Economic and trade relations

Link: http://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/se/canada

French exports to Quebec reached €1.8 billion in 2010. France is the 8th largest supplier with a market share of 3.2%. It is Quebec’s 5th largest foreign market.

Exchanges between France and Quebec are marked by the dominance of the aerospace industry (30% of French exports and 39% of imports from Quebec in 2010).

France also exports food (wine and cheese), pharmaceuticals, perfumery-cosmetics, and publishing products. Besides aerospace, Quebec’s exports to France are focused on semi-finished products (aluminum, pulp, newsprint) and ore.

As of mid-2009, the province hosted over two-thirds of the French subsidiaries located in Canada, with 330 subsidiaries and more than 520 facilities creating more than 20,000 jobs. The most prominent examples are Ubisoft, Sanofi Aventis, L’Oreal, Alstom, Lafarge, Areva, Safran, Thales, Accor, Air Liquide, Veolia, Dalkia, Danone, and Bonduelle.

The growth potential is largely related to small businesses: very active in innovative industries and services, they are increasingly interested in Quebec which they see as a test market for North America.

160 Quebec companies have chosen to establish locations in France to reach the European market, including several major groups: Alcan (aluminum), Bombardier (aeronautic, railway construction), Cascades (paper), Québecor (printing). They provide 26,500 jobs.

Economic and trade issues are mentioned during the France-Quebec Economic Cooperation Group’s (GFQCE) annual meetings. This cooperation’s primary instruments are “Ubifrance-Québec” industry meetings and, since 2008, meetings between competitive clusters.

The second symposium of French competitiveness clusters and Quebec’s sectors of excellence was held in France in November 2010 (themes: aerospace, environmental, technical textiles and “nutraceuticals”).

Updated on 15.07.11