Trade fairs

SIAL Paris: dates, what is exhibited and how to prepare

SIAL Paris (Salon International de l'Alimentation) is a biennial food and beverage trade fair organised by Comexposium. The next edition runs from 22 to…

Published on 1 November 2026Updated on 1 November 2026

SIAL Paris (Salon International de l'Alimentation) is a biennial food and beverage trade fair organised by Comexposium. The next edition runs from 22 to 26 October 2028 in the Paris area. For a company exporting from Spain, it is a way to meet French and international buyers in a market that sits inside the EU single market.

Source: ComexposiumData for 2028Verified on 1 November 2026

Fact sheet

Dates: 2028-10-22 → 2028-10-26
City: París / Villepinte, France
Venue: Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte y Parc des Expositions de Paris-Le Bourget
Organiser: Comexposium
Frequency: bienal
What is exhibited: Se exhiben las últimas novedades, tendencias y productos del sector agroalimentario global, abarcando alimentos, bebidas, ingredientes y soluciones para la distribución, el comercio minorista y la restauración.
Official website: https://www.sialparis.com/

Source: ComexposiumData for 2026-10-22Verified on 1 November 2026

Sector imports in the country

USD · 2025

Chapter	Imports (USD)
18 · Cocoa and cocoa preparations	8,759,724,188
02 · Meat and edible meat offal	8,438,803,524
04 · Dairy produce; birds' eggs; natural honey	8,001,340,182
22 · Beverages, spirits and vinegar	6,480,531,952
19 · Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk	6,449,625,414
03 · Fish and crustaceans	6,328,201,650
20 · Preparations of vegetables, fruit	6,037,648,304
21 · Miscellaneous edible preparations	4,620,482,470
16 · Meat, fish, crustaceans	3,806,206,633
15 · Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils	3,748,399,339
24 · Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products	1,897,782,901
17 · Sugars and sugar confectionery	1,597,756,846
11 · Products of the milling industry; malt, starches, inulin	969,155,317

Imports declared by each country from the world. Countries report with a delay: the period is the latest with consolidated data.

Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 1 November 2026

Other fairs in the sector

What to know before exporting food to France or exhibiting at SIAL Paris

SIAL Paris covers food, beverages, ingredients and solutions for distribution, retail and foodservice. It is held every two years, so the preparation window is long. Confirm the final dates and hall layout on the official website before booking travel, because the fair uses two Paris venues: Villepinte and Le Bourget.

The import table on this page shows where French demand is concentrated. In 2025, the largest chapters by declared imports were cocoa and cocoa preparations (about 8.76 billion USD), meat and edible offal (about 8.44 billion USD) and dairy produce, eggs and honey (about 8.00 billion USD). Beverages, cereal preparations and fish and crustaceans follow, all above 6 billion USD. Source: UN Comtrade, 2025.

These figures are chapter totals, not product-level demand. A chapter can hide very different products, origins and price levels. Before choosing which stand to visit or which buyers to approach, narrow your product down to its six-digit HS code and check imports by origin in ITC Trade Map.

For a company exporting from Spain, France is another EU member state. Customs duties do not apply to goods moving between the two, but other obligations do. VAT applies to the sale, and alcoholic beverages (chapter 22) and tobacco (chapter 24) are excise goods with their own rules. Your tax adviser or the AEAT can confirm how these apply to your product.

Product rules do not disappear within the EU. Labelling, sanitary requirements for animal products and any sector-specific rules depend on the product and its composition. Check the EU framework on EUR-Lex and the French requirements for your category before you promise a buyer a delivery date.

For the fair itself, work from the organiser's information. Stand booking, visitor registration, exhibitor conditions and hall allocation are set by Comexposium and are published on the fair's website. Compare your product's chapter in the table with the sector areas the organiser publishes, and plan meetings before the fair rather than relying on walk-in contacts.

Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 1 November 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay customs duties when exporting food from Spain to France?

No. Spain and France belong to the same EU customs union, so goods moving between them do not pay customs duties. VAT still applies, and excise duties apply to goods such as alcoholic beverages and tobacco. The exact treatment depends on the product and on whether the buyer is a business registered for VAT. The AEAT is the reference for Spanish operators.

Which food categories does France import the most?

According to UN Comtrade data for 2025, the largest food chapters by declared imports were cocoa and cocoa preparations, meat and edible offal, and dairy produce, eggs and honey, each between about 8.0 and 8.8 billion USD. Beverages, cereal preparations, fish and crustaceans, and vegetable and fruit preparations follow.

Does a high import figure mean there is demand for my product?

Not by itself. The figures are totals for an HS chapter and include many different products and origins. To judge your own opportunity, check imports of your six-digit HS code, the main supplying countries and price levels in ITC Trade Map or UN Comtrade, and then compare them with your capacity and margins.

Do alcoholic drinks sold in France need special handling?

Yes. Alcoholic beverages are excise goods in the EU, so the movement between Spain and France follows excise rules in addition to VAT. Which procedure applies depends on whether the buyer is an authorised warehousekeeper or a private customer. Confirm it with the AEAT or a customs agent before shipping.

Source: UN ComtradeData for 2025Verified on 1 November 2026

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