Air Freight from China to Saint-Denis
China → Saint-Denis · via RUN air / Port Reunion sea · clearance by Douane française (EU customs territory)
For buyers shipping into Saint-Denis, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Saint-Denis is capital and the main commercial market; cargo enters through RUN air / Port Reunion sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.
The clearing authority is Douane française (EU customs territory). Historical dwell on this gateway is around 3–8 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.
How this lane actually runs
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 Saint-Denis | RUN air / Port Reunion sea |
| Inland leg to Saint-Denis | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 3–8 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Import duty and tax position for Saint-Denis
Douane française (EU customs territory) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Saint-Denis consignees. Current regime: 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, with a de-minimis position of 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.
Pre-shipment checklist for Saint-Denis
- Plan around the China-side windows too: Chinese New Year and Golden Week both compress capacity on the Reunion lane.
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
- Check the de-minimis position (EUR 150 for duty; VAT applies from the first euro) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Saint-Denis 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 same-day inland leg to Saint-Denis.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Saint-Denis?
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 Saint-Denis.
Can you deliver door-to-door in Saint-Denis?
Yes. Delivery to a Saint-Denis address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Douane française (EU customs territory), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.
Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Saint-Denis?
Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 24–34 calendar days by sea versus 5–8 business days by air to the Reunion gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.
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.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Saint-Denis?
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.
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.
- Bolts Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Industrial Boilers General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Building Materials Building Materials & Construction Products
- Plumbing Products Building Materials & Construction Products
- Engineering Plastics Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Home Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Garden Products Furniture & Home Products
- Illuminated Signs Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Metal Products Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Storage Tanks Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Transformers New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Sanitary Ware Building Materials & Construction Products
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 Saint-Denis. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
How to find HS Codes and Calculate Import Duty - 5 tips to save on Duties and Tariffs — Sourcing with Kian. 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 →