Air Freight from China to Le Tampon
China → Le Tampon · via RUN air / Port Reunion sea · clearance by Douane française (EU customs territory)
We move air freight cargo from South China into Le Tampon through RUN air / Port Reunion sea. Le Tampon is interior highland municipality, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
Clearance itself is handled by Douane française (EU customs territory), and typical dwell at the gateway runs 3–8 days.
Duty, tax and clearance into Le Tampon
Imports into Reunion are cleared by Douane française (EU customs territory). The headline position is: Reduced VAT of 8.5% plus octroi de mer — a local dock due of 6.5–60% that is unique to the French overseas departments. The de-minimis threshold is EUR 150 for duty; VAT applies from the first euro.
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: CE marking under EU rules; French labeling requirements. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Reunion: Octroi de mer is the dominant cost element and varies by product and local production status. EU rules otherwise apply in full, including CE marking and French labeling.
Routing and transit on this lane
Réunion is part of the EU customs territory, so EU tariff and CE marking rules apply — but the octroi de mer dock due, which does not exist in mainland France, can add far more to landed cost than the customs duty itself. Its rate depends on whether an equivalent product is made locally, so classification research genuinely pays here.
| Air gateways used | RUN (Saint-Denis Roland Garros) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 5–8 business days |
| Gateway serving Le Tampon | RUN air / Port Reunion sea |
| Inland leg to Le Tampon | +1 day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Before you book: Le Tampon checklist
- Get the conformity paperwork moving early: CE marking under EU rules; French labeling requirements.
- Budget for the inland leg: +1 day beyond gateway clearance to reach Le Tampon.
- Confirm the consignee in Le Tampon can act as importer of record — Douane française (EU customs territory) will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Reunion duty rate against it yourself.
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Reunion lane.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Le Tampon take?
China to the Reunion gateway is 5–8 business days. On top of that, allow 3–8 days of clearance with Douane française (EU customs territory) and a +1 day inland leg to Le Tampon.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Le Tampon?
Douane française (EU customs territory) applies: Reduced VAT of 8.5% plus octroi de mer — a local dock due of 6.5–60% that is unique to the French overseas departments. The de-minimis position is EUR 150 for duty; VAT applies from the first euro. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Le Tampon.
Which port or airport does cargo for Le Tampon clear through?
Cargo for Le Tampon is routed via RUN air / Port Reunion sea. Sea gateways for Reunion are Port Réunion (Le Port); air gateways are RUN (Saint-Denis Roland Garros). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
What certification do I need for Reunion?
For regulated goods, plan for: CE marking under EU rules; French labeling requirements. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Le Tampon?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
What documents does Douane française (EU customs territory) require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (CE marking under EU rules; French labeling requirements). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
Other delivery cities in Reunion
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Reunion change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Douane française (EU customs territory) or your broker before you ship.
- Douane française
- Octroi de mer — French overseas dock dues
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
- IPPC — ISPM 15 wood packaging standard
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature
- IMO — IMDG Code for dangerous goods by sea
Page data last reviewed: 10 月 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Conveyor Belts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Hotel Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
- Restaurant Furniture Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Fabrication Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Pressure Vessels Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Switchgear New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Doors & Windows Building Materials & Construction Products
- Corrugated Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
- Glass Packaging Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Kitchenware Furniture & Home Products
- Home Textiles Textiles, Apparel, Footwear & Leather
Checking the Reunion duty position yourself
Duty and tax figures on this page are planning estimates. The binding assessment is made by Douane française (EU customs territory) against your declared HS code at the time of entry; where the amount is material, verify the current rate through ITC Market Access Map before committing to an order.
If you want to sanity-check a duty figure yourself, start from the heading rather than the product name — the WCO Harmonized System is the underlying nomenclature, and the WTO Tariff & Trade Data portal holds the applied rates by country pair.
On the air side, anything with a cell or a battery in it, plus liquids, powders, magnets and aerosols, is governed by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Those articles are not refused outright, but they need to be declared at booking so the shipment is built correctly — declaring them late is the single most common cause of an air consignment being offloaded.
On the origin side, export declaration and any commodity inspection requirement fall under China Customs (GACC); we handle that filing as part of the service, but the requirement is theirs, not ours.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Le Tampon. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
Customs Clearance & Export/Import Procedures Explained | International Trade Made Simple — International Trade Talk. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Reunion
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Reunion clearance requirements →