With a transaction volume of more than a billion euros, the department has the particularity of exporting more than it imports. Several players already involved (and others thinking about it) gathered at the Chamber of Commerce for a morning of meetings and workshops.
After Toulouse and before Montpellier, Rodez was the host this Wednesday, November 27, of a stage of the Occitanie export tour. “Priority objective today: to convince you to start exporting and, for those who already practice it, to amplify your actions on foreign markets”, summarized in the preamble the president Dominique Costes, in front of around twenty representatives of companies and partners of the operation.
Christophe Palous, international advisor within the CCI, is the linchpin of this Aveyron meeting, with under his leadership 150 companies which have chosen to export in the department. “Between conference and small workshops, the goal, throughout this morning, is to provide information to businesses.” Thanks in particular to the presence of several partners such as the customs service (which “advises almost as much as they control”, according to Dominique Costes), Total energies, the Region or BPI France, specialized in financial support for businesses.
Nearly €925 million: good export figures from Aveyron
Of the 49.6 billion euros in exports from Occitania, Aveyron represents 1.01 billion euros, or nearly 2.1% of the total. Which ranks the department in 7th place out of the 13 departments of Occitanie. Exports have grown steadily since 2020, on average by 5% per year.
The balance is positive at 85 million euros, with imports representing 925 million euros. “These results are therefore good and the development is favorable. But we must go further and amplify this movement by multiplying the number of companies on foreign markets and increasing volumes,” analyzes Dominique Costes.
Among the flagship export products, we find first of all crop and livestock products for 395 million euros or 38% of the total. Then comes general machinery and equipment (134 million euros or 13%), metals for 92 million euros and finally dairy products for 81 million euros.
For imports, leather products, luggage and shoes also come out on top with 152 million, or 16%, followed by chemical products for 113 million and general machinery and equipment for 78 million euros, or 8% of the total. .
More concretely and as Christophe Palous points out, the local export heavyweights are “RAGT, Roquefort, Forest, Sacor, Laguiole knives or Millau gloves. The sheep and cattle sectors, which mainly export to the Maghreb, also weigh a lot.
Germany, leading importer, followed by Spain and Switzerland
In exports, the first country with which trade takes place is Italy (326 million euros, 32%). Germany follows with 179 million euros then Spain (105 million euros).
As for imports to Aveyron, Germany leads as a supplier with a total volume of 144 million euros, followed by Spain (112 million euros) and Switzerland (91 million euros). 'euros).
For the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, “these figures illustrate that our department has a network of dynamic companies open to export and diversified, but that the agricultural and especially livestock sector remains very dominant.”
The imminent arrival to power of Donald Trump in the United States is not currently causing concern while sharp increases in customs duties have been announced. “It’s more German cars that are in his sights,” explains Christophe Palous. No immediate concern, according to the specialist, regarding Roquefort, for which these customs duties had tripled in 1999.
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