France's trade deficit narrowed slightly in November compared to the previous month, to 7.3 billion euros, supported by a higher increase in exports than imports, French customs said on Wednesday.
Exports grew by 600 million euros, and imports by 300 million euros, customs statistics show, making November the second month in a row of reduction in the trade deficit.
Over twelve rolling months, the trade deficit stood at 83.6 billion euros in November.
The annual figures on the French trade deficit will be known next month and should be lower than the records recorded in the previous two years, at 99.6 billion euros in 2023 and 164 billion in 2022, against a backdrop of the consequences of the war in Ukraine on the world economy.
Since 2002, France has not generated a trade surplus.
In detail for November, the energy balance deficit narrowed from 300 million euros to 3.7 billion euros compared to the previous month, favored by an increase in exports while imports remained stable.
The increase in prices and volumes explains the increase in exports, customs indicated.
Excluding energy, the French trade balance was stable in November at 5.3 billion euros.
Customs also revised downwards the amount of the trade deficit for October, to 7.6 billion euros instead of 7.9 billion euros.
The current account deficit reached 1.7 billion euros in November after 1.9 billion euros in October, according to data from the Banque de France.
published on January 8 at 9:22 a.m., AFP
Share
France
