France’s trade deficit narrowed to €5.6 billion in April 2026 from €6.4 billion in March, and below the expected €6.5 billion shortfall. This reflects exports rising 3.1% month-on-month to €54.6 billion, driven by transport equipment (+5.9%), mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (+5.8%), and other industrial products (+0.2%), while declines were seen in natural hydrocarbons (-8.7%), and agri-food industries (-1.1%). By region, exports increased to the European Union (+1.1%), Asia (+2.7%), the Americas (+0.6%), Africa (+0.4%), and the Middle East (+8.7%). Meanwhile, imports rose at a softer 1.5% to €60.2 billion, driven by higher purchases of natural hydrocarbons (+5.4%) and other industrial products (+2.5%), while transport equipment (-2.8%) and refined petroleum products (-3.3%) declined. Imports rose from Africa (+20.4%), Asia (+6.1%), and the Americas (+2.4%), while falling sharply from the Middle East (-60.7%) and edging lower from the European Union (-0.2%). source: Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances

France recorded a trade deficit of 5640.20 EUR Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in France averaged -2008.80 EUR Million from 1970 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 2674.00 EUR Million in October of 1997 and a record low of -15693.30 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 June of 2026.

France recorded a trade deficit of 5640.20 EUR Million in April of 2026. Balance of Trade in France is expected to be -6600.00 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 -5900.00 EUR Million in 2027 and -6100.00 EUR Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-07 06:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Mar €-6.9B €-5.5B €-5.6B €-5.7B
2026-06-05 06:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Apr €-5.6B €-6.4B €-6.5B €-7.3B
2026-07-07 06:45 AM
Balance of Trade
May €-5.6B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -5640.20 -6413.70 EUR Million Apr 2026
Current Account -162.00 -940.00 EUR Million Apr 2026
Exports 54584.80 52932.90 EUR Million Apr 2026
Imports 60225.00 59346.50 EUR Million Apr 2026


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
-5640.20 -6413.70 2674.00 -15693.30 1970 - 2026 EUR Million Monthly

News Stream
France Trade Deficit Narrows in April
France’s trade deficit narrowed to €5.6 billion in April 2026 from €6.4 billion in March, and below the expected €6.5 billion shortfall. This reflects exports rising 3.1% month-on-month to €54.6 billion, driven by transport equipment (+5.9%), mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (+5.8%), and other industrial products (+0.2%), while declines were seen in natural hydrocarbons (-8.7%), and agri-food industries (-1.1%). By region, exports increased to the European Union (+1.1%), Asia (+2.7%), the Americas (+0.6%), Africa (+0.4%), and the Middle East (+8.7%). Meanwhile, imports rose at a softer 1.5% to €60.2 billion, driven by higher purchases of natural hydrocarbons (+5.4%) and other industrial products (+2.5%), while transport equipment (-2.8%) and refined petroleum products (-3.3%) declined. Imports rose from Africa (+20.4%), Asia (+6.1%), and the Americas (+2.4%), while falling sharply from the Middle East (-60.7%) and edging lower from the European Union (-0.2%).
2026-06-05
France Posts Largest Trade Deficit in 10 Months
France’s trade deficit widened to €6.9 billion in March 2026 from a revised €5.5 billion in February, coming in above expectations of €5.6 billion. This marks the largest reading since May 2025, as imports rose 3.2% month-on-month to €59.3 billion, led by strong increases in natural hydrocarbons (+30.0%), refined petroleum products (+25.4%), and transport equipment (+2.8%). Imports grew from the European Union (+3.4%), Africa (+1.3%), the Americas (+4.2%), and the Middle East (+42.0%). Meanwhile, exports rose at a slower pace of 1.0% to €52.5 billion, driven by refined petroleum products (+35.5%) and natural hydrocarbons (+11.3%). In contrast, exports declined in agricultural products (-0.8%), other industrial products (-0.8%), and publishing and communication goods (-4.2%). By region, exports increased to Africa (+9.4%), Asia (+8.0%), the European Union (+1.0%), and miscellaneous destinations (+16.2%), while falling to the Americas (-6.4%) and the Middle East (-10.1%).
2026-05-07
France Trade Gap Widens More Than Expected
France’s trade deficit widened to €5.8 billion in February 2026 from an upwardly revised €2.0 billion in February and above the expected €2.4 billion. Exports fell 0.9% month-on-month to €51.0 billion, weighed down by lower shipments of agricultural products (-2.8%), mechanical and electrical equipment (-0.5%), and natural hydrocarbons (-25.7%), while gains were seen in refined petroleum (+15.8%) and other industrial products (+1.7%). By region, exports fell to Asia (-8.1%) and the European Union (-0.6%), but rose to Africa (+5.6%), the Americas (+6.4%), and the Middle East (+2.2%). Meanwhile, imports increased 5.0% to €58.5 billion, driven by higher purchases of mechanical and electrical equipment (+5.7%), transport equipment (+7.6%), and natural hydrocarbons (+23.1%), though refined petroleum imports fell (-5.4%). Imports grew from Africa (+10.0%), the Americas (+7.7%), and Asia (+5.0%), while flows from the Middle East (+1.2%) and the EU (+3.3%) rose moderately.
2026-04-08