France is the second largest consumer market in Europe with more than 65 million inhabitants; it is the world’s fifth largest economy and imports more than $600 billion worth of goods each year. France is home to Europe’s largest banking, aerospace and nuclear industries, the second largest agricultural and chemical industries and the third largest communications technology and pharmaceutical sectors. It also has the world’s largest tourism industry with 80 million annual visitors bringing in about €77 billion.

The main imports to France are fuel (17%), electronics (11%), chemicals (8%) and metal products (8%). About two thirds of these imported products come from within the European Union with Germany (17%), China (8%), Belgium (8%) and Italy the main trading partners.

Chart Showing GDP Growth Compared to rest of world

Export finance is a revolving facility which lenders offer – it enables businesses to buy goods and can help ease cash flow problems.

Often, an alternative financier will fund all of the cost of the goods, including charges (e.g. taxes).

Trade finance offers benefits over more traditional bank funding such as bridging mortgages or business loans. Trade finance provides quick funding without affecting existing bank relationships.

How does it work?
If you’re a company importing or exporting goods around the world, then a trade finance facility would help you to fund this through offering a LC (letter of credit) or some form of cash advance.

I’m looking to export to France, how can Trade Finance Global help, and how does it work?
If you’re looking to export inventory to other countries, you may require finance for exporting, which is a commercial agreement between you (the exporter), and the importer. An alternative financier will advance you the cost of producing the stock supplies that you are exporting (as a loan), either once you have sent the goods, or before producing them. Once the importer has received the stock supplies and pays you for the import, you will repay the advance from the export bank over an agreed period.