Good to know
Prohibited items
Almost everything sold in France can be forwarded to a US address. A short list can't — because of air-safety rules, US import law, or both. If you declare one of these at checkout we'll stop the shipment and contact you before anything moves.
What we can't forward, and why
Loose lithium batteries / power banks
e.g. lithium battery, lithium batteries, loose battery
Loose lithium cells and power banks are classed as dangerous goods for air transport and cannot travel in a general-merchandise parcel.
A battery installed inside the device it powers falls under a different rule and is sometimes possible — tell us before you order and we'll check the specific item.
Aerosols & compressed gas
e.g. aerosol, spray can, hairspray
Pressurised containers are dangerous goods: the cabin pressure change is the whole problem, so hairspray, deodorant sprays, dry shampoo and butane refills stay on the ground.
Liquid perfume in its retail bottle is a different category and we do ship it — see the perfume guide below.
Weapons & ammunition
e.g. weapon, gun, firearm
Firearms, ammunition, and blades are export-controlled from France and import-controlled into the US. Neither we nor FedEx can move them on a commercial parcel service.
Counterfeit goods
e.g. counterfeit, replica, fake designer
US Customs seizes and destroys counterfeit goods, and the importer of record — you — carries the consequence. We won't put a customer in that position.
Alcohol
e.g. alcohol, wine, spirits
Shipping alcohol into the US requires a licensed importer and state-by-state permits. Wine and spirits from France are a licensing question, not a shipping one.
Tobacco & nicotine
e.g. tobacco, cigarette, cigar
The PACT Act governs cigarettes, cigars and vaping products entering the US, with registration and reporting duties that a forwarder cannot satisfy for you. Major carriers refuse them outright.
What people assume is banned, but isn't
The list above is short on purpose. These are the items customers most often write in to ask about, and the answer is yes.
Perfume and eau de toilette
In its retail bottle and in personal quantities, declared and packed to air limited-quantity rules. This is one of the most common things Americans forward from France, and it ships legally.
Pharmacy skincare and cosmetics
Creams, serums, sunscreens, shampoos and makeup in normal retail packaging. Nothing pressurised.
Sealed shelf-stable food
Chocolate, biscuits, tea, jams, honey and other sealed dry goods. Fresh, chilled or meat and dairy products are refused by US import rules, not by us.
Clothing, shoes, bags and homeware
The bulk of what we ship. No restriction beyond declaring it honestly at its real value.
Electronics with the battery installed
A phone, laptop or camera with its own battery in place is handled under a different rule from a loose cell. Ask us first so we can confirm the specific model.
If a restricted item reaches our warehouse
Nothing is thrown away without asking you. We photograph what arrived, email you, and give you the choice: return it to the French seller at your cost, keep it in storage while you decide, or have us dispose of it. The rest of your packages are unaffected and ship normally — one blocked item never holds up a consolidation. You are never charged shipping for something we couldn't send.
This is also why it's worth asking first. A French store's domestic delivery is cheap but not free, and the one cost we can't refund is the one you already paid the seller.
Common questions
Can I ship perfume from France to the USA?
Yes. Perfume in its retail bottle, in personal quantities and declared honestly, ships as a limited-quantity consumer commodity. Aerosol sprays and bulk quantities cannot fly. We handle the dangerous-goods paperwork; you just declare it accurately in your shipment.
Why can't you ship a power bank?
A loose lithium cell or power bank is dangerous goods for air transport and can't travel in a general-merchandise parcel. A battery already installed in the device it powers is governed differently and is sometimes possible — contact us with the exact item before you order.
Can you ship wine or champagne to the US?
No. Importing alcohol into the United States needs a licensed importer and state-level permits that a package forwarder cannot hold on your behalf. It is a licensing restriction, not a carrier one.
What happens if a prohibited item arrives at your warehouse?
We contact you before anything is shipped. Depending on the item you can have it returned to the French seller at your cost, have us hold it, or have us dispose of it. It is never loaded into a shipment, and you are never charged for shipping it.
Can you ship food from France?
Sealed, shelf-stable food — chocolate, biscuits, tea, jams, honey — yes. Fresh produce, chilled goods, meat and dairy are blocked by US import rules regardless of the carrier.
I'm not sure which category my item falls into. What should I do?
Ask before you order rather than after it arrives. Send us the product page and we'll tell you whether it can fly, so you don't pay for a French delivery to a package we can't forward.
Still unsure about an item? Send us the product page before you order — we answer the same day. It may also be covered in the perfume guide or in how US customs duties work.