France's trade deficit widened to €6.9 billion in May 2026 from €5.4 billion in April, exceeding expectations of a €5.2 billion shortfall. This marked the largest trade gap since April 2025, as exports fell 2.0% month-on-month to €53.6 billion, weighed down by lower shipments of mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (-4.4%) and natural hydrocarbons and other extractive products (-4.5%). By destination, exports declined to the EU (-0.9%), Africa (-17.0%), and the Americas (-3.2%), while rising to Asia (+9.9%) and the Middle East (+14.4%). Meanwhile, imports increased 0.7% to €60.5 billion, driven by higher purchases of refined petroleum products (+10.2%), transport equipment (+3.9%), other industrial products (+1.1%), and mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (+1.0%). By origin, imports rose from the EU (+1.1%) and the Middle East (+38.4%), remained broadly unchanged from Asia, and declined from the Americas (-3.8%) and Africa (-8.8%). source: Ministère de l'Économie et des Finances

France recorded a trade deficit of 6928.20 EUR Million in May of 2026. Balance of Trade in France averaged -2016.57 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 -15685.60 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 July of 2026.

France recorded a trade deficit of 6928.20 EUR Million in May of 2026. Balance of Trade in France is expected to be -5380.00 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 -5000.00 EUR Million in 2027 and -4800.00 EUR Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
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 €-6.9B €-5.4B €-5.2B €-6.3B
2026-08-07 06:45 AM
Balance of Trade
Jun €-6.9B € -5.6B


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -6928.20 -5416.50 EUR Million May 2026
Current Account -100.00 -600.00 EUR Million May 2026
Exports 53580.90 54660.90 EUR Million May 2026
Imports 60509.20 60077.40 EUR Million May 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
-6928.20 -5416.50 2674.00 -15685.60 1970 - 2026 EUR Million Monthly

News Stream
France Trade Deficit Largest in a Year
France's trade deficit widened to €6.9 billion in May 2026 from €5.4 billion in April, exceeding expectations of a €5.2 billion shortfall. This marked the largest trade gap since April 2025, as exports fell 2.0% month-on-month to €53.6 billion, weighed down by lower shipments of mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (-4.4%) and natural hydrocarbons and other extractive products (-4.5%). By destination, exports declined to the EU (-0.9%), Africa (-17.0%), and the Americas (-3.2%), while rising to Asia (+9.9%) and the Middle East (+14.4%). Meanwhile, imports increased 0.7% to €60.5 billion, driven by higher purchases of refined petroleum products (+10.2%), transport equipment (+3.9%), other industrial products (+1.1%), and mechanical, electrical, electronic and computer equipment (+1.0%). By origin, imports rose from the EU (+1.1%) and the Middle East (+38.4%), remained broadly unchanged from Asia, and declined from the Americas (-3.8%) and Africa (-8.8%).
2026-07-07
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