That dollar metric results from a 14% increase from $556.6 billion five years earlier in 2019.
Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from France rose 4.5% compared to $606.9 billion for 2022.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2023, France uses the euro which depreciated by -3.5% against the US dollar since 2019 but strengthened by 2.6% from 2022 to 2023. The weaker European Union currency compared to 2019 made France’s exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers.
France’s 5 biggest export products by value in 2023 were aircraft including spacecraft, medication mixes in dosage, cars, turbojets, and automotive parts or accessories. In aggregate, those major exports accounted for 20.5% of overall exports sales from France. The commodities themselves suggest a relatively diversified range of exported goods.
France ranks number one for exporting wine, ranks among world-leading nations for aircraft parts and is a major competitor for medications and other pharmaceutical shipments.
France’s Best International Trade Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 69.7% of products exported from France was bought by importers in: Germany (13.7% of the French total), Italy (8.9%), Belgium (8.1%), Spain (7.6%), United States of America (7.5%), United Kingdom (6.2%), mainland China (4.3%), Netherlands (3.9%), Switzerland (3.5%), Poland (2.5%), Türkiye (2%) and Singapore (1.7%).
From a continental perspective, 66.8% of France’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 17.1% was sold to Asian importers. France shipped another 8.8% worth of goods to North America.
Smaller percentages went to buyers in Africa (4.6%), Latin America (1.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1%) led by Australia.
In addition, note that 55.9% of France’s exports sold in 2023 were bought by countries that are also members of the European Union.
Given France’s population of 65.9 million people, its total $634.3 billion in 2023 exports translates to roughly $9,600 for every resident in the European Union member nation. That per-capita metric exceeds the average $9,200 one year earlier in 2022.
France’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in French global shipments during 2023. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from France.
- Machinery including computers: US$73.6 billion (11.6% of total exports)
- Vehicles: $60.2 billion (9.5%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $49.7 billion (7.8%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $38.2 billion (6%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $38 billion (6%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $30.9 billion (4.9%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $25.7 billion (4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $23.2 billion (3.7%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $21.9 billion (3.5%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $18.2 billion (2.9%)
France’s top 10 exports accounted for 59.8% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Vehicles represent the fastest-growing product category among the top 10 listed above, up by 20.7% since 2022.
In second place for improving export sales was aircraft and spacecraft via a 16.3% increase.
France’s shipments of machinery including computers posted the third-fastest gain in value, appreciating 14.2%.
The leading decliner among France’s top 10 export categories was mineral fuels including oil, which fell -9.1% year over year.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of France’s Most Valuable Export Products further down below.
Products Creating Trade Surpluses for France
The following types of French product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Aircraft, spacecraft: US$25.4 billion (Up by 26.5% since 2022)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $17.5 billion (Up by 9.6%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $15.3 billion (Down by -5.5%)
- Leather/animal gut articles: $8.2 billion (Up by 12.5%)
- Cereals: $7 billion (Down by -33.9%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $2.3 billion (Up by 17.1%)
- Live animals: $2.2 billion (Up by 2%)
- Other chemical goods: $2.1 billion (Up by 34.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $1.75 billion (Down by -66.7%)
- Gems, precious metals: $1.7 billion (Up by 40.5%)
France has highly positive net exports in the international trade of aerospace products. In turn, these cashflows indicate France’s strong competitive advantages under the aircraft and spacecraft product category.
Products Causing Trade Deficits for France
France incurred an overall -US$140.5 billion trade deficit in 2023, shrinking by -31.4% from -$204.8 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2022.
Below are exports from France that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country France’s goods trail French importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$76.5 billion (Down by -38% since 2022)
- Vehicles: -$27.1 billion (Up by 15.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$19.5 billion (Down by -0.6%)
- Machinery including computers: -$16.2 billion (Down by -20.3%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefabricated buildings: -$8.1 billion (Down by -14.8%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$6.1 billion (Down by -20.8%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$5.1 billion (Down by -14.4%)
- Fruits, nuts: -$4.9 billion (Up by 6%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$4.8 billion (Down by -20%)
- Fish: -$4.3 billion (Down by -9.8%)
France has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels-related resources, particularly for crude and refined oils, petroleum gases and coal.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate France’s competitive disadvantages in the international fuel market, but also represent key opportunities for France to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations especially in alternative energy sources.
