Economic relations

On average, over 10 years, French exports sit at €162 million and imports at €100 million, generating a favourable trade balance averaging at €62 million. Reflecting the impact of the global financial crisis, commercial trade between France and Mauritania had fallen by 42% in 2009 to €240 million, compared with €413 million in 2008. Exports fell by 20% (after an increase of 18% in 2008), placing Mauritania as France’s 106th largest export customer, a drop of 15 places compared with the previous year. Nevertheless, with 1200 French businesses (of which 700 are SMEs) exporting French products to Mauritania, France remains one of Mauritania’s main suppliers. French imports are at their lowest for 10 years at €50 million (-71% compared with 2008), allowing a higher commercial trade balance than usual (€140 million) to be generated. Apart from fish products, they are essentially concentrated in iron ore, where imports fell by 72% in 2009 due to the decline in the iron and steel industry in France.

France is also Mauritania’s leading investor (investments of €76 million in 2008), along with Malaysia (petrol), Canada (copper, gold) and in front of Sudan (telecoms) and the United Arab Emirates (mines, and telecoms via Tunisia). The Arab oil countries position themselves in oil prospecting (Qatar, Algeria) and in real estate (Qatar, Libya). China reinforces its presence (fishing, construction industry) and has become Mauritania’s most important buyer (€700 million). The business environment is largely informal and is structured around about 10 large Mauritanian trading companies, most of which are equipped with their own banking institutions. Legal and fiscal insecurity is relatively modest.

There are around 60 French organisations set up in Mauritania in the main service activities (transport, telecommunications, food processing, cement, retail, construction, insurance, waste removal, banking sector). There are also French investments placed in oil and gas exploration (Total, GDF Suez).

^{Updated on 27.07.10}