France Trade, Exports and Imports

 France trade, by volume, is one of the largest in the world. France exports and imports various raw materials on one side of the spectrum and automobiles and electronic products on the other side. The country ranks sixth in the world in terms of export volumes and 5th when it comes to imports. Being a well developed economy, French trade features a lot of raw materials and manufactured goods.
France Trade, Exports and Imports

In 2009, France’s export volumes amounted to $456.8 billion and the country ranked 6th in the world. However, the figures were much higher in 2008 at $601.9 billion.

France’s main export commodities are:

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      Machinery
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      Transportation equipment
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      Aircraft
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      Plastics
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      Chemicals
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      Pharmaceutical products
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      Iron and steel
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      Beverages

France’s main export partners are:

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      Germany
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      Italy
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      Spain
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      UK
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      Belgium
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      US
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      The Netherlands

The graph below shows how the different partners contributed to the total export volume:

Partners contributed to the total export volume of France





France’s imports totaled up to $532.2 billion in 2009 and the country ranked 5th in the world. However, the figures were much better at $692 billion in 2008.

France main import commodities are:

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      Machinery and equipment
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      Vehicles
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      Crude oil
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      Aircraft
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      Plastics
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      Chemicals



The main import partners are: (2008 data)

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      Germany
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      Belgium
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      Italy
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      Spain
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      Netherlands
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      UK
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      US



France's main import partners







Besides French trade, tourism is a big contributor to the national GDP. In fact, France rules the tourism industry with over 82 million tourists visiting the country for its rich heritage and culture.

Agriculture is another strong point for France, with almost 25% of the EU’s total agricultural products being produced here. The government provides subsidies to the agricultural sector and the development of this sector is likely to give export activities a further boost.