France’s regulations and bureaucratic procedures can be a difficult hurdle for companies wishing to enter the French market and requires close attention by U.S. exporters.  Complex safety standards, not normally discriminatory, but sometimes rigorously applied, complicate access to the market for many U.S. products.  U.S. suppliers are well advised to do their homework thoroughly and make sure they know precisely which standards apply to their product and that they obtain timely testing and certification.

For information on existing trade barriers, please see the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers published by USTR.

Information on agricultural trade barriers can be found at the website of the Foreign Agricultural Service.

To report existing or new trade barriers, and get assistance in removing them, contact either the Office of Trade Agreements, Negotiations and Compliance or the U.S. Mission to the European Union.