Cooperation in the economic area

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Trade between France and APEC countries have considerably increased (up 16% in 2021, a total of €264 billion, reaching pre-pandemic levels), and accounts for 24% of our global trade.

France’s economic relation with the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) region

France’s imports from the APEC area stand at €154 billion and account for 26% of our global imports. Conversely, our exports to APEC stood at €110 billion, which is equal to 22% of our global exports.

The APEC area accounts for 26.23 % of French direct investment abroad (2021).

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in France from APEC countries has risen to €178 billion, or 23.4% of FDI in France (2021).

With 442 investment projects generating jobs, the APEC accounted for 27.5% of investment decisions in France in 2021. As a result, 15,998 jobs were created (35.5% of all jobs created in 2021).

Over the period 2016-2021, APEC conducted 2,517 investment projects in France, generating 76,791 jobs.

French financial interests are especially important in the APEC area. The total amount outstanding for funds from the AFD Group in the region was more than €1.2 billion in 2021, all sectors combined:

  • Since 2020, nearly € 3.9 billion has been earmarked by AFD in the region to fund 84 projects. Concerning loan insurance, managed by BpiFrance, APEC accounts for €13.9 billion in September 2022, or 21.6% of the total amount outstanding;
  • The area accounts for 27% of the global amount of loans granted by the Treasury that concern Chili, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam. The total amount outstanding is €1.05 billion for APEC countries.

Lastly, more and more companies from APEC countries are attending the Choose France Summit: since the first summit, more than 189 business leaders from the region have participated.

French presence in APEC

93% of the French exclusive economic zone is in the Indo-Pacific region (10.2 million km²). The region is home to many of our overseas communities (Réunion, Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna); 2 million French residents (including 1.65 million of our fellow citizens overseas).

Team France Export (which brings together all export resources of BPI France, chambers of commerce and industry and the BPI France public bank) is present in every region of APEC, and our agency Business France has 38 offices there, including 24 offices in the Indo-Pacific region.

944 foreign trade advisers (CCEF), or 22 % of the total number of advisers worldwide, implementing tangible action on a daily basis in APEC member countries in partnership with the public and private actors playing a role in the promotion and support of the internationalization of French companies.

APEC Summit, Thailand 2022

President Macron visited Bangkok and Thailand from Thursday 17 to Friday 18 November 2022, as part of his trip to attend the APEC Summit. He was the first European Head of State to be invited to an APEC Summit.

Updated: February 2023