France’s Major Export Companies
France placed roughly 70 companies in the Forbes Global 2000 rankings. The following companies are examples of world-leading French companies.
- Air Liquide (specialized chemicals)
- Christian Dior (clothing, accessories)
- Danone (food processing)
- EADS (aerospace)
- Michelin Group (automotive parts)
- Pernod Ricard (beverages)
- Renault (cars, trucks)
- Safran (aerospace)
- Saint-Gobain (construction materials)
- Sanofi (pharmaceuticals)
- Schneider Electric (electrical equipment)
- Total (oil, gas)
Global trade intelligence firm Zepol lists the following smaller French exporters. Selected examples are shown below.
- Hesnault (wines, jams, cheese)
- Mane Fils (aromatic materials)
- Transityre France (latex, transmission belts, vehicle tires)
Searchable List of France’s Most Valuable Export Products
The following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from France during 2023. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2022.
| Rank | France's Export Product | Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $30,418,804,000 | +16.5% |
| 2 | Medication mixes in dosage | $26,840,208,000 | +4% |
| 3 | Cars | $24,637,430,000 | +17.7% |
| 4 | Turbo-jets | $20,639,570,000 | +30.3% |
| 5 | Automobile parts/accessories | $14,830,849,000 | +13.3% |
| 6 | Wine | $12,941,101,000 | -0.1% |
| 7 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $12,840,668,000 | +8.1% |
| 8 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $11,985,622,000 | +12.2% |
| 9 | Petroleum gases | $11,399,819,000 | -7.4% |
| 10 | Trucks | $10,336,860,000 | +34.2% |
| 11 | Processed petroleum oils | $10,293,261,000 | -4.6% |
| 12 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $9,689,548,000 | -1.9% |
| 13 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $9,454,182,000 | -5.5% |
| 14 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $7,635,599,000 | +15.1% |
| 15 | Perfumes, toilet waters | $7,599,504,000 | +12.2% |
| 16 | Electrical energy | $7,331,254,000 | -18.8% |
| 17 | Jewelry | $6,832,002,000 | +13.7% |
| 18 | Tractors | $6,490,526,000 | +32.4% |
| 19 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $6,000,637,000 | +57.9% |
| 20 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $5,588,870,000 | -8.9% |
| 21 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $5,343,317,000 | +8.2% |
| 22 | Cheese, curd | $4,172,091,000 | +10.5% |
| 23 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $4,111,177,000 | +0.9% |
| 24 | Wheat | $3,982,645,000 | -46.1% |
| 25 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $3,963,668,000 | +8.2% |
| 26 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $3,698,115,000 | +9.5% |
| 27 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $3,542,479,000 | +4.6% |
| 28 | Phone system devices | $3,506,904,000 | -0.6% |
| 29 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $3,345,738,000 | +14.1% |
| 30 | Insulated wire/cable | $3,281,707,000 | +7.5% |
| 31 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $3,232,100,000 | +4% |
| 32 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $3,069,804,000 | +9.2% |
| 33 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $3,022,044,000 | +14.6% |
| 34 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $2,976,193,000 | +3.4% |
| 35 | Footwear (leather) | $2,944,238,000 | +15.6% |
| 36 | Engines (diesel) | $2,862,261,000 | +15.6% |
| 37 | Rubber tires (new) | $2,757,103,000 | +4.3% |
| 38 | Flour/meal/starch/malt extract food preparations | $2,672,566,000 | +20.6% |
| 39 | Iron or steel scrap | $2,666,485,000 | -13.7% |
| 40 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $2,619,451,000 | +6.9% |
| 41 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $2,538,453,000 | +16% |
| 42 | Computers, optical readers | $2,511,098,000 | +8.5% |
| 43 | Electric motors, generators | $2,502,940,000 | +20.1% |
| 44 | Gold (unwrought) | $2,484,739,000 | +28.4% |
| 45 | Flat-rolled other alloy steel products | $2,428,231,000 | -3.7% |
| 46 | Machinery parts | $2,349,117,000 | +8.9% |
| 47 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $2,338,405,000 | +3.1% |
| 48 | Air or vacuum pumps | $2,336,199,000 | +13.1% |
| 49 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $2,331,387,000 | +22.6% |
| 50 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $2,294,052,000 | +1.9% |
| 51 | Anti-knock/oxidation/gum inhibitors | $2,254,109,000 | -7.9% |
| 52 | Other food preparations | $2,247,489,000 | +13.5% |
| 53 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $2,240,090,000 | -31.5% |
