France Balance of Trade

Last Release

Jul 31, 2025

Actual

-5,557.6

Units In

EUR Million

-7,622.7

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Oct 07, 2025

Time to Release

30 Days 6 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
2,674 Oct 1997	-17,486.7 Sep 2022	-1,994.06 EUR Million	1970-2025	N/A

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. In 2017, the biggest trade deficits were recorded with: China & Hong Kong, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium; while the biggest trade surpluses were recorded with: the Middle East, the UK, Africa and Switzerland.

Latest Updates

France’s trade deficit narrowed to €5.6 billion in August 2025 from a revised €7.2 billion in July, below expectations of a €6.1 billion deficit. This marks the smallest gap since December 2024, as exports rose 2.6% month-over-month to €52.1 billion, driven by higher sales of refined petroleum products and coke (+17.2%), transport equipment (+9.4%), natural hydrocarbons (+22.3%), and publishing and communication products (+9.8%). By region, exports increased to Africa (+6.0%), the Middle East (+11.5%), and Asia (+18.8%), while shipments to the EU edged higher (+0.8%). In contrast, exports to America fell (-7.7%), partly reflecting the 15% US tariffs on EU goods. Meanwhile, imports slipped 0.5% to €57.7 billion, weighed down by lower purchases of agri-food products (-1.1%), mechanical and electronic equipment (-3.6%), and art and antiques (-35.9%). Regionally, imports declined from Africa (-12.8%), America (-3.7%), and Asia (-1.3%), though arrivals from the Middle East surged (+66.3%).