ocean freight to France is thus an important tool for exporters.
A renowned centre of culture, literature, food, and fashion, France is also a major exporter of such goods as machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, and plastics. The manufacturing industry is a key exporter, making up nearly 27% of France’s GDP. The French government seeks to encourage every aspect of foreign trade.
France ranked 4th in the Fortune Global 500 in 2013, and its capital, Paris, is the second most important location in the world for the headquarters of the world’s 500 largest companies. If you are interested in accessing this huge and vital market, you’ll want to find out more about ocean freight to France.
FCL or LCL for your ocean freight to France
The first thing to decide when choosing ocean freight to France is whether you’ll require a full container load (FCL) or simply a shared container (less-than-container load, or LCL). Groupage, which is another term for sharing a container, allows you to pay only for the space you use, thus cutting your shipping costs.
A full container load (FCL) is your best choice for any shipment of at least six standard pallets. Up to 10 standard pallets will fit in a 20-foot container, while a 40-foot container accommodates 22 standard pallets. FCL is also a good choice if you do not wish your goods to come in contact with those of other exporters. Review iContainers’ rates for the shipment of containers to France, or thinking about moving overseas from the US to France then contact us for more information.
Ocean freight ports in France
Port of Le Havre
The Port of Le Havre is managed by a state agency, Grand Port Maritime du Havre. It is the number two commercial port in France in terms of overall tonnage, and is the largest container port in the country. It is also a major cruise port. The port of Le Havre deals with a wide range of goods, featuring three sets of terminals dedicated to containers and over four miles of docks. The north terminal covers approximately 237 acres.
Port of Lyon
This port, known as port Édouard-Herriot, is situated on the river Rhone, and covers an area of nearly 520 acres. It handles over 12 million tons of goods per year, including 3 million tons of hydrocarbons, and has two container terminals. It is also a passenger port. It facilitates trade with the east of France, the north of Europe, and the Mediterranean.
Port of Marseille
This, known as the Marseille Fos Port, is France’s main maritime port, and handles both goods and passengers. With overall traffic of 88 million tons, it has two main sites, in northern Marseille from La Joliette to l’Estaque and in Fos-sur-Mer, about 31 miles northwest of Marseille. Marseille is France’s largest port, the second-largest Mediterranean port, and the fourth-largest European port.
Port of Paris
The Autonomous Port of Paris is a French state entity that develops river traffic in the Paris region, and manages port facilities along its over 300 miles of navigable routes. It was France’s first inland container port, and is the most important river port system in France, and number two in Europe. It handles both goods and passengers. In terms of container traffic, over 130,000 TEUs are handled annually.
Our ocean freight services to France
iContainers offers professional and cheap ocean freight services to France from ports located in every corner of the world. These include those located in the following areas:
- USA
- Spain
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Belgium
- Mexico
- Dominican Republic
- China
- Taiwan
- UAE
What our ocean freight rates to France include
For more information, consult ship container rates for your ocean freight to France here.