Never has France recorded such a trade deficit: nearly 85 billion euros, in 2021. Eco guest of franceinfo Tuesday February 8, Pierre-André de Chalendar, president of Saint-Gobain and president of the Fabrique de l’ industry, believes that “foreign trade is the justice of the peace, it is the thermometer“: “Unfortunately, we have seen the impact of deindustrialization over the past twenty years.”
“The French economy is doing very well”he says, seeing in the trade balance “the only downside” : “The production capacities of France do not allow to meet the demand”. But he identifies positive signs, including rising exports, and government action: “I hope that this deficit is more the translation of the past than the translation of a certain number of actions in progress. There are positive things. We have started to work on the competitiveness of the industry.”
Thirty years ago, Europe produced 40% of semiconductors. Today, 9%. To regain an important role in this strategic sector, the Commission has just unveiled a 43 billion plan. “Europe is starting to take an interest in the industry!“, greets Pierre-André de Chalendar.
“Semiconductors are an industry that is needed everywhere”he continues: “The turnover of this industry has been multiplied by twenty in thirty years, and the production of Europe, by four!”. The continent is therefore massively dependent on the main Asian producers, starting with Taiwan.
For the president of the Fabrique de l’industrie, in this sector “very globalized”if Europe wants to regain a place, “we must above all focus on the new generations of semiconductors, where we can have a competitive advantage.”