The trade gap in France widened to €8.3 billion in September 2024 from a downwardly revised €7.7 billion gap in August and above forecasts of a €6.5 billion shortfall. It is the largest deficit since October 2023, as exports dropped by 1.4% to €48.59 billion, their lowest level since May 2022. The main drag came from sales of industrial products (-0.9%), transport equipment (-7.9%), natural hydrocarbons and other extractive industries, electricity, and waste (-9.3%), as well as refined petroleum products and coke (-21.3%). Exports fell across key regions: the European Union (-0.7%), Asia (-3.7%), and the Americas (-1.9%). Meanwhile, imports declined by 0.3% to €56.85 billion, driven by reduced purchases of mechanical, electrical, electronic, and computer equipment (-4.4%) and agricultural, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture products (-1.8%). Regionally, imports from the EU dropped by 0.4%, from the Americas by 2.5%, and from Africa by a significant 15.8%. source: Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances

France recorded a trade deficit of 8266 EUR Million in September of 2024. Balance of Trade in France averaged -1925.83 EUR Million from 1970 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 2674.00 EUR Million in October of 1997 and a record low of -16631.00 EUR Million in September of 2022. This page provides the latest reported value for - France Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. France Balance of Trade - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on November of 2024.

France recorded a trade deficit of 8266 EUR Million in September of 2024. Balance of Trade in France is expected to be -7200.00 EUR Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the France Balance of Trade is projected to trend around -6400.00 EUR Million in 2025 and -10500.00 EUR Million in 2026, according to our econometric models.




Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2024-10-08 06:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Aug €-7.4B €-6B €-5.5B €-6.0B
2024-11-08 07:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Sep €-8.3B €-7.7B €-6.5B € -8.1B
2024-12-06 07:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Oct €-8.3B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -8266.00 -7718.00 EUR Million Sep 2024
Current Account -2100.00 -1200.00 EUR Million Sep 2024
Exports 48587.00 49290.00 EUR Million Sep 2024
Imports 56853.00 57008.00 EUR Million Sep 2024

France Balance of Trade
Since 2004, France has been recording trade deficits due the gradual erosion of the export-oriented industry, the appreciation of the euro and the increasing dependency on imports of energy and manufactured products. The biggest trade deficits were recorded with: China, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium; while the biggest trade surpluses were recorded with: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Switzerland.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-8266.00 -7718.00 2674.00 -16631.00 1970 - 2024 EUR Million Monthly


News Stream
France Trade Gap At Near 1-Year High
The trade gap in France widened to €8.3 billion in September 2024 from a downwardly revised €7.7 billion gap in August and above forecasts of a €6.5 billion shortfall. It is the largest deficit since October 2023, as exports dropped by 1.4% to €48.59 billion, their lowest level since May 2022. The main drag came from sales of industrial products (-0.9%), transport equipment (-7.9%), natural hydrocarbons and other extractive industries, electricity, and waste (-9.3%), as well as refined petroleum products and coke (-21.3%). Exports fell across key regions: the European Union (-0.7%), Asia (-3.7%), and the Americas (-1.9%). Meanwhile, imports declined by 0.3% to €56.85 billion, driven by reduced purchases of mechanical, electrical, electronic, and computer equipment (-4.4%) and agricultural, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture products (-1.8%). Regionally, imports from the EU dropped by 0.4%, from the Americas by 2.5%, and from Africa by a significant 15.8%.
2024-11-08
France Trade Deficit Widens in August
France’s trade deficit widened to €7.4 billion in August 2024 from an upwardly revised €6.0 billion in July, coming more than market forecasts of €5.5 billion. Imports rose 2.7% month-over-month to €57.0 billion, while exports grew at a softer 0.4% to €49.7 billion. At the same time, the energy shortfall went up to €4.5 billion compared to €4.0 billion in the prior month. The trade gap for investment goods sharply rose to €2.2 billion from €0.9 billion, while the deficit for intermediate goods remained unchanged at €2.5 billion. On the other hand, the trade balance for consumer goods shifted to a surplus of €0.3 billion from a deficit of €0.1 billion in the preceding month. Considering January to August, the trade deficit narrowed to €53.0 billion from €70.7 billion in the same period last year.
2024-10-08
France Trade Deficit Smallest in 4 Months
France’s trade deficit slightly narrowed to €5.9 billion in July 2024 from a downwardly revised €6.0 billion in June, but coming more than market forecasts of €5.5 billion. It was the smallest trade deficit since March, with exports falling 3.3% month-over-month to €49.8 billion, while imports decreased 3.1% to €55.7 billion. At the same time, the energy shortfall declined to €4.1 billion compared to €5.7 billion in the prior month. The trade gap for investment goods dropped to €0.8 billion from €1 billion, while the deficit for intermediate goods widened to €2.5 billion from €2.0 billion. The trade account for consumer goods shifted to a shortfall of €0.1 billion from a surplus of €0.8 billion. Considering January to July, the trade deficit narrowed to €45.3 billion from €54.0 billion in the same period last year.
2024-09-06