Food trade in France - statistics & facts
Is the French agriculture and food industry undergoing a revolution internationally? While the European Union has been the preserve of French farmers for many years, it seems that it is facing the emergence of new major players on the old continent. The Netherlands is in the lead, while France recorded a trade balance worth 7.4 billion euros in its food sector in 2022.
Another beneficiary sector of French agriculture is cereals, whose industry recorded a profit of 6.13 billion euros in 2021.
French agriculture: heading out of Europe
The agreements between the EU and Canada (CETA), and the treaties under negotiation with the Southern Common Market (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) and the United States (TAFTA) are controversial in Europe but demonstrate the desire of European countries to increase their trade with the Americas. For France, agreements on agriculture are crucial. Indeed, since 2015, exports to non-EU countries have taken a significant share in France's food trade balance, while profits to European countries have been declining to a deficit since 2015. In 2021, a deficit balance of several billion euros was recorded with such European trading partners as Spain and the Netherlands. Nonetheless, the single market is still the first partner for French exports.Wine and cereals, a lifeline for French exports?
Reliance on the wine and beverage sector has indeed increased over the last few years. It is a crucial segment of the French food industry and has strong links to other significant international players. The U.S. represents a major negotiating force for the French beverage sector, claiming 19 percent of all French wine exports in 2021.Another beneficiary sector of French agriculture is cereals, whose industry recorded a profit of 6.13 billion euros in 2021.
