Bolivia

Political relations

France and Bolivia maintain friendly relations, strengthened by the first meeting between President Emmanuel Macron and President Luis Arce on 18 July 2023 in Brussels, in the margins of the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Summit. Former President Evo Morales visited France six times and met with President Macron in New York in September 2019 to discuss French aid to Bolivia to fight fires in the Amazon.

We share the same concerns with Bolivia for the defence of multilateralism and the environment. We also conduct active cooperation when it comes to civil security, particularly the fight against forest fires.

Bilateral consultations are held every two years; the latest took place in La Paz in May 2024, at the level of the Americas and Caribbean Deputy Director.

Economic relations

Trade between France and Bolivia remains nominal. The total value of trade varied between €119 million and €187 million between 2015 and 2019, with volatility largely due to the fluctuating cost of commodities. Bilateral trade stood at €89 million at the end of 2023. In 2023, our exports accounted for €37 million, while our imports stood at €52 million.

The geographical isolation of the country also explains our low direct sales, because many French products found in Bolivia are imported and distributed from neighbouring countries (Chile, Peru and Brazil), and are not included in bilateral statistics.

In 2023, Bolivia was our 128th customer globally (15th in Latin America). French exports are made up almost exclusively of manufactured products (chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.).

Our imports are mainly metal ores, which represent two-thirds of France’s total imports. They also include agricultural and agrifood products.

TotalEnergies is the leading French investor in Bolivia. Thales supplies equipment to enable Bolivia to acquire an integrated air traffic control system. Some 20 French businesses are present in Bolivia.

France and Bolivia launched a high-level economic dialogue in November 2022 when the former Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Integration, Benjamín Blanco, visited France and met with Minister Delegate Olivier Becht. A second session of this dialogue was held in Bolivia in July 2024, where the two countries signed a bilateral roadmap that aims to bolster cooperation when it comes to sustainable mobility, health and strategic resources, particularly regarding the lithium component.