🇺🇸 United States vs 🇫🇷 France
Side-by-side customs reference: duty-free allowance, de minimis, VAT, restricted and prohibited categories, and customs authority.
| 🇺🇸 United States | 🇫🇷 France | |
|---|---|---|
| Customs authority | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) | Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI — French Customs) |
| VAT / GST | n/a | 20% |
| De minimis (USD) | USD 800 | USD 165 |
| Cash declaration (USD) | USD 10000 | USD 11000 |
| Duty-free alcohol (L) | 1 | 4 |
| Duty-free cigarettes | 200 | 200 |
| Duty-free personal goods (USD) | USD 800 | USD 540 |
| Prohibited categories | Narcotics and controlled substances; Counterfeit goods; Obscene material; Products made with forced or child labor; Endangered species products (CITES) | Narcotics and controlled substances; Counterfeit goods (especially luxury goods — strictly enforced); Nazi memorabilia and hate propaganda; Pornographic material involving minors; Endangered species products without CITES permits |
| Restricted categories | Firearms and ammunition (requires permits/licenses); Certain agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, meats — inspection required); Trademarked goods (limited personal-use quantities); Prescription medications (personal-use quantities only); Alcohol (state regulations apply; requires importer license for commercial quantities) | Firearms and weapons (strict licence requirements under French law); Counterfeit luxury goods (France is a major enforcer due to luxury goods industry); Plants and plant products from outside EU; Food and agricultural products from outside EU; Medicines (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament — ANSM authorisation) |
| Known scams | Fake ESTA submission websites that charge inflated fees ($50-$100 instead of the official US$21). Always use the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov domain. • Phishing 'CBP refund' emails or texts claiming a customs payment is owed. CBP does not collect duty by email link. Verify any notice through the official portal. | Fake 'French customs fine' SMS and email demands; DGDDI does not collect payments by text. |
Detailed pages: United States • France
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