The most valuable French imports also include aircraft components, computers and jewelry.
The following list shows on which products French importers spent the most money. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which the France has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations — and therefore opportunities for innovation.
France is the world’s sixth-largest importer by dollar value.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to France’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value French Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to French importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the percentage change in value for each item.
- Cars: US$34.7 billion (Up 16.8% from 2013 to 2017)
- Crude oil: $23.8 billion (Down -47.8%)
- Turbo-jets: $19.4 billion (Up 113.5%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $18.5 billion (Down -47.5%)
- Aircraft parts: $17.3 billion (Up 9.5%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $15.1 billion (Up 18.5%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $14.7 billion (Down -19.9%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $12.9 billion (Up 11.3%)
- Petroleum gases: $12.7 billion (Down -48.9%)
- Computers, optical readers: $9.5 billion (Down -8.3%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $7.2 billion (Down -48.7%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $6.4 billion (Up 27%)
- Trucks: $6.3 billion (Up 8.7%)
- Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays): $4.5 billion (Down -1.4%)
- Jewelry: $4.4 billion (Up 22.8%)
- Miscellaneous furniture: $4.2 billion (Up 3.4%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $4.1 billion (Down -23.1%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $4.1 billion (Up 10.2%)
- Cases, handbags, wallets: $3.9 billion (Up 13.5%)
- Footwear (leather): $3.7 billion (Down -3%)
Among these product categories, turbo-jets posted the greatest increase in the value of import purchases up 113.5% from 2013 to 2017.
In second place were imported blood fractions including antisera with a more modest 27% appreciation.
French imports of jewelry showed a respectable gain in 2017, up 22.8% from 2013. Automobile parts or accessories moved ahead in value by 18.5%.
Leading the decliners were imported petroleum gases (down -48.9%), aircraft and spacecraft (down -48.7%), then crude oil (down -47.5%).
The average 5-year change for all French import products was an overall -8.9% decrease in value.
See also France’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, France’s Top Trading Partners and France’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 13, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 13, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 13, 2018