What are the top 10 French exports?

February 27, 2023

AGI News

France is a significant player in world trade when it comes to the importing and exporting of goods. And this is no surprise, given France has the 2nd largest economy in the Eurozone. Only Germany has a larger economy, with San Marino having the smallest. Why not read on to find out all about the top 10 French exports!

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Before we get into the specifics, it’s important to set the scene and look at French exports as a whole. When compared with 2021, French exports in 2022 grew by 18.5%. This was up on the previous annual growth of 17.1% too, with French exports showing clear signs of recovery following the covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore Santander has reported the French export market continues to recover well following a downturn during the height of the pandemic. This is good news for French exports, as well as worldwide importers too.

French Trade – just how big is the French export market?

According to data from World’s Top Exports, French exports totalled US$598.4 billion for the first 11 months of 2022. Exports to Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the US accounted for the biggest values, totalling 44.9% of total exports.

Some global leading companies help to account for such high export figures, with French companies well represented in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings. These companies include EDF, Renault, Total and Saint-Gobain.

So what are the top 10 French exports?

The following are the top 10 exports from France during 2021. This top 10 accounts for 58.9% of the total US$ value for all exports from France.

1. Machinery, including computers – US$62.6 billion (11% of total exports)

2. Vehicles – US$50.8 billion (8.9% of total exports)

3. Electrical machinery – US$45 billion (7.9% of total exports)

4. Pharmaceuticals – US$39.1 billion (6.9% of total exports)

5. Aircraft / Spacecraft – US$30.9 billion (5.4% of total exports)

6. Plastics – US$25.5 billion (4.5% of total exports)

7. Beverages, Spirits & Vinegar – US$22.3 billion (3.9% of total exports)

8. Perfumes & Cosmetics – US$22 billion (3.9% of total exports)

9. Mineral Fuels – US$18.6 billion (3.3% of total exports)

10. Iron & Steel – US$18 billion (3.2% of total exports)

Source: World’s Top Exports

French food

French cuisine is world renowned, so it’s no surprise over US$53 billion worth of food was exported in 2021. Interestingly, the majority of the export value is driven by cereals. This includes wheat, corn and barley. After cereals, the next largest food export is dairy, eggs and honey, with cheese heavily influencing the performance of this food category.

So how can we help?

The importing and exporting of goods to and from France can be a complicated process, and that’s where we come in! Here at AGI, we specialise in the safe transport of cargo to and from France, and all across the world, providing you with professional road freightsea freight, and air freight solutions. To find out more about our logistics services, and how we can help your business, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you. And for all of the latest AGI news, don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook!