A general view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower

Although it has national revenues of 2.3 trillion dollars, France appears to be a long way away from the economic growth it has sought for in recent years. France has fallen far short of the 5 percent growth rates it has had in the past. An increase in private sector investments did result in an improvement from 1.7% economic growth in 2005 to 2.2% in 2006. However, this figure does not lift the French economy above the slowest growing countries in the EU. According to estimates from The Economist magazine, the French economy, which grew 1.8% between 2002 and 2007, will grow 1.8 percent this year and next year and 2 percent in 2010. France’s foreign trade volume exceeds 1 trillion dollars. However, its foreign trade deficit has not dropped below 30 billion dollars since 2002. One of the most significant reasons for this deficit is thought to be the increase in oil prices since 2003. The second significant factor is that French companies have lost a competitive advantage due to the increased value of the Euro since 2002.

France is the sixth largest importer in the world and over 60% of its imports come from EU member countries. France's leading imports include oil and natural gas, automobiles, refined petroleum products, aircraft industry products, automobile parts and accessories, computers and softwareproducts, pharmaceuticals, clothing, iron and steel products,		Business Centers in Paris
organic chemical products, video and audio communication products, plastic products, orthopedic products, shoes and white goods. France is experiencing a pronounced drop in exports. France's largest trade partner is Germany, which purchases 15 percent of France's exports, but imports from Germany make up 20 percent of all of France's imports. France carries out 1.5 times more trade with Germany than with other EU countries. France's largest export market after Germany is Spain, while its largest export market outside the EU is America. Food processing technology and passenger aircraft produced by Airbus are the largest categories of exports from France. France is also the largest producer of pharmaceuticals in Europe. France is followed by Great Britain and Germany in this field. Income from the export of pharmaceutical products in 2005 reached 16.7 billion Euro, making France the largest pharmaceuticalexporter in the world.

French companies increase their investment in Turkey EU countries contribute 75 percent of the international direct investment coming into Turkey. According to the International Direct Investment Evaluation Report issued by the International Investors Association (YASED), Holland and Belgium rank first and second in this area.		The Barrage Vauban, Strasbourg, France
These two countries are followed by France, Great Britain, Italy and Germany. In 1985 there were 15 companies with French capital, but that number exceeds 600 today. Most of the French firms started in Turkey are large companies that have invested in strategic sectors. The primary areas in which French companies have invested include automotive manufacturing, automotive spare parts, retail, distribution, food and cement.

Opportunities in the French market
There are significant opportunities in France for Turkish companies, particularly in sectors like domestic textiles, fresh fruits and vegetables, packaging, construction materials, electric and electronic devices and furniture. However, being successful in the stable French market requires that companies pay attention to certain details. First of all, companies that wish to do business in France must carry out very detailed preliminary research in order to establish dependable business connections. In addition, French people prefer to use their own language and are quite inflexible on this point.
As a result, it is important that companies wishing to enter the French market use the French language in correspondence and in face to face meetings. France is very strict about requiring that imported agricultural and industrial goods conform to set standards. Participating in trade fairs is a very good way to achieve success in the French market. Participation in expositions is very important for exporting goods to France such as food, furniture, domestic textiles, clothing for women, men and children and ready-made apparel.