Buyer Guide
Importing Custom Inflatables into France: EORI, Tariff and 20% TVA
An importer established in the EU, with an EORI number, is responsible for the customs declaration, and the goods are classified under a commodity code in the EU tariff. Import VAT is charged at the French standard rate of 20% in addition to any duty. As in the rest of the EU, the first question is who can act as importer: the entity has to be established in the EU. Settle that before the commercial invoice is issued. On freight, express or air usually 4–15 working days, and sea, rail or truck usually 20–45 days, after dispatch and subject to route and customs.
By InflatCraft Product Team • Last updated
Who can act as importer
An importer established in the EU, with an EORI number, is responsible for the customs declaration, and the goods are classified under a commodity code in the EU tariff. Import VAT is charged at the French standard rate of 20% in addition to any duty.
For a brand that already imports this is short. For an agency producing a campaign it is the step that sets the schedule, and the usual routes are the client's importer or an importer of record service. It is agreed before the invoice is issued, because consignee details are not something to correct in transit.
Duty, TVA and the landed figure
Duty follows the classification; import VAT is charged on top at the French standard rate. A goods price is therefore not a landed cost, and on a bulky, light shipment the freight inside the VAT base is a bigger share than buyers expect.
Ask for the CIF value and the intended incoterm in writing. DDP is reviewed by quotation rather than offered as standard.
Classification is not one line
The fabric body, the blower, any lighting and the accessories can each sit under a different commodity code. The importer or a customs agent confirms classification from materials, construction, use and photographs, and it is worth having in writing before the goods move.
Freight is charged on volume as much as weight, so ask for packed dimensions, carton count and gross weight in the quotation. The invoice has to match the cartons, accessories included.
August is a real constraint
Outdoor events concentrate in spring and summer, around the Fête de la Musique on 21 June and Bastille Day on 14 July, and the August holiday period affects both events and business hours.
That is a logistics fact as much as a cultural one. Approvals, site visits and supplier responses all slow through the August period, so a September or early-autumn installation is planned with that gap already in the schedule rather than discovered inside it.
Timing it against the season
Work back from the installation date. Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval. Working back from Bastille Day on 14 July, that means approving artwork by late April for a complex piece shipped by sea, or by late May for air freight.
The summer concentration around 21 June and 14 July means the spring production window carries most of the year's outdoor work for this market.
Verified Specifications
Figures this guide is written against.
Lead time
- Typical: Bulk production typically takes 3–8 days for simple items, 7–15 days for standard custom work and 15–25 days for complex or large pieces, counted from final design approval
- Can be shorter: Repeat orders on an approved design can run shorter
- Freight and import time come on top. Lead time is confirmed per project once artwork, size, quantity and destination are fixed; treat any figure quoted before that as indicative.
Sourcing and Ordering Guides
More on quoting, terms and shipping.
French ERP and Venue Requirements
Who signs off an inflatable installation in France, how the ERP classification changes the question, and the M1 or M2 fire classification venues ask for.
French Event Calendar and Ordering Timeline
The Fête de la Musique, Bastille Day and the August holiday period, converted into artwork approval dates for a French campaign.
Importing Custom Inflatables into Australia
Who lodges the import declaration, how the 10% GST base is worked out, and what a ChAFTA preference needs before it can be claimed.
Australian Council and Venue Approvals
Who approves an inflatable installation in Australia, where the EESS scheme and the RCM apply to the blower, and the fire tests venues ask for.
Compare sizes, materials and air systems on the custom advertising inflatable product range page before sending an RFQ.
Relevant Product Pages
Compare specifications before submitting an RFQ.
Buyer FAQ
Additional specification questions.
Where to order
Order direct from the manufacturer.
Published by InflatCraft, operated by Tianjin Mufeng Trading Co., Ltd., a custom inflatable manufacturer founded in 2005 and based in Tianjin, China. We export to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
Request a quote
Send the brief and get a specification-based quotation.
MOQ and lead time
What sets the minimum order and where the time goes.
Sourcing from China
Brief, approval, Incoterms, freight and import, in order.
Verified specifications
Materials, air systems and lead time this site quotes against.
Export planning by country: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy.
