The marking “Made in France” is a mention, a mark of origin, that manufacturers can add on their goods to attest its French origin. This mention is optional for products manufactured in Europe, however some products are exceptions such as agricultural products, food, or cosmetics.
Nevertheless, the customers must be careful with this designation, as it does not necessarily mean that the product is 100% French.
Once a company decides to mention a “made in France” on its product, it must comply with the rules of non-preferential origin set by the EU Customs Code.
A quick reminder: Non-preferential origin is used to determine the application of the common external tariff and trade policy measures to imports into the European Union, or to mark the origin of products.
There are several cases for a Made in France marking:
Therefore, any product indicating “made in France” may be made of imported raw materials. The consumer must not be misled, that’s why the professional must justify compliance with the rules of the consumer code and may potentially be subject to penalties for deceptive commercial practices.
When a company wishes to indicate a “Made in France” origin marking, it can make a request to the General Directorate of Customs.
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Reminder: Article 39, Section 2: Prohibitions on the protection of trademarks and indications of origin of the Customs Code.
1. All foreign products, natural or manufactured, bearing either on themselves or on packaging, boxes, bundles, envelopes, strips or labels, etc., a product or service mark, a name, a sign or an indication of any kind likely to lead to the belief that they were manufactured in France or that they are of French origin, are prohibited from entry, excluded from storage, transit and circulation.
2. This provision also applies to foreign products, manufactured or natural, obtained in a locality of the same name as a French locality, which do not bear, at the same time as the name of this locality, the name of the country of origin and the mention “Imported”, in obviously apparent characters.
NOTE: The presence on the product or its packaging of a French flag, a roundel or a “blue-white-road” hexagon, does not necessarily guarantee that the product was manufactured in France
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