Exports, a major challenge for france
The value of apples
In 2018, the agri-food sector generated 13% (61 billion euros) of domestic exports, ranking third among French exporting sectors. Although the European Union (EU) remains the main destination for French exports, particularly agricultural exports, its share has been declining for the past ten years. At the same time, the share of Southeast Asia has risen sharply, with an increase of 15% between 2013 and 2018 (Business France, 2020). Apples are one of the top export products with 418,941 tonnes exported in 2018 (Agreste, 2019). Destinations are mainly European Union countries with 75% of volumes in 2017, followed by the extra-EU exports to United Arab Emirates (18%), Saudi Arabia (16%), Singapore (5%), Algeria (0.2%)..., (Agreste, 2018).
The economic impact of exports is also mentioned in the «2018-2022 strategic plan for the development of exports and the internationalization of the agricultural, agri-food, forestry and bio-based sectors», which also mentions strong international competition. As export is a priority for France and French companies, the government has identified various priorities for action, of which two key points are, targeting priority zones and markets with potential, such as Asia, and removing non-tariff barriers to trade (technical, sanitary) that hinder access to certain markets.