France does not publish customs records with company names, so there is no official list of who imports your product. Exporters find French importers through trade fairs, chambers and their own embassy, sector directories and by researching companies that sell or use their product today. Each candidate can then be checked for free in the government's Annuaire des Entreprises and, for its VAT number, in the EU's VIES service. And the first email works better in French.
In this guide
- Who buys imported goods in France
- Size the market first
- Official and free sources
- Trade fairs in France
- Language, labels and email rules
- How to check a French importer in 7 steps
- A worked example
Who buys imported goods in France
A French list mixes four kinds of company, and each needs a different first email:
- Importers and wholesalers (importateurs, grossistes): they buy in volume, hold stock and sell to retailers, trade customers or restaurants. They care about price, minimum orders, delivery and the brands they already carry.
- Distributors with a sales force: they sell your category into shops or businesses across France and ask about margins, exclusivity and marketing support.
- Retail and buying groups: chains and their central buying offices (centrales d'achat). Large volumes, long listing processes and strict requirements on labelling, logistics and price.
- End users: manufacturers, contractors, hotel and restaurant groups that use your product directly.
One more thing shapes the French market: France is in the EU single market. Goods that have already entered another EU country move to France without customs formalities, so a French buyer may already buy your category from a distributor in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy or Spain. That distributor is a competitor and, sometimes, a better first customer than a French importer. For the fresh food trade, the Rungis market south of Paris describes itself as the largest fresh produce market in the world, with about 1,200 companies on site; many of them are wholesalers who buy from abroad.
Size the market first
Before you look for companies, check how much France imports of your product and from where. Two free sources:
- ITC Trade Map: set the importer to France and your HS code, and view by exporter to see the supplying countries, your country's share and the trend.
- French customs statistics: Le chiffre du commerce extérieur, published by the customs directorate (DGDDI), gives French trade by product and by country down to the 8-digit NC8 code, plus monthly and annual analyses and figures by French region. The regional view helps you see whether imports of your product concentrate in a few regions.
Read the figures as an order of magnitude. Imports from other EU countries are collected differently from imports from outside the EU, and goods that entered the EU through another member state appear as intra-EU trade. A small direct figure from your country does not always mean small demand.
Official and free sources
| Source | What it gives you | Where it falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Annuaire des Entreprises | The French government's free company search: by name, address, SIREN or SIRET. Shows status, activity code, directors, VAT number and a registration certificate | A checking tool, not a buyer list; it does not say what a company buys |
| VIES (European Commission) | Checks whether a French or other EU VAT number is valid | Validity only; no activity or size |
| French customs statistics | Imports by NC8 product code, country and region | No company names |
| CCI France International | A network of 118 French chambers of commerce in 96 countries, with about 37,000 member companies; the chamber in your country can be a first contact for French business links | Built mainly to help French companies abroad; services and fees vary by chamber |
| Your embassy in Paris | Commercial section contacts, market briefs, sometimes importer lists and introductions | Depth varies by country; lists age |
| Directories (Europages, Kompass) | French companies by product and region | Mostly suppliers listing themselves; a listing is not buying |
| Trade data platforms | Shipment records from each provider's own sources | France does not publish import records with names; ask how a seller gets French data |
| Web buyer research | Companies that sell or use your product today, and who decides | You have to describe the buyer well; Outfound does this work |
Why customs data is thin for EU countries, and what the platforms actually sell: customs data vs buyer research. Business France, the national agency, mainly helps French companies export and foreign companies invest in France; for selling goods into France, your own country's trade body and embassy are usually the better starting point.
Trade fairs in France
Dates and venues below are as listed on each organiser's site in October 2026; check them again before you book. Several of these fairs run every two years.
| Fair | Sector | Next edition |
|---|---|---|
| SIAL Paris | Food and beverage | 17-21 October 2026, Paris Nord Villepinte |
| Maison&Objet | Home, decor and design | 14-18 January 2027, Paris Nord Villepinte |
| Global Industrie | Industrial supply and subcontracting | 15-18 March 2027, Eurexpo Lyon |
| Equip Auto Paris | Automotive aftermarket | 12-16 October 2027 |
| Batimat | Construction | 2-5 October 2028, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles |
| Cosmetic 360 | Cosmetics innovation and packaging | 14-15 October 2026, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris |
Use a fair in three passes. Before it, go through the exhibitor list and separate the French importers and distributors from the other manufacturers. During it, walk the halls of the countries that compete with you and note who their French partners are. After it, follow up within a week, in French; see after the trade fair: the follow-up.
Language, labels and email rules
Write in French. No law requires a business email to be in French, but buyers notice. A short first email in correct French, with a product sheet in French, shows that you can support French customers. Keep the tone formal ("Madame", "Monsieur", "vous") and get the email checked by a native speaker if you can. More on tone in cold email across cultures.
Labels and documents. The Toubon law of 1994 requires French in the designation, offer, presentation, instructions for use and guarantee terms of goods and services sold in France, and on invoices and receipts. Other languages may be added, but French is required. The Ministry of Culture's page on guaranteeing the use of French explains that customs checks French labelling at import where the rules require it. Sector rules (food, cosmetics, toys, chemicals) add their own EU labelling requirements; ask your importer what they need.
Email rules. The CNIL, France's data protection authority, sets out the rules for email prospecting: for professionals, it works on a right to object rather than prior consent, as long as the subject of the message relates to the recipient's profession. Each message must identify the sender and let the recipient refuse further messages easily. Write to the person whose job matches your offer, say why you are writing to that company, and honour every opt-out.
How to check a French importer in 7 steps
- Is the company registered and active? Search the name in the Annuaire des Entreprises. Note the SIREN (9 digits), whether it is active, and its creation date.
- What is its registered activity? The activity code (code NAF) tells you whether it is registered as a wholesaler, a retailer or a manufacturer. Compare it with what the website says.
- Who runs it? The directors listed in the register are often the decision-makers in small and mid-sized firms.
- Is the VAT number valid? Check it in VIES. You will need it to invoice correctly.
- What does the website sell? Product pages and brands carried say more than the "qui sommes-nous" page. Foreign brands and origins named on product pages mean it already buys from abroad.
- Where does it sell? National coverage, a few regions, export to Belgium, Switzerland or French-speaking Africa: each changes the volume and the offer.
- Before you ship on credit: look at the published financial statements where available, ask for trade references, and consider credit insurance or secure payment terms for the first orders.
A worked example
A made-up company: "Exemple Distribution SAS" (example.com). The Annuaire des Entreprises shows it active since 2009, with an activity code for wholesale of household goods and two directors. Its website lists kitchen textiles and tableware from Portugal, India and Turkey, sold to independent shops and two regional chains in western France. It is a distributor that already buys outside France, and its buyer is probably one of the two directors.
The first email, in French, should name the products it already carries, say what you add (a material, a price point, a shorter lead time), give your minimum order and delivery terms to France, and ask one question. Not your company history.
Outfound runs this check for every candidate: it keeps the companies that fit with the reason and a source link, finds the decision-maker, verifies the email address and writes the first email in French for your approval.
For the methods in general, see how to find buyers for export and first contact with an EU buyer. To size the French market for your product first, use Trade Map. Other country guides: Germany, UK, USA, Canada, Mexico, UAE and Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Australia.
Last updated: · By: Tolga Tatar