Business in France, Paris

The objectives of the subject “International Trade and Business in” the French Republic” are the following:

1. To analyse the strengths of the French Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the French Market
3. To analyse the trade relations of France with the country of the student
4. To know the French Free Trade Agreements (FTA) as a member of the European Union
5. To understand the political and economic importance of France in the EU
6. To analyse the Africa-France Strategic Partnership
7. To develop a business plan for the French Market

French Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements

1. France and the European Economic Area
2. European Union
   1. As a member of the European Union, France is a beneficiary of the EU Free trade agreements with Algeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa, South Korea, India, Mexico, MERCOSUR, Chile, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia etc. besides the Customs Union with Turkey
   2. European Single Market
   3. EU Services Directive
   4. European Digital Single Market
   5. Economic and Monetary Union
   6. European Customs Union
3. Indian Ocean Commission (Reunion Islands)
4. Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
5. Central American Integration System (SICA) (observer country)

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   2. WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
4. Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)
5. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
6. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, Chicago Convention)
7. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
   1. International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC)
   2. Convention Relating to Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention)
8. Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea (Rotterdam Rules, UN)
9. Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Hamburg Rules, UN)
10. Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR, UN)
11. International Road Transport Union (IRU)
    1. TIR Convention
    2. Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport
12. International Union of Railways (UIC)
13. International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
14. Uniform Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM, CIT)
15. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN) - not a member

European Trade and Economic Organisations of France

1. European Union
   1. European Central Bank
   2. European Investment Bank (EIB)
   3. EU-CELAC Summit
2. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
3. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
4. Group of States of the European Council Convention against Corruption (GRECO)
5. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
   1. OECD anti-corruption measures

Global Organisations

1. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
   4. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
2. African Union (AU)
3. Inter-American Development Bank (non-borrower)
4. Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
5. World Bank (WB)
6. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
7. International Organisation of the Francophonie
8. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
9. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
10. Asian Development Bank (ADB)
11. African Development Bank (AfDB)
12. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
13. International Chamber of Commerce (CCI)
14. ...

France is an associate / observer country:

1. Association of Caribbean States (AEC)
2. Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
3. Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS)
4. Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC)
5. Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries

The French Republic (Europe)

1. Capital of France: Paris
2. Official Language: French
3. Area of France: 643,801 square kilometres
4. Population of France: 67 million people
5. Borders of France: Monaco, Italy, Spain, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland
6. France has a Maritime border with the United Kingdom (submarine tunnel)
7. Abolition of Slavery in France: 1848 (Victor Schoelcher)

Type of Government of France: Semi‑presidential Republic

The main religion in France: Catholicism (Christianity)

France belongs to the Western Civilisation (European Economic Area)

Economy of France.

1. The French Republic is a highly developed market being the:
   1. Fifth largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product
   2. Eighth largest economy in purchasing power
2. France is the third largest economy in the European Union (behind Germany and the United Kingdom - BREXIT-)
3. GDP (nominal) of France: 1,944 Billions Euros
4. GDP per capita: 27,100 Euros
5. France is the most visited country in the world (82 million tourists per year)
6. The economy of the French Republic is heavily based on services (76% of the gross domestic product, 75% of the population)
7. Decentralised EU Agency in France:
   1. Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO): Angers

French Foreign Trade.

1. France ranks second in the world regarding the service exports and agricultural products
2. The French Republic makes 70% of his foreign trade with its European Union (EU) partners
3. French foreign trade has a surplus in export products trade balance
4. Germany imports 14% of the French exports, followed by Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, Switzerland and China
5. Of the total of the imported products of France, 16% are originated in Germany followed by Belgium, Italy, China, Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland and Japan
6. The main French Exports are machinery, mechanical appliances, vehicles, Air navigation and pharmaceutical products
7. The French Republic is the second most attractive European country for Foreign direct investment (FDI)
8. As a member of the European Union, France is a beneficiary of the EU Free trade agreements with Algeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa, South Korea, India, Mexico, MERCOSUR, Chile, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon
9. The largest French Port is Le Havre
10. Headquarters of the International Union of Railways (UIC) and the International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)

Pierre Teilhard of Chardin