BAROMETER. Road transport prices in France stood still in December. The underlying trend indicates an inexorable fall in prices. Carriers are squeezed between the low-cost offer of foreign fleets and shippers who are driving prices down.
In December 2024, the clouds continued to accumulate over French business. The business climate has lost further ground for the third consecutive month, sparing no sector except industry. The index stood at 94.3 in December, down 1.8 points, according to INSEE. To find such a bad figure, we have to go back to July 2024, and if we go back a little further, to 2020 during the Covid-19 crisis.
We can make the link between the two low points in the business climate (July/December 2024) and the two major political crises in France: the dissolution of the National Assembly by President Macron and the government's motion of censure. Barnier voted on December 4, 2024. The first crisis disrupted the preparation phase of the 2025 budget and the second simply prevented its adoption, leaving business leaders in great uncertainty. Then another 10 days passed between the appointment of François Bayrou as Prime Minister and the appointment of the new government. This political instability increases the concern of the business community, in an otherwise difficult economic context.
A slowdown on the spot market as well as on the contract market
Under these conditions, road transport prices in France stagnated in December, with a very slight erosion of -0.1% which stopped the surprising momentum of November.
Source : Upply Freight Index – Route France
-Professional diesel, however, continued to progress, recording an increase of 0.6% this month after two consecutive increases of 1.8% in October and November. But the delayed pass-through mechanism for diesel prices seems to have been disrupted by the sluggish market.
Price stabilization can be seen both on the spot market and on the contract market. (…)
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