| 54 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $2,215,528,000 | +36.2% |
| 55 | Cruise/cargo ships, barges | $2,190,113,000 | -38.6% |
| 56 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $2,184,518,000 | +24% |
| 57 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $2,142,740,000 | -8.9% |
| 58 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $2,131,792,000 | +0.9% |
| 59 | Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet) | $2,110,114,000 | +10.3% |
| 60 | Orthopedic appliances | $2,099,904,000 | +8.5% |
| 61 | Electrical converters/power units | $2,081,312,000 | +14% |
| 62 | Barley | $2,061,805,000 | +12.1% |
| 63 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $2,038,250,000 | +12.3% |
| 64 | Footwear (textile) | $2,019,238,000 | +18.8% |
| 65 | Refrigerators, freezers | $2,016,684,000 | +11.6% |
| 66 | Corn | $2,006,998,000 | -15.4% |
| 67 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $1,945,127,000 | -31.1% |
| 68 | Radioactive chemical elements | $1,904,206,000 | +16.1% |
| 69 | Miscellaneous machinery | $1,787,109,000 | +0.4% |
| 70 | Regulate/control instruments | $1,778,465,000 | +15.8% |
| 71 | Yachts, other pleasure/sports vessels | $1,771,028,000 | +27.5% |
| 72 | Live bovine cattle | $1,768,299,000 | +1.2% |
| 73 | Propylene/olefin polymers | $1,763,708,000 | -2.6% |
| 74 | Fork-lift trucks | $1,754,054,000 | +23.2% |
| 75 | Ball, roller bearings | $1,749,801,000 | +4.2% |
| 76 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $1,726,025,000 | +19.1% |
| 77 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $1,714,677,000 | +3.5% |
| 78 | Vinyl chloride polymers | $1,707,307,000 | -17.7% |
| 79 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $1,695,984,000 | +14.4% |
| 80 | Ethylene polymers | $1,693,798,000 | -22% |
| 81 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $1,644,163,000 | +4.3% |
| 82 | Electric storage batteries | $1,612,493,000 | +25.1% |
| 83 | Miscellaneous furniture | $1,601,531,000 | +1.7% |
| 84 | Piston engine parts | $1,597,740,000 | +1.7% |
| 85 | Temperature-change machines | $1,573,087,000 | +19.6% |
| 86 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $1,539,203,000 | -14.3% |
| 87 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $1,537,129,000 | +11.6% |
| 88 | Wrist/pocket watches (no precious metal case) | $1,455,915,000 | +22.2% |
| 89 | X-ray equipment | $1,434,871,000 | +1.9% |
| 90 | Acrylic polymers | $1,431,106,000 | -14.7% |
| 91 | Vulcanized rubber items | $1,427,270,000 | +9% |
| 92 | Coal tar oils (high temperature distillation) | $1,403,438,000 | -0.6% |
| 93 | T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet) | $1,391,497,000 | +5.6% |
| 94 | Hair preparations | $1,385,352,000 | +18% |
| 95 | Piston engines | $1,368,955,000 | -0.1% |
| 96 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $1,368,799,000 | +9.5% |
| 97 | Printing machinery | $1,348,352,000 | +10.5% |
| 98 | Tracksuits, swimwear (not knit or crochet) | $1,342,821,000 | +12% |
| 99 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $1,336,275,000 | +16.2% |
| 100 | Copper waste, scrap | $1,315,653,000 | -13.2% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$427.8 billion or over two-thirds (67.4%) by value for all products exported from France during 2023.
In macroeconomic terms, France’s total exported goods represent 16.4% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2023 ($3.869 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 16.4% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2023 mirrors that for 2022. Those percentages suggest a relatively stable reliance on products sold on international markets for France’s total economic performance, albeit that premise is based on a very short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. France’s unemployment rate averaged 7.356% for 2023, up from an average 7.317% one year earlier according to statistics from the International Monetary Fund.
France’s capital city is Paris.
See also France’s Top 10 Imports, France’s Top Trading Partners and France’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 22, 2024
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 22, 2024
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 22, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on March 22, 2024
SHIPHUB, HS Code for Food. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Wikipedia, List of Companies of France. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on March 22, 2024
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on March 22, 2024