Wholesale & Bulk Shisha Tobacco for France

Global Shisha Tobacco is a Pakistan-based manufacturer and distributor of shisha and hookah tobacco. We supply wholesale and bulk quantities to importers, wholesalers, distributors and tobacco manufacturers, and goods ship from Pakistan to the buyer's destination port or warehouse. A buyer in France sends a destination, quantity and specification, and the sales team replies with a written commercial quotation that states price, shipping term and lead time. Nothing is priced automatically, and no order is accepted until the quotation is confirmed in writing.

France has its own rules on tax, packaging and who may import tobacco, so we check the destination first. The sections below set those rules out from official sources, so a buyer reaches the quotation stage with the right questions already answered. Request a quotation for France when you are ready.

Every quotation for France states the same fields, so offers can be compared like for like.

• Tobacco type and cut: shisha tobacco, hookah tobacco or Virginia leaf, and fine, medium or coarse cut. See the specification sheet guide.
• Moisture, nicotine and sugar: stated as ranges and agreed in writing.
• Packing: retail packs, master cartons, bulk drums, palletised goods or full containers. For retail supply into France, pack size and labelling must follow the rules above, so confirm them before packing is specified.
• Shipping term: FOB, CIF, CFR or EXW. DDP is rarely practical for regulated tobacco; see choosing an Incoterm.
• Documents: commercial documents agreed for each shipment against a checklist. See documentation and the export process.
• Customs classification: waterpipe tobacco is classified under HS 2403.11. See the HS code guide.

For payment and quotation steps see payment terms and how to request a wholesale quotation.

If you import, distribute or manufacture in France and want to buy wholesale or bulk shisha tobacco, hookah tobacco or shisha tobacco leaves from a Pakistan-based manufacturer and distributor, this is how an order with Global Shisha Tobacco works. Every step is in writing, every quotation states the specification, and we check what France requires before we price.

1. Tell us you are importing into France. Give your company, your licence or registration and the port or city. Confirm the competent authority for tobacco imports in France before you order.
2. Define the specification. Product type, cut, moisture, nicotine and sugar ranges and the flavour list, with the packaging France requires built in (Health warnings: Required on each unit pack and outer packaging (order of 19 May 2016), together with EU Directive 2014/40/EU).
3. State quantity and port. For France, the main container ports are Le Havre or Marseille-Fos. Name the port you want and whether you need delivery beyond the port.
4. Receive a written quotation. Price, shipping term, lead time, payment terms and the document list, stated for France.
5. Agree the documents. The export documents we prepare and the permits, certificates or markings that France requires of the importer.
6. Order and dispatch. You confirm the quotation in writing and pay as agreed; we produce, pack, check and ship from Pakistan against the confirmed terms.

You can start now with the quote form for France, or read on for the detail.

Start from the table below and replace the entries with your own targets. It is pre-filled with the rules from our sourced guide for France, so the packaging requirements are in the specification from day one.

The specification sheet guide explains every field.

The price on a quotation is only the start. In France, tax and compliance can matter more than the product price, so calculate landed cost before you compare suppliers.

Rates change, so we do not quote tax figures as fixed here; check the dated figures in the sourced sections of this guide and confirm with a customs broker. The import guide includes a full worksheet.

Currency. The local currency in France is the euro (EUR). Quotations state the currency of the price. Many cross-border tobacco orders are priced in a major international currency, so discuss early which currency you want to pay in, how long the price is held and who bears exchange-rate movement. Your bank's rules on foreign payments, and any currency controls in France, apply to your side of the transaction.

Language. Packs sold in France generally carry health warnings and required information in the official language or languages (French); confirm the exact requirement and format with the authority, because it fixes the artwork before production. Commercial documents are normally prepared in English, and your broker may need translations for the customs declaration.

Where buyers are based. Importers, distributors and lounge groups in France are most often found in and around Paris, Marseille and Lyon. If you serve more than one city, say so in your enquiry, because delivery points, storage and the inland leg affect the shipping term you choose.

• Ordering before checking France's rules on pack size, warnings and stamps.
• Comparing quotations on different shipping terms.
• Forgetting duty, excise and local charges when comparing prices.
• Assuming the licence for finished product covers raw leaf or base in France.
• Over-ordering slow flavours instead of starting with a core range.
• Leaving the first order's documents to the last week.

Most can be avoided by completing the checklist in this guide before you ask for a quotation.

A sensible first order for France is one you can sell, store and fund the duty for. Work backwards from the date you need the goods.

1. Confirm your licence and the packaging rules.
2. Write the specification and approve a sample if one can be supplied.
3. Receive and compare written quotations on the same shipping term.
4. Confirm the order in writing and pay as agreed.
5. Allow for production, pre-shipment checks and loading.
6. Allow for the sea voyage and customs clearance in France.
7. Receive, inspect and store; record lots and dates.

We do not publish fixed times here, because lead time depends on the product, the quantity and whether goods are in stock; the written quotation states it. Ask for a lead time in writing and plan the rest around it. See how we work.

French customs lists shisha tobacco, with blunts and similar products, in the category of other tobacco for smoking or for inhalation after heating. For 2026, the rate is 51.40% of the retail price plus a specific amount of 36.20 EUR per kilogram, with a minimum of 153.70 EUR per kilogram. Customs states that excise is the greater of the percentage-plus-amount calculation and the minimum. The parameters come from the decree of 24 December 2025 and apply in metropolitan France.

Since part of the tax is a share of the retail price, the price published for the product influences the tax. Compare quotations on the basis of the tax-paid price.

An order of 19 May 2016 sets how health warnings are shown on each unit pack and outer packaging of tobacco products, alongside the EU Directive. The French neutral-packaging decree of 21 March 2016 covers cigarettes and rolling tobacco only; pipe and waterpipe tobacco are not in its scope. Because national rules change, confirm the current text and any additional flavour or labelling rules with your French importer before you approve artwork.

This guide is prepared by the Global Shisha Tobacco commercial team from the 5 official and primary sources listed at the end of the page, and was last reviewed on 30 September 2026. Tax rates, deadlines and labelling rules change, so each figure is dated and linked to its source. It describes the rules for trade buyers and is not legal, tax or customs advice: confirm with the competent authority or a licensed customs broker before you order.

If you find a figure that is out of date, tell us and we will check it against the source and correct the page.